Giimbiyu language facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Giimbiyu
Mangerr
Native to	Australia
Region	Northern Territory
Extinct	1980s–1990se25
Language family	Language isolate or Arnhem Land? Giimbiyu
Dialects	Mangerr Erri Urningangga
Writing system	Latin (Australian Aboriginal)
AIATSIS	N220
Giimbiyu (purple), among other non-Pama-Nyungan languages (grey)

The Giimbiyu language was an Aboriginal Australian language that is now extinct. It was once spoken by the Giimbiyu people in the northern part of Australia.

A language is called "extinct" when it is no longer spoken by anyone. The Giimbiyu language stopped being used sometime between the 1980s and 1990s.

The name Giimbiyu comes from the Gaagudju language. It means 'of the stoney country'. This name was first used in 1992 to describe a group of related ways of speaking.

What Are the Giimbiyu Dialects?

The Giimbiyu language had different ways of speaking, known as dialects. Think of dialects like different accents or slightly different versions of the same language.

The main dialects of Giimbiyu were:

• Mangerr (also called Mengerrdji)
• Urningangga (also called Wuningak)
• Erri (also called Arri)

Is Giimbiyu Part of a Larger Language Family?

Scientists who study languages, called linguists, often group languages into "families." This is like how your family has different members, but you are all related.

In 1997, a linguist named Nicholas Evans suggested that Giimbiyu languages might be part of a larger group called the Arnhem Land family. However, not all linguists agree with this idea. Some researchers, like Bowern (2011), do not include Giimbiyu in that family. This means it is still debated whether Giimbiyu is related to other languages or if it is a language isolate. A language isolate is a language that has no known relatives.

Learning Giimbiyu Words

In 1942, a linguist named Arthur Capell wrote down some basic words from the Giimbiyu language. This helps us understand what the language was like.

Here are some examples of words from the Mangeri and Uningangk dialects:

See also

• In Spanish: Idioma giimbiyu para niños