Pitta Pitta language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pitta Pitta |
|
|---|---|
| Region | Queensland |
| Ethnicity | Pitapita, Ringaringa, Rakkaia, Karanya, Kungkalenja, Maiawali |
| Extinct | 2 cited in 1979 |
| Language family | |
| Dialects |
Pitta-Pitta
Ringu-Ringu
Rakaya
Ngulupulu/Karanja
Kunkalanja
Mayawarli (Maiawali)
|
| AIATSIS | G6 Pitta Pitta (other dialects listed from here) |
Pitta Pitta (also called by other names) was an extinct Aboriginal language from Australia. It was spoken by Indigenous people around Boulia, Queensland. Sadly, this language is no longer spoken by anyone today.
The Story of Pituri
The plant called pituri was important to many Aboriginal people. They would chew its leaves as part of their traditions. Some people believe the name pituri comes from the Pitta Pitta word pijiri.
However, an expert named Walter Roth pointed out in 1897 that the neighbouring Yurlayurlanya people used the word 'pituri'. The Pitta Pitta people themselves called this plant tarembola.
The Language Today
By 1979, the Pitta Pitta language was almost gone. Only a few people could still speak it. These included Ivy Nardoo from Boulia, and Ted Marshall and Linda Craigie from Mount Isa. Today, it is believed that no one speaks Pitta Pitta anymore, making it an extinct language.
Pitta Pitta Sign Language
The Pitta Pitta people also had a special signed form of their language. This meant they could communicate using hand signs, which is a unique and important part of their culture.
