| Northeastern Tasmanian | |
|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Northeastern, Ben Lomond, and North Midland tribes of Tasmanians |
| Geographic distribution | NE Tasmania |
| Linguistic classification | Possibly one of the world's primary language families (see Tasmanian languages) |
| Subdivisions |
|
| Glottolog | nort1442 |
 Tasmanian language families per Bowern (2012). Northeastern Tasmanian | |
Northeastern Tasmanian is an aboriginal language family of Tasmania in the reconstruction of Claire Bowern. [1]
Bayesian phylogenetic analysis suggests (at either p < 0.15 or p < 0.20) that three Northeastern Tasmanian languages are recorded in the 26 unmixed Tasmanian word lists (out of 35 lists known). According to Bowern's analysis, the Lhotsky and Backhouse/Walker lists, which do not record their provenance, together with the "Eastern" Jorgenson list, attest to a previously unidentified language in the northeastern family, as does the "Norman" list of Charles Sterling. The other lists attest to a single language, though the dialect of the Tamar River region (North Midlands tribe) is divergent, and Dixon & Crowley consider it to be a distinct language. [2] There are thus tentatively up to four attested Northeastern Tasmanian languages:
These languages cannot be shown to be related to other Tasmanian languages based on existing evidence. [3]
Two of the word lists reported to be from Oyster Bay (see Eastern Tasmanian languages) contain substantial Northeastern admixture, as the authors traveled along the coast collecting "Tasmanian" words, which Bowern believes to be responsible for several classifications linking the languages of the east coast. However, once that admixture is accounted for, the apparent links disappear. [1]
The Indigenous languages of Australia number in the hundreds, the precise number being quite uncertain, although there is a range of estimates from a minimum of around 250 up to possibly 363. The Indigenous languages of Australia comprise numerous language families and isolates, perhaps as many as 13, spoken by the Indigenous peoples of mainland Australia and a few nearby islands. The relationships between the language families are not clear at present although there are proposals to link some into larger groupings. Despite this uncertainty, the Indigenous Australian languages are collectively covered by the technical term "Australian languages", or the "Australian family".
The Pama–Nyungan languages are the most widespread family of Australian Aboriginal languages, containing 306 out of 400 Aboriginal languages in Australia. The name "Pama–Nyungan" is a merism: it is derived from the two end-points of the range, the Pama languages of northeast Australia and the Nyungan languages of southwest Australia.
The Tasmanian languages were the languages indigenous to the island of Tasmania, used by Aboriginal Tasmanians. The languages were last used for daily communication in the 1830s, although the terminal speaker, Fanny Cochrane Smith, survived until 1905.
The Worrorran (Wororan) languages are a small family of Australian Aboriginal languages spoken in northern Western Australia.
Tharawal, also spelt Thurawal and Dharawal, is a small family of extinct Australian Aboriginal languages once spoken along the South Coast of New South Wales.
The Paman languages are an Australian language family spoken on Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. First noted by Kenneth Hale, Paman is noteworthy for the profound phonological changes which have affected some of its descendants.
Palawa kani is a constructed language created by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre as a composite Tasmanian language, based on reconstructed vocabulary from the limited accounts of the various languages once spoken by the Aboriginal people living on the island now known as Tasmania or lutruwita.
Maran or Maric is an extinct branch of the Pama–Nyungan family of Australian languages formerly spoken throughout much of Queensland by many of the Murri peoples. The well attested Maric languages are clearly related; however, many languages of the area became extinct before much could be documented of them, and their classification is uncertain. The clear Maric languages are:
Eastern Tasmanian is an aboriginal language family of Tasmania in the reconstruction of Claire Bowern.
Northern Tasmanian is an aboriginal language family of Tasmania in the reconstruction of Claire Bowern.
Western Tasmanian is an aboriginal language family of Tasmania in the reconstruction of Claire Bowern.
Northern Tasmanian, or Tommeginne (Tommeeginnee), is an aboriginal language of Tasmania in the reconstruction of Claire Bowern.
Port Sorell is an extinct aboriginal language of Tasmania in the reconstruction of Claire Bowern. It was spoken near Port Sorell, in the center of the north coast, just east of Northern Tasmanian proper. Dixon & Crowley agree that there is unlikely to be a close connection to other varieties of Tasmanian.
Northwestern Tasmanian, or Peerapper ("Pirapa"), is an aboriginal language of Tasmania in the reconstruction of Claire Bowern. It was spoken along the west coast of the island, from Macquarie Harbour north to Circular Head and Robbins Island.
Southwestern Tasmanian, or Toogee, is a possible aboriginal language of Tasmania. It is the most poorly attested known variety of Tasmanian, and it is not clear how distinct it was. It was apparently spoken along the west coast of the island, south of Macquarie Harbour.
Northeastern Tasmanian, or Pyemmairre, is an aboriginal language of Tasmania.
North Midland Tasmanian, or Tyerrernotepanner ("Cheranotipana"), was an aboriginal language of northeastern Tasmania, along the Tamar River and inland of Ben Lomond and Great Oyster Bay.
"Lhotsky/Blackhouse" is an aboriginal Tasmanian language identified in the reconstructions of Claire Bowern. It was presumably spoken somewhere in the northeast of Tasmania, but the original location of the speakers was not recorded.
Little Swanport Tasmanian is an aboriginal language of Tasmania in the reconstruction of Claire Bowern. It was spoken near the modern town of Little Swanport on the east coast. Dixon & Crowley had noted that it appeared to be distinct, but were not sure if it constituted a separate language from other word lists collected near Oyster Bay.
Paredarerme or Oyster Bay Tasmanian is an aboriginal language of Tasmania in the reconstruction of Claire Bowern. It was spoken along the central eastern coast of the island by the Oyster Bay tribe, and in the interior by the Big River tribe. Records of the Big River dialect, Lairmairrener ("Lemerina"), indicate that it was no more distinct than the vocabularies collected along the coast around Oyster Bay; indeed, Little Swanport appears to have been a separate language.