Kombai language

Kombai
Kombai
Khobaye-lu
Region	Boven Digoel Regency, South Papua
Ethnicity	Kombai & Wanggom
Native speakers	(5,000 cited 1991–2002)
Language family	Trans–New Guinea Greater Awyu Awyu–Dumut Kombai; ; ;
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Either:; tyn – Kombai; wng – Wanggom
Glottolog	ndei1235 Ndeiram; komb1274 Kombai

Last updated August 18, 2025

Kombai (Komboy) is a Papuan language of Boven Digoel Regency in South Papua, Indonesia. It is spoken by the Kombai, including the Kombai Kali or River Kombai, who spoke Tayan dialect.

Ethnologue records a Wanggom language which is similar to Kombai, spoken by the Wanggom people. However, their language has not been attested as a distinct language.^[2]

References

↑ Kombai at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
Wanggom at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
↑
- The Awyu–Ndumut languages in their linguistic and cultural context (University of Amsterdam)

Hughes, Jock (2009). Upper Digul Survey (PDF). SIL International.^{[ dead link ]}
De Vries, Lourens (1993). Forms and Functions in Kombai, an Awyu Language of Irian Jaya. Department of Linguistics, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University.

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[e18-1] Kombai at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
Wanggom at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[2] 
The Awyu–Ndumut languages in their linguistic and cultural context (University of Amsterdam)

[mwNQ] The Awyu–Ndumut languages in their linguistic and cultural context (University of Amsterdam)

[1]

[2]