Nyungic languages facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nyungic |
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| Geographic distribution: |
South West (Western Australia) |
| Linguistic classification: | Pama–Nyungan
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| Subdivisions: | |
 Nyungic languages (green) among other Pama–Nyungan (tan). Classification of Bowern (2011). Nyungar is the section in the southwest.
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The Nyungic languages are a group of Australian Aboriginal languages. They are spoken in the southwestern part of Western Australia. These languages are part of a much larger group called the Pama–Nyungan languages.
What Are Nyungic Languages?
Nyungic languages are spoken by Aboriginal people in the southwest of Australia. They are the languages furthest to the southwest within the big Pama-Nyungan language family. Think of a language family like a human family tree. All the languages in a family grew from a common ancestor.
Main Nyungic Languages
The main languages that are considered part of the Nyungic group are:
- Nyungar languages: This is the most well-known and widely spoken of the Nyungic languages.
- Galaagu language: Also known as Kalarko or Malpa.
- Kalaamaya–Natingero: These two are often grouped together.
We don't have a lot of information about Galaagu and Kalaamaya/Natingero. It's not completely clear how closely related they are to each other or to Nyungar. Some people even think Kalaamaya might just be a different way of speaking Nyungar. There's also a language called Nyaki Nyaki (Njakinjaki). Some experts say it's a dialect of Nyungar. Others think it's a dialect of Kalaamaya.
Understanding the Nyungic Group
The word "Nyungic" is often used to describe many languages in the southwest of Australia. However, this is more about geography than a proven language family. A language family means the languages definitely share a common ancestor.
A linguist named Bowern, in 2011, suggested that the true Nyungic family includes only Nyungar and Galaagu. Galaagu was once mistakenly grouped with the Mirning languages. This shows how tricky it can be to classify languages when there isn't a lot of information available.
