Yalarnnga language


Yalarnnga is an extinct Australian Aboriginal language of the Pama–Nyungan language family, that may be related to the Kalkatungu language. It was formerly spoken by the Yalarnnga people in areas near the Gulf of Carpentaria the towns of Dajarra and Cloncurry in far northwestern Queensland. The last native speaker died in 1980. It is a suffixing agglutinative language with no attested prefixes.

Classification

Yalarnnga is sometimes grouped with Kalkatungu as the Kalkatungic branch of the Pama–Nyungan family. O'Grady et al., however, classify Kalkatungu as the sole member of the "Kalkatungic group" of the Pama-Nyungan family, and Dixon regards Kalkatungic as an areal group.

Phonology

Vowels

Phoneme/SoundAllophonesNotes
in unstressed or lax positions
as a realization of the sequence
elsewhere
in unstressed or lax positions
when within the position of palatal sounds
when stressed and preceded by peripheral consonants
when stressed and preceded by
elsewhere
when within the position of palatal sounds
in unstressed or lax positions
occasionally in word-final positions
elsewhere

Vocabulary

Some words from the Yalarnnga language, as spelt and written by Yalarnnga authors include:Kuyungu mungatha: good dayKarlu / karlo: fatherMernoo: motherWoothane: white manKathirr: grassKarni: shoulderKatyimpa: twoKunyu: waterKarrkuru: yellowbelly Monero: tame dog