Limilngan language

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Limilngan
Limil, Manadja, Minitji
Native toAustralia
Region Arnhem Land, Northern Territory
Ethnicity Limilngan (aka Buneidja)
Extinct 2009
Language codes
ISO 639-3 lmc
Glottolog nucl1327
AIATSIS [1] N42
ELP Limilngan

Limilngan, also known as Limil and Manidja (also spelt Manitja), is an extinct Aboriginal Australian language of the Top End of Australia.

Contents

Names and ownership

The language as well as its speakers are known by three names: Limilngan, Limil and Manidja / Manitja, the latter being an exonym. [1]

Buneidja is regarded as the same language, and the people are sometimes referred to by this name. [1]

Traditional lands

Limilngan was spoken in the Darwin hinterland, in the Mary River (Northern Territory) area of Kakadu. [1]

Phonology

Consonant sounds
Peripheral Laminal Apical
Labial Velar Palatal Alveolar Retroflex
Stop b/pɡ/kɟ/cd/tɖ/ʈ
Nasal mŋɲnɳ
Lateral ʎlɭ
Rhotic ɾ
Approximant wjɻ

The Limilngan language uses the three vowel system; /a/, /i/, /u/. The three sounds can result in allophones as [ɑ, æ], [ɪ], and [ʊ]. [2]

Vocabulary

Limilngan plant and animal names: [2]

Animals

English glossLimilngan
animal lulayi
bandicoot urugalitjbagi
cattle bulikgi
dingo dimarrkginyan
dog ngiliyi
dugong anmat dumuligan
echidna mumuligan mamban
flying fox (black)mumalingan
flying fox (red)lumarninyan damban
horse nandu
kangaroo anmat dumuligan
mouse liyil
native cat dirdatj
native cat gitjbi damban
old man kangaroomadlingi minyayan
possum lulikbi dinyayan
sugar glider marnijurrkgurrk
tree rat luwarli
wallaby (agile)bungal minyayan
wallaby (short-eared rock)itbilinyngan
wallaroo (black)lunybim
black-headed python iwirli
black whipsnake lamurr
blue tongue lizard mimiluk minyayan
Burton's legless lizard laminy dagiyan
carpet snake irrun damban
crocodile latdinyayan
death adder iyatdururr
file snake bitjjurnurnu
freshwater crocodile linan dirrinyan
frill-necked lizard lam
goanna sp.mirtbinalk mamban
goanna sp.birnirriny
goanna limiji damban
golden tree snake lagun
keelback snake limin biyal
king brown snake alinyman dinyayan
lizard sp.badambip
lizard sp.lanay
lizard sp.liminalk
lizard sp.minyim binyayan
long-necked turtle lulayk
MacLeay's water snake ( Pseudoferania polylepis )layi
olive python lumuwat dumuligan
short-necked turtle lamuk dikbugan
skink imin mirlarli
slaty-grey snake ( Stegonotus cucullatus )lambirli
turtle legmilingbi
water goanna ngugun dagiyan
water snake lambugay
western brown snake iyaturu
bird sp.jitbulkbulk
bird sp.luwutjgi
bittern nawarral
black cockatoo lurrilmal
black kite limin binal
brolga lurrilyarr
bustard dumugarnyi
butcherbird minbulungbulung
comb-crested jacana liyiny
cormorant (large species)lumuwulkbarl
crow lagurr
curlew girriluk ~ limiluk
darter iminy
dove guluduk
eagle (white-bellied sea)imbinyman
eagle (wedge-tailed)malungan
eggumunngayan
egret lurliny
emu langitj
feather lumulkban
flycatcher wijit
galah bilarrkbilarrk
goose lamay
jabiru larryal
jungle fowl larnmingi dinyayan
kookaburra lirrgi
long-tailed finch mawitjbitj
magpie jilalarr
magpie-lark liwitjbut
masked lapwing barrapbarrap
mopoke gumitgumitgan
native hen bibarrk
owl mukmuk ilamirl
parrot (red-winged)miyilarrk
pelican marninyi mambirri
pheasant mambarr birrinyan
pigeon (Torresian imperial)lalkgi
plover gurlawirtwirt
pygmy goose laliny
quail ligi
rainbow bee-eater malarr
tern larnung dirrinyngan ~ liwirarr dinyayan
whistling duck (plumed)laminyanbarr
whistling duck (wandering)danyarnngi
whistling kite limarrambi
white cockatoo ditjgan
white-throated grasswren lamugarn
willy wagtail jigirritj-jigirritj
winglarnung
barramundi diyan diminyan
black bream luwitjbarl
catfish gurdumardi
crab makbangi dinyayan
crab makbangi majan
eel imilung dajan
fish iwan
frog sp.bagartbagart
garfish jukjuk ilamirl
longbam wugul-wugul
mangrove oyster ulikbily
manta ray langinyngan
mermaid marung
mullet ilyiwin muluman
mussel liyinmungi
oyster lumbangmam
prawn lilkgany
sea snake umalikgan
shark arli
shellfish sp.galpbangarruk
stingray mumburarr
ant sp.darnman
anthill ayirri
blowfly luwunbun
bull ant luralkgalk
butterfly mambirri
centipede lurluk
dragon fly liwijul
flea manum birrinyan
fly lalykgi
green ant girralpbung
grublimiyuk
hornet uwurnitj
leech lugi
little flyluwutjgi
louse limbi
louse eggmiyimbi
mangrove worm dirrinyngangan
marchfly lalk
mosquito lanbayk
sandfly mimilanitj
scorpion lurngun
snail lirrul
tick mirtbinalk
wasp malinyngan

Plants

English glossLimilngan
bamboo mirnalitj
Banksia dentata mambirram
banyon minukban
billy goat plum layi
black currant treemanguk
black plum miminikgitj
black wattle iwirli
bush onion lagurr
bush potato bawitj
crab's eye vine bakgarl
cycad uwarrkbi
flowermimilngan
grassmarniyi
grass (knife) barram
green plum ilidamban
Grewia retusifolia magangurl
Haemodorum coccineum wilwil ilam
ironwood marral
ironwood waxnguwuk
leafluwutjgi
lily (grass)minumbirr
lily (red)uwukgi damban
lily bulb (white)minayuk
lily flower (white)manyal
lily stem (white)ulikbily
lily tuber (white)mingililuk
dense tree covermiyimil
milkwood mimilugutj
palm speciesdilimin langan
palm speciesmulpbay
pandanus nutlangitj
Pandanus spiralis liyarr
paperbark agal
Persoonia falcata latjji
Phragmites lamitj
pig tucker tree laliny
red applemamun birritj ~ mamun burrnginy
rootmadlingi
scrublalagan
seaweed malngi
stringybark linngulitj
tea tree [a] agi-agi
treebangi
unidentified plant speciesmiyingal
white apple lalykgi damban
white cedar liwirnal
white gum limin balyi
wild bananalanginyngan
wild peanut treeimiligarnmi
woollybutt muwurn ditjgan
yam (long)limbi
yam (round)mirnngayal
yam (water)darndamban

Footnotes

  1. There are several plants called tea tree, and it is unclear which this one was.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 N42 Limilngan at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  2. 1 2 Mark, Harvey (2001). A grammar of Limilngan: A language of the Mary River Region, Northern Territory, Australia (PDF). Pacific Linguistics 516. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. doi:10.15144/pl-516. hdl: 1885/146134 . ISBN   978-0-85883-461-3.