Melpa language

Melpa
Native to	Papua New Guinea
Region	Mount Hagen District, Western Highlands Province
Native speakers	130,000  (1991)
Language family	Trans–New Guinea Chimbu–Wahgi Hagen Melpa
Writing system	Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3	med

Melpa (also written Medlpa) is a Papuan language spoken by about 130,000 people predominantly in Mount Hagen and the surrounding district of Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea.

Melpa has a voiceless velar lateral fricative, written double-barred el (Ⱡ, ⱡ). It is notable for its binary counting system.

Decimal	Medlpa	Interpretation
1	tenda	"one"
2	ragl	"two"
3	ragltika	"two-one"
4	tembokak	"four"
5	pömp tsi gudl	"one past four"
6	pömp ragl gudl	"two past four"
7	pömp ragltika gudl	"twone past four"
8	engak	"eight"
9	pömp tsi pip	"one past eight"
10	pömp ragl pip	"two past eight"

External links

• Ethnologue report for language code:med
• Melpa laterals