Ngawun language

Last updated

Ngawun
Native to Australia
Region Cape York Peninsula, Queensland
Ethnicity Ngawun, Wanamara
Extinct 1977
Language codes
ISO 639-3 Either:
nxn   Ngawun
wnn   Wunumara
Glottolog ngaw1240   Ngawun
AIATSIS [1] G17  Ngawun, G16.1  Wunumura
ELP Ngawun

Ngawun is an extinct Mayi language once spoken on the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland, Australia, by the Wunumara and Ngawun peoples. The last speaker of the language was Cherry O'Keefe (or Tjapun in the language) who died of pneumonia on 24 August 1977. [2]

Contents

The etymology of the name Ngawun is unknown.

Wanamarra (also known as Maykulan and Wunumura) was spoken in North West Queensland. The language region includes areas within the Shire of McKinlay, Shire of Cloncurry and Shire of Richmond, including the Flinders River area, and the towns of Kynuna and Richmond. [3]

Phonology

Consonants

Peripheral Laminal Apical
Labial Velar Dental Alveolo-
palatal
Alveolar Retroflex
Plosive pkt̠ʲtʈ
Nasal mŋn̠ʲnɳ
Rhotic ɾ
Lateral (l̠ʲ)lɭ
Approximant wjɻ

Vowels

Front Back
Close i, iːu, uː
Open a, aː

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References

  1. G17 Ngawun at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies   (see the info box for additional links)
  2. Breen, Gavan (1981). The Mayi languages of the Queensland Gulf Country. Canberra: AIAS. p. 13. ISBN   0-85575-124-X.
  3. CC BY icon-80x15.png This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Wanamarra". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland . Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  4. Breen, Gavan (1981). The Mayi languages of the Queensland Gulf Country. Canberra: AIAS. pp. 21–31.