Giimbiyu_languages

Giimbiyu language

Giimbiyu language

Extinct Aboriginal Australian language

Giimbiyu is an extinct Aboriginal Australian language isolate once spoken by the Giimbiyu people of northern Australia.

Quick Facts Native to, Region ...

The name Giimbiyu is a Gaagudju word for 'of the stoney country'. It was introduced in Harvey (1992) as a cover term for the named dialects,[2]

  • Mangerr (Mengerrdji)
  • Urningangga (Wuningak) and Erri (Arri)

In 1997 Nicholas Evans proposed an Arnhem Land family that includes the Giimbiyu languages. However, they are not included in Bowern (2011).[3]

Phonology

Consonants

More information Peripheral, Laminal ...
  • Coarticulation among consonants is also present.
  • Among consonant-coarticulation, /ɣ/ when preceding sounds /l, ɾ/ may result in being heard as a voiceless palatal [ç].

Vowels

More information Front, Back ...
  • /u/ may also be heard as [o].
  • Coarticulation among a preceding /ɪ/, may result in the vowel sound becoming more central [ɪ̈] or as a diphthong [ɪə].[4]

Vocabulary

Capell (1942) lists the following basic vocabulary items:[5]

More information gloss, Mangeri ...

References

  1. [1]
    Mangerr at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
    Urningangg at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
    Erre at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. [2]
    N220 Giimbiyu at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  3. [3]
    Bowern, Claire. 2011. "How Many Languages Were Spoken in Australia?", Anggarrgoon: Australian languages on the web, December 23, 2011 (corrected February 6, 2012)
  4. [4]
    Birch, Bruce (2006). A first dictionary of Erre, Mengerrdji and Urningangk: three languages from the Alligator Rivers Region of North Western Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation: Jabiru: Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corp.
  5. [5]
    Capell, Arthur. 1941-1942, 1942-1943. Languages of Arnhem Land, North Australia. Oceania 12: 364-392, 13: 24-51.
Wiktionary has a word list at Appendix:North Australian word lists
  • McConvell, Patrick and Nicholas Evans. (eds.) 1997. Archaeology and Linguistics: Global Perspectives on Ancient Australia. Melbourne: Oxford University Press
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