Waanyi language

Waanyi, also spelt Wanyi, Wanji or Waanji, is an extinct Australian Aboriginal language formerly spoken by the Waanyi people of the lower gulf area of Northern Queensland, Australia.

Not to be confused with Wandji language or Vwanji language.

Wanyi
Waanji
RegionNorthern Territory and Queensland, Australia
EthnicityWaanyi
ExtinctLate 20th century
Garrwan
  • Wanyi
Language codes
ISO 639-3wny
Glottologwany1247[1]
AIATSIS[2]G23

The language region includes the western parts of Lawn Hill Creek and Nicholson River, from about the boundary between the Northern Territory and Queensland, westwards towards Alexandria station, Doomadgee, and Nicholson River. It includes the local government area of the Aboriginal Shire of Doomadgee.[3]

Words and phrases from this language are used by novelist Alexis Wright in her 2013 novel, The Swan Book.

Phonology

Phoneme inventory [4]

Bilabial Velar Apical Palatal Open
Stop b k d j
Nasal m ng n ny
Lateral l ly
Tap rr
Glide w r y
Short Vowel u i a
Long Vowel uu ii aa

Phonemic long vowels are rare.[4]

References
  1. Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Wanyi". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
  2. G23 Wanyi at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  3. This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Waanyi". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  4. Breen, Gavan (2003)."Wanyi and Garrwa comparative data" in Evans, N., ed. "The Non-Pama-Nyungan Languages of Northern Australia: comparative studies of the continent’s most linguistically complex region". Studies in Language Change, 552. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, pp.425-462


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