Ilgar language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ilgar |
|
|---|---|
| Garig | |
| Native to | Australia |
| Region | Cobourg Peninsula, Northern Territory |
| Ethnicity | Ilgar, Gaari |
| Extinct | 2003 |
| Language family | |
| Dialects |
Ilgar
Garig
|
| AIATSIS | N184 Ilgar, N188 |
The Ilgar language, also known as Garig-Ilgar, was once spoken by people living on the Cobourg Peninsula in Australia's Northern Territory. It was a special language that belonged to the Iwaidjan language family. Sadly, the last person who spoke Ilgar passed away in 2003. This means the language is now extinct. It is very important to learn about languages like Ilgar before they are lost forever.
The Sounds of Ilgar
Every language has its own unique set of sounds. These sounds are like the building blocks of words. We can divide these sounds into two main groups: consonants and vowels.
Consonant Sounds
Consonants are sounds where the airflow from your lungs is blocked or partly blocked. Think about sounds like 'p', 't', or 'm'. The Ilgar language had many different consonant sounds. Some of these sounds were made using your lips, like 'p' or 'm'. Others were made with your tongue touching the roof of your mouth.
One interesting thing about Ilgar is that it did not have certain types of sounds. For example, it did not use sounds made by the middle of your tongue touching the ridge behind your teeth. Many other Australian languages do have these sounds.
Vowel Sounds
Vowels are sounds where the air flows freely from your lungs. Think about sounds like 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u'. The Ilgar language had a very common vowel system. Like most other Australian languages, Ilgar used only three main vowel sounds. These sounds are similar to the 'a' in "father," the 'i' in "machine," and the 'u' in "flute."
