Ngaygungu language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ngaygungu |
|
|---|---|
| aka Ngȋ-koong-ō | |
| Native to | Australia |
| Region | Queensland |
| Extinct | last attested 1938aiatsis |
| Language family |
Pama–Nyungan ?
|
| AIATSIS | Y216 |
Ngaygungu (also called Ngȋ-koong-ō) was an Australian Aboriginal language. It is now considered a "sleeping" language. This means no one speaks it anymore. The Ngaygungu people originally spoke it. They lived near Atherton in the Wet Tropics of Queensland.
People recorded words from this language a long time ago. Walter Edmund Roth wrote down some words in 1898. Later, Norman Barnett Tindale also recorded words in 1938. These records help us learn about the language.
Sounds of Ngaygungu
Every language has its own special sounds. Ngaygungu had its own set of vowels and consonants. These are the building blocks of words.
Vowel Sounds
Ngaygungu had several vowel sounds. These are like the 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u' sounds in English. However, some of them were held for a longer time. Think of the difference between the 'a' in "cat" and the 'a' in "car".
Consonant Sounds
The Ngaygungu language had twelve different consonant sounds. These sounds are similar to many English consonants. For example, it had sounds like 'b', 'm', 'n', and 't'. These sounds helped form all the words in the language.
See also
