Paman languages facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Paman |
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| Geographic distribution: |
Cape York Peninsula, Queensland |
| Linguistic classification: | Pama–Nyungan
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| Subdivisions: |
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 Paman languages (green) among other Pama–Nyungan (tan)
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The Paman languages are a group of Australian languages. They are spoken by Aboriginal people on the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia. A linguist named Kenneth Hale first studied these languages. Some Paman languages have changed a lot in how they sound over time.
Contents
What are Paman Languages?
The Paman languages are a language family. This means they are all related and come from a common ancestor language. They are part of the larger Pama–Nyungan language family, which covers most of Australia.
Where are Paman Languages Spoken?
Paman languages are found across the Cape York Peninsula. This area is in the far north of Queensland. People have spoken these languages there for thousands of years.
Languages of the East Coast
Many Paman languages were spoken along the eastern coast of the peninsula. Some of these languages are:
- North Cape York Paman: These include languages like Umpila.
- Lamalamic: This group includes languages such as Lamu-Lamu.
- Yalanjic: This group has languages like Guugu Yimithirr and Guugu Yalandji.
- Other languages like Mbariman-Gudhinma and Djabugay were also spoken here.
Languages of the West Coast
Along the western coast, other Paman languages were spoken. These include:
- North Cape York Paman: This group also includes the Wik languages.
- Southwestern Paman: This group has languages like Kuuk Thaayorre and Kunjen.
- Norman Paman: This group includes languages such as Kurtjar.
Languages of the Interior
In the central part of the Cape York Peninsula, south of the Wik languages, other Paman languages were spoken. These include:
- Thaypan: This group has languages like Gugu Thaypan.
- Southern Paman: This group includes languages like Agwamin and Mbabaram.
Some names like Gugu Mini mean 'good speech'. This name was used for several languages in the Thaypan area. Another general name for languages in this area was 'Possum language' (Koko-Possum).
See also
In Spanish: Lenguas pama para niños
