Southwestern Paman languages facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southwest Pama |
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| Geographic distribution: |
Cape York Peninsula, Queensland |
| Linguistic classification: | Pama–Nyungan
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| Subdivisions: |
Upper
Coastal
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 Southwestern Paman languages (green) among other Pama–Nyungan (tan)
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The Southwestern Paman languages are a group of languages spoken by Aboriginal people in a special part of Australia. They are part of a larger group called the Paman languages. These languages are found on the western side of the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia.
Contents
What Are Southwestern Paman Languages?
The Southwestern Paman languages are a family of languages. This means they are related to each other, like members of a family. They all come from an older, shared language. These languages are a small part of the much larger Pama–Nyungan languages family, which covers most of Australia.
Where Are These Languages Spoken?
These languages are spoken in a specific area of Australia. This area is the western part of the Cape York Peninsula. The Cape York Peninsula is located in the state of Queensland. It is a beautiful and important region for Aboriginal culture and history.
How Are These Languages Grouped?
Experts who study languages sometimes have different ideas about how to group them.
- One expert named Alpher (in 1972) thought that Southwestern Pama was a clear group of related languages.
- Another expert, Robert M. W. Dixon, believed that only some pairs of these languages were closely connected. For example, he saw Yir as two ways of speaking the same language. He also thought Koko Bera and Kok Thawa were very close.
Languages in the Southwestern Paman Family
The languages in this family are often divided into two main groups:
Upper Southwest Pama
This group includes languages spoken further inland.
- Kuuk Thaayorre
- Kuuk Yak
- Kunjen (also known as Oykangand or Ogh-Undjan)
Coastal Southwest Pama
This group includes languages spoken closer to the coast.
- Yir-Yoront (which includes the Yirrk-Thangalkl way of speaking)
- Koko Pera: This group has two main languages:
Some languages from this family are no longer spoken today. For example, experts like Bowern (in 2011) also list the extinct languages Kokiny and Kok-Papángk.
See also
- In Spanish: Lenguas pama suroccidentales para niños
