Gaagudju language

Gaagudju (also spelt Gagadu, Gaguju, and Kakadu) is an extinct Australian Aboriginal language formerly spoken in Arnhem Land in northern Australia, in the environs of Kakadu National Park. Its last speaker, Big Bill Neidjie, died on 23 May 2002.

Gaagudju
RegionNorthern Territory
EthnicityGaagudju, Watta
ExtinctMay 2002, with the death of Big Bill Neidjie
Dialects
  • Wada
Language codes
ISO 639-3gbu
Glottologgaga1251
AIATSIS[1]N50
ELPGagudju[2]

  Gaagudju

Classification

Gaagudju has traditionally been classified with the Gunwinyguan languages. However, in 1997 Nicholas Evans proposed an Arnhem Land family that includes Gaagudju.

Phonology

Vowels
Front Back
High i iː u uː
Mid e eː o oː
Low a aː

Consonants
Peripheral Laminal Apical
Bilabial Velar Palatal Alveolar Retroflex
Stop p k c t ʈ
Nasal m ŋ ɲ n ɳ
Lateral ʎ l ɺ̢
Rhotic r ɻ
Semivowel w j

Vocabulary

Capell (1942) lists the following basic vocabulary items:[3]

glossGagadu
mandjereiŋi
womandjireːwan
headŋaːṙi
eyebɔːrɔ
nosegeːni
mouthdjaːbul
tongueŋaːndjil
stomachmabulu
bonebenaːgăra
bloodmaneŋul
kangaroobaːgu
opossummɔɳɔ
emugabaṙɛːbi
crowmawaːga
flyŋɔrmul
sungobolbara
moonmaɖba
firegudjäli
smokeuŋari
watergaṙu

References
  1. N50 Gaagudju at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  2. Endangered Languages Project data for Gagudju.
  3. Capell, Arthur. 1941-1942, 1942-1943. Languages of Arnhem Land, North Australia. Oceania 12: 364-392, 13: 24-51.
  • Harvey, Mark (2002). A Grammar of Gaagudju. Walter de Gruyter.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.