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"tapes of Maring language speakers (fringe Western Highlands and Madang Provinces PNG)- These are a mix or recordings of meetings, dispujtes, interviews and singing. The tapes date back to 1979, 1987 and 1991. I cannot pretend that Maring is an endangered language. Certainly in my experience it is in rude good health although it may well be changing under the impact of highlands Tok Pisin. On the other hand I think the tapes reflect what is now an historical record of the language from a very considerable variety of speakers and it is one that in the long run I woujld like to return to the Kwima community themselves. In this regard it may well be that the tapes would provide something of a record of certain rhetorical styles of speech making (see Merlan and Rumsey 1991) that may well be undergoing radical transformation or in decline." Neil MacLean |