Nyulnyul language
| Nyulnyul | |
|---|---|
| Region | Western Australia |
| Ethnicity | Nyulnyul people |
| Extinct | 1999, with the death of Carmel Charles |
Nyulnyulan
| |
| Latin | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | nyv |
| Glottolog | nyul1247 |
| AIATSIS[1] | K13 |
| ELP | Nyulnyul |
Nyulnyul is an
Mary Carmel Charles is documented as the last fluent speaker of the Nyulnyul language of Western Australia.[2]
Phonology
Consonants
Nyulnyul has seventeen consonant phonemes, with five distinct places of articulation. yulnyul is a morphologically complex language with both prefixing and suffixing.[3]
| Bilabial | Apico-alveolar | Apico-post-alveolar | Lamino-palatal
|
Dorso-velar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stops
|
b ⟨b⟩ | d ⟨d⟩
|
ɖ ⟨rd⟩ | c ⟨j⟩ | g ⟨g⟩ |
| Nasals | m ⟨m⟩ | n ⟨n⟩
|
ɳ ⟨rn⟩ | ɲ ⟨ny⟩ | ŋ ⟨ng⟩ |
| Laterals | l ⟨l⟩
|
ɭ ⟨rl⟩ | ʎ ⟨ly⟩ | ||
Taps
|
r ⟨rr⟩
|
||||
Glides
|
w ⟨w⟩ | ɻ ⟨r⟩ | j ⟨y⟩ |
Vowels
Nyulnyul uses a three vowel system, with contrastive length for all vowels.[4]
| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| Close | i [i], ii [iː] | u [u], uu [uː] |
| Open | a [a], a [aː] |
Classification
Nyulnyul is very closely related to and was possibly
Grammar
Nyulnyul is a morphologically complex language with both prefixing and suffixing.[6]: 43 The language has an ergative alignment system. Nouns do not have classes, but case on phrases is marked through bound postpositions. Verbs roots are inflected for person and number of its subject, tense, mood and voice through prefixes. A number of suffixes with different meanings can also optionally be used.[6]: 44 Verbs are also used in compound verb constructions where a non-inflecting preverb is used together with an inflected verb. The language also has a number of adverbs and particles.
Clauses can also be constructed without the use of verbs when presentative, attributive or identifying. The word order is free.[6]: 45
References
- ^ K13 Nyulnyul at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
- ISBN 1-875641-07-6.
- ISBN 9780858836471. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
- ISBN 9780858836471. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
- ^ Bowern, C. 2010. Two Missing Pieces in a Nyulnyulan Jigsaw Puzzle. "Linguistic Society of America Extended Abstracts".
- ^ ISBN 9780858836471. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
Literature
- ISBN 0-521-47378-0.
- .
- McGregor, W. B. (1996). Nyulnyul. Munich and Newcastle: Lincom Europa.
- McGregor, W. B. (1999). "The Medio-active Construction in Nyulnyulan languages". Studies in Language. 23 (3): 531–567. .
- McGregor, W. B. (1999). "External Possession Constructions in Nyulnyulan languages". In D.L. Payne; I. Barshi (eds.). External Possession. Amsterdam and Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins. pp. 429–448.
- McGregor, W. B. (2000). "Reflexive and Reciprocal Constructions in Nyulnyulan languages". In Z. Frajzyngier; T.S. Curl (eds.). Reciprocals: Form and Function. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. pp. 85–122.
- McGregor, W. B. (2003). "Language Shift among the Nyulnyul of Dampier Land". Acta Linguistica Hafniensia. 35: 115–159. S2CID 145001343.
- Nekes, H. (1938). "The Pronoun in Nyol-Nyol (Nyul-Nyul) and Related Dialects". In A.P. Elkin (ed.). Studies in Australian Linguistics. Sydney: University of Sydney. pp. 139–163.
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