Ngawun language
Extinct Australian Aboriginal language
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
NativetoAustralia
RegionCape York Peninsula, Queensland
Extinct24 August 1977, with the death of Cherry O'Keefe (Tjapun)
| Ngawun | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Australia |
| Region | Cape York Peninsula, Queensland |
| Ethnicity | Ngawun, Wanamara |
| Extinct | 24 August 1977, with the death of Cherry O'Keefe (Tjapun) |
Pama–Nyungan
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | Either:nxn – Ngawunwnn – Wunumara |
| Glottolog | ngaw1240 Ngawun |
| AIATSIS[1] | G17 Ngawun, G16.1 Wunumura |
| ELP | Ngawun |
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 | p | k | t̪ | t̠ʲ | t | ʈ |
| Nasal | m | ŋ | n̪ | n̠ʲ | n | ɳ |
| Rhotic | ɾ | |||||
| Lateral | (l̠ʲ) | l | ɭ | |||
| Approximant | w | j | ɻ | |||
- /t̪/ can be heard as fricatives [θ] in intervocalic positions, and as [ð] when in between a nasal and a vowel.
- /ɾ/ can be heard as a trill [r] when in word-final position.
- /ɭ/ can be heard as an alveolo-palatal [l̠ʲ] when before /t̠ʲ/.
Vowels
- /i/ can be heard as [ɪ] when before /j/ or any other alveolo-palatal laminal sounds.
- /u/ can also be heard as [ʊ], and as [o] when in word-final positions.[4]
