Otto Nekitel

[Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald]

It is our duty to report the sudden death from a massive heart attack of
Professor Otto Nekitel of the University of Papua New Guinea. Professor
Otto Ignatius Soko'um Manganau Nekitel, born on 12.12.1949,  who was a
native speaker of Abu' Arapesh, was the first indigenous linguist in Papua
New Guinea to receive his PhD in linguistics (from the Australian National
University in 1985). He did insightful work on the noun classes of Abu'
Arapesh and on sociolinguistic issues concerning the indigenous languages
of Papua New Guinea. He was an intellectual leader of his people, and his
untimely death will leave a gap that will be impossible to fill. We deeply
mourn him.

Alexandra (Sasha) Aikhenvald (Research Centre for Linguistic Typology, La
Trobe University, Australia)
Pauline A. Luma Laki (Research Centre for Linguistic Typology and
University of Papua New Guinea)

Professor Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald
Associate Director
Research Centre for Linguistic Typology
Institute for Advanced Study
La Trobe University
Bundoora, Vic
Australia 3083

e-mail a.aikhenvald at latrobe.edu.au

phone: 	61-(0)3-9467-3079 Uni
	61-(0)3-9455-0020 home

fax 	61-(0)3-9467-3053

Administrator: 61-(0)3-9467-3128