Kureinji language facts for kids

Kureinji is a language from Australia that is no longer spoken by anyone. It was once used in the southwest part of New South Wales. When a language is "extinct," it means that no one speaks it as their first language anymore. This can happen for many reasons, often when people start speaking another language instead.

Kureinji is also known by a few other names. Some people called it Keramin or Kemendok. It is not fully clear if these were different ways of saying the same language, or if they were slightly different versions (like dialects).

About the Kureinji Language

The Kureinji language was part of a larger group of languages called the Lower Murray languages. These languages were spoken by Aboriginal people living near the Murray River in southeastern Australia.

Other Names for Kureinji

The name Keramin could be spelled in several ways, like Karin, Kerinma, Karinma, Karingma, and Keramin. Other names that might have been used for this language include Orangema and Pintwa.

A researcher named Horgen thought that Yerreyerre might also be another name for Keramin. However, it is possible that Yerreyerre actually referred to other languages spoken in the area.

Why Languages Become Extinct

Languages can become extinct when the people who speak them start using a different language, often because of changes in their community or country. When a language disappears, we lose a unique way of understanding the world. Each language has its own special words, stories, and ways of thinking that are important to the culture of the people who spoke it.

See also

• In Spanish: Idioma kureinji para niños