The Abom language is spoken by a small community of around 1,500 people living in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. The language is a member of the Finisterre-Huon family of languages and is believed to have diverged from other languages in the region approximately 3,000 years ago. In this paper, we will explore the linguistic features of the Abom language, its social context, and how it reflects the cultural practices of its speakers. We will also discuss the challenges facing the preservation of the language.

Abom has a relatively simple phonological system, with five vowel phonemes and thirteen consonant phonemes. It is notable for having a glottal stop as a separate phoneme, which is unusual in the Finisterre-Huon family of languages. The language has a system of tone, with high and low tones that are contrastive. The tone system in Abom is complex, and there are several tonal sandhi rules that govern the interaction of tones in different contexts.

Abom has a relatively complex morphology, with a large number of affixes that are used to indicate grammatical information. The language is polysynthetic, with the ability to form long, complex words through the use of affixes. The affixes in Abom are used to indicate tense, aspect, mood, and various other grammatical categories. The language also has a system of noun classification, with a large number of noun classes that are marked by specific affixes.

The basic word order in Abom is subject-object-verb, which is typical of many languages in the region. The language has a relatively free word order, with the ability to change the order of words to emphasize particular elements of the sentence. Abom also has a complex system of serial verb constructions, which are used to express complex actions or events. These constructions involve the use of several verbs in sequence, each of which contributes to the overall meaning of the construction.

The Abom language is spoken by a small community of people who live in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. The community is primarily subsistence farmers, growing crops such as sweet potatoes and yams. The Abom people have a strong cultural identity, and the language is an essential part of their cultural heritage. However, the language is under threat from outside influences, such as the spread of Tok Pisin, the lingua franca of Papua New Guinea.

There are several efforts underway to preserve the Abom language, including the development of language materials such as dictionaries and grammars, the establishment of language schools, and the use of the language in community events and ceremonies. However, these efforts face many challenges, including the limited resources available for language preservation, the spread of Tok Pisin, and the lack of government support for minority languages.

The Abom language is an important part of the cultural heritage of the Abom people, and its preservation is essential for maintaining the cultural identity of the community. The language has many unique features, including its glottal stop phoneme, complex morphology, and tonal system. However, the language is under threat from outside influences, and efforts must be made to preserve it for future generations.