Mingginda language
Mingginda or Minkin is an extinct Australian Aboriginal language, perhaps a language isolate, of northern Australia. It was spoken by the Mingin people in the area around Burketown, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, in an area that contains the headwaters of the Leichhardt River.
The classification of Minkin is uncertain, primarily due to a lack of data. It has been suggested that it may have been related to the Yiwaidjan or Tankic language families. Evans believes it has been demonstrated to be a Tankic language, more distant than the others are to each other; this is accepted in Bowern.
Phonology
Consonants
Consonants in parentheses are unattested, but may have existed.Vowels
It is not possible to tell if there was vowel length.Vocabulary
Minkin data reconstituted by Evans :Animals
- jaco-jaco
- kallanarra
- karimbala
- koodoo
- koorina
- megilpurra
- ooabiba
- paganbaba
- piringooraa
- piteldoo
- poolunganna
- pooralga
- wapoora
- wongoola
- ''worra''
Body parts
- bilba
- boormba
- changa
- charn-nga
- dimira
- kiwira
- lia
- makola
- mara
- migilla
- na-nga-ra
- pagooroo
- paranga
- pardaga
- parka
- tangana
- turra
- wedda
- ''yarin-nga''
Numbers
- choarng-ngo
- tigina
- ''tarngiltna''
People
- birgenkoora
- churbooyo
- kiagi
- koo-ar-ee
- koondoonoo
- magoo
- nacile
- nurka
- ooardigiri
- ooroonda
- parda
- pardingara
- pelgincorra
- takandana
- tano ara mingoo?
- tyana
- wompoora
- yillolunga