Mirndi languages facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mirndi
Mindi
Geographic distribution:	Victoria River and Barkly Tableland, Northern Territory
Linguistic classification:	One of the world's primary language families
Subdivisions:	Yirram (Jaminjungan) † Jingulu (Djingili) Ngurlun (East Mirndi)
Yirram      Barkly (Jingulu + Ngurlun)      other non-Pama–Nyungan families

The Mirndi or Mindi languages are a group of Aboriginal languages spoken in the Northern Territory of Australia. These languages are like a big family, with different branches.

The Mirndi family has two main groups: the Yirram languages and the Barkly languages. These two groups are spoken about 200 kilometers (124 miles) apart. The Ngumbin languages are found in between them.

A cool difference between the two groups is how they add parts to words. Yirram languages add parts to the beginning of words (like prefixes). Barkly languages add parts to the end of words (like suffixes).

The name "Mirndi" comes from a special word. This word means 'we' (meaning 'you and I'). It is found in all these languages, sounding like mind- or mirnd-.

What are the Mirndi Languages?

The idea of the Mirndi language family was first suggested by Neil Chadwick in the early 1980s. Experts generally agree that these languages are related.

The main reason they are grouped together is because of their similar word structures. This is called morphology. The strongest proof comes from how they use pronouns (words like 'I', 'you', 'we').

Some languages might be dialects (different versions) of others. For example, Ngaliwurru might be a dialect of Jaminjung language. Also, Gudanji and Binbinka are usually seen as dialects of the Wambaya language. These three dialects are sometimes called the McArthur River languages.

How Mirndi Languages Share Words

Languages that are close to each other often share words. This can happen even if they are not in the same language family. This is because people from different language groups often meet and trade words. These shared words are called loanwords.

The Yirram and Barkly languages have been in close contact. They have also met with the Ngumbin languages. This means some words they share might be loanwords. Many of these words might come from the Ngumpin languages.

For example, the Jingulu language (a Barkly language) shares only 9% of its words with Ngaliwurru (a Yirram language). But it shares 28% of its words with Mudburra language, which is a nearby Ngumpin language. This shows how much languages can influence each other.

Within the Barkly group, Jingulu language shares about 29% of its words with Wambaya language. It shares about 28% with Ngarnka language. The Ngarnka language and Wambaya language share 60% of their words.

The Wambaya language shares even more words with its own dialects. It shares 69% with Binbinka and 78% with Gudanji. These two dialects, Binbinka and Gudanji, share a very high 88% of their words.

Basic Words in Mirndi Languages

Here are some basic words from different Mirndi languages. This table helps us see how similar or different they are.

Proto-Mirndi: The Ancient Language

Just like you might have a great-great-grandparent, languages also have "ancestors." Proto-Mirndi is the name for the very old language that all the Mirndi languages came from. It's like the original language that split into all the different Mirndi languages we know today.

Scientists try to figure out what words in Proto-Mirndi sounded like. This helps them understand how the languages changed over time. For example, they have figured out what the Proto-Mirndi words for 'fire', 'water', and 'moon' might have been.

See also

In Spanish: Lenguas mirndi para niños