Mingginda language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mingginda |
|
---|---|
Minkin | |
Region | Queensland, Australia |
Ethnicity | Mingin people |
Extinct | (date missing) |
Language family |
Macro-Pama–Nyungan?
|
AIATSIS | G26 |
Mingginda, also known as Minkin, was an ancient language spoken by the Mingin people in northern Queensland, Australia. It was used in the area around Burketown, near the southern coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria. This region includes where the Leichhardt River begins.
About the Mingginda Language
The Mingginda language is considered extinct, meaning it is no longer spoken by anyone. It was an Aboriginal language. Experts are not completely sure about its history. Some think it might have been a language isolate. This means it was not closely related to any other known language family.
Language Family Connections
It is hard to classify Mingginda because there is not much information about it. Some experts have suggested it might be connected to the Yiwaidjan or Tangkic language families.
However, a linguist named Nicholas Evans believed it was part of the Tangkic language family. He thought it was more distantly related than other languages in that group. This idea was also supported by another expert, Claire Bowern, in 2011.
Words from Mingginda
Nicholas Evans collected some words from the Mingginda language. This helps us understand a little bit about how the language worked. Here are a few examples:
English Meaning | Mingginda Word |
---|---|
man | ŋaRka |
woman | maku |
boy, children | wuRaRa |
baby | piltʸinkuRa |
father | kEyatʸi |
mother | kuntuŋu |
head | wiʈa |
eye | mitʸELa |
ear | maRa |
hand | ŋaRŋaRa |
water, rain | wat̪a |
fire | wiLa |
sun | tʸiRiŋaŋa |
moon | palaŋatʸi |
kangaroo | punkana |
dingo | mitʸilpaRa |
emu | puLanʸtʸana |
fish | waRa |
good | puRuka |
bad | TuRka |
one | tʸuwaRnʸu |
two | Tikinʸa |
to walk | yaNkiya |
to eat | TayaTaya |
to sleep | yuŋ(k)uyu |
yes | Niya |
See also
In Spanish: Idioma minkin para niños