Guugu Yalandji language

Guugu Yalandji (Kuku-Yalanji) is an Australian Aboriginal language of Queensland. It is the traditional language of the Kuku Yalanji people. Despite conflicts between the Kuku Yalanji people and British settlers in Queensland, the Kuku Yalanji language has a healthy number of speakers, and that number is increasing. Though the language is threatened, the language use is vigorous and children are learning it in schools. All generations of speakers have positive language attitudes. The Kuku Yalanji still practice their traditional religion, and they have rich oral traditions. Many people in the Kuku Yalanji community also use English. 100 Kuku Yalanji speakers can both read and write in Kuku Yalanji.

Guugu Yalandji
RegionQueensland
EthnicityKuku Yalanji, Yungkurara, Kuku Nyungkal, Kokobididji, Kokobujundji, Kokokulunggur, Kokowalandja, Wakara, Wakaman? (possibly the wrong 'Wakaman'), Djankun, Muluridji, ?Wulpura
Native speakers
323 (2016 census)[1]
Pama–Nyungan
Dialects
  • Kuku-Yalanji
  • Kuku-Njungkul
  • Kuku-Bididji
  • Kuku-Dungay
  • Kuku-Buyundji
  • Kuku-Kulunggur
  • Kuku-Yalaja (Kuku-Yelandji)
  • Koko-Walandja
  • (Kuku-)Wakura
  • (Kuku-)Wakaman
  • (Kuku-)Djangun
  • (Kuku-)Muluridji
  • Kuku-Jakandji[2]
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
gvn  Kuku-Yalanji
djf  Djangun
vmu  Muluridyi
Glottologyala1261
AIATSIS[3]Y78
ELPKuku-Yalanji[4]

Phonology

Vowels

Kuku-Yalanji uses the typical three-vowel system, /a, u, i/, used in other Aboriginal Australian languages.[5]

Consonants

This table uses the standard orthography used by both linguists and the speech community. Stop sounds can range between voiced and voiceless releases. Where the orthography differs from the IPA representation, the orthography is bolded.[5]

Labial Alveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar
Stop b /p ~ b/ d /t ~ d/ j /c ~ ɟ/ g /k ~ ɡ/
Nasal /m/ /n/ ny /ɲ/ ng /ŋ/
Approximant /w/ /l/ r /ɻ/ y /j/
Trill rr /r/

References

  1. "Census 2016, Language spoken at home by Sex (SA2+)". stat.data.abs.gov.au. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  2. Dixon, RMW (2002). Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. xxxii.
  3. Y78 Guugu Yalandji at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  4. Endangered Languages Project data for Kuku-Yalanji.
  5. Patz, Elisabeth (2002). A Grammar of the Kuku Yalanji Language of North Queensland (PDF). Pacific Linguistics 527. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. doi:10.15144/pl-527. hdl:1885/146148. ISBN 978-0-85883-534-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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