Unserdeutsch (Rabaul Creole German): Documentation of an endangered creole language in Papua New Guinea

(1) Documentation of Unserdeutsch (Rabaul Creole German), the world's only German-based creole language, and preservation of Unserdeutsch linguistic data. This language developed in the Bismarck Archipelago before World War I and with only about 100 speakers today, must be regarded as highly endangered. This project will begin by preparing a digital and annotated Unserdeutsch corpus that will go beyond documentation to provide the basis for a descriptive and analytical examination of the grammatical and typological features of the language.(2) In order to interpret the data that are collected as thoroughly aspossible, to make them available in a meaningful context, and to facilitatefuture research, parallel and simultaneous research is needed in thefollowing areas: (a) the circumstances surrounding the genesis of thelanguage and (b) a large amount of individual language biographies.

DFG Programme Research Grants

International Connection Australia, Papua New Guinea, Switzerland

Co-Investigator Professor Dr. Werner König

Cooperation Partners Professor Dr. Ludwig Eichinger; Professor Dr. Peter Mühlhäusler; Professor Dr. Craig A. Volker