Proto-Pama–Nyungan language facts for kids

Proto-Pama–Nyungan is the name for a very old, hypothetical language. Think of it as the "grandparent" language of many of the Pama–Nyungan languages spoken in Australia today. Scientists believe it might have been spoken around 5,000 years ago. This is much more recent than the 40,000 to 60,000 years that indigenous Australians have lived on the continent.

How Languages Spread Across Australia

It's a bit of a mystery how the Pama–Nyungan languages spread across most of Australia. They replaced any older languages that were there before. One idea is that language could have moved from one group to another. This might have happened along with sharing culture and special traditions.

Ancient Language Connections

When experts look at similar words (called cognates) between different Pama–Nyungan language groups, it seems like they shared ideas and culture over a long time. This suggests that different groups met and influenced each other in many waves. Some experts, like Dixon, even think that the usual "family tree" idea for languages doesn't quite fit the Pama–Nyungan family.

Where Did It Start?

In 2018, scientists used computers to study how these languages are related. They suggested that the Pama–Nyungan languages started spreading around the middle of the Holocene period. This was from the Gulf Plains area in northeastern Australia.

Sounds of Proto-Pama–Nyungan

The sounds of Proto-Pama–Nyungan, as put together by a linguist named Barry Alpher, are quite similar to the sounds in many Australian languages today.

Vowel Sounds

Proto-Pama–Nyungan had a simple set of vowel sounds. These were similar to the "ee" sound (like in 'see'), the "oo" sound (like in 'moon'), and the "ah" sound (like in 'father'). These sounds could also be long or short. The length of a vowel only mattered in the first part of a word.

Consonant Sounds

The language had many different consonant sounds. These included sounds made with the lips (like 'p' and 'm'), sounds made at the back of the throat (like 'k' and 'ng'), and sounds made with the tongue in different places in the mouth. Some sounds were made by stopping the air completely (like 't' or 'p'). Others were made by letting air out through the nose (like 'n' or 'm'). There were also 'l' sounds and 'r' sounds.

Most of the sounds made with the flat part of the tongue (called laminal consonants) were just one type. The two different types we see in some modern languages probably developed later.

Words and Phrases

Experts have worked to reconstruct some of the words and parts of words (called morphemes) from Proto-Pama–Nyungan. This helps us understand what the language might have been like.

Common Words Reconstructed

Here are a few examples of words that linguists believe existed in Proto-Pama–Nyungan:

• Water: *nguku* or *nguki*
• Eye: *kuru*
• Hand: *mara*
• Foot: *cama* or *cina*
• Moon: *kakara* or *pira*
• Mother: *ngama*
• Father's sister: *piːmu* (This is an aunt on your father's side)
• Eat: *mungka-*
• Drink: *kuñcya-* or *luka-*
• Sit: *ñiːna-*
• Two: *kucyarra* or *kucarra*

Pronouns

The language also had words for "I," "you," "we," and "they." These are called pronouns. For example, "I" was likely *ngayu*, *ngayi*, or *ngaya*. "You" (singular) was *ñuntu*.

More Vocabulary Examples

Many other words have been suggested, including:

• Alive: *kunka*
• Big: *purlka*
• Black: *ngulcu*
• Bone: *muku*
• Cold: *mica*
• Dig: *paːnga-* or *paka-*
• Fish: *kuya/u*
• Ground: *taːku*
• Nose: *kuːwu* or *ngurru*
• Sand: *curtu*
• Spear: *kalka*
• Tongue: *calañ* or *ngañcar*
• Tooth: *rirra* or *lirra*
• Wind: *waːrlpa*
• Woman: *kapi+* or *yipi*

Even though some of these reconstructed words might not be perfectly accurate, many clear examples show how words are related across the Pama–Nyungan language family. This helps us understand the deep history of languages in Australia.