Tommeginne language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tommeginne |
|
|---|---|
| Northern Tasmanian | |
| Region | North-central coast of Tasmania |
| Ethnicity | Northern tribe of Tasmanians |
| Extinct | 19th century |
| Language family |
Northern–Western Tasmanian?
|
| AIATSIS | T1 |
The Tommeginne language, also known as Northern Tasmanian, was an Aboriginal language spoken in Tasmania. A language expert named Claire Bowern helped us understand and piece together information about it.
Contents
What is the Tommeginne Language?
The Tommeginne language was one of the many languages spoken by the Aboriginal people of Tasmania. It is no longer spoken today, having become extinct in the 19th century. This means that sadly, there are no longer any native speakers of Tommeginne.
Where Was Tommeginne Spoken?
The Tommeginne language was spoken by the Northern tribe of Aboriginal Tasmanians. They lived along the north-central coast of Tasmania. This area was their traditional land for a very long time.
How Do We Know About Tommeginne?
We know about the Tommeginne language because people wrote down lists of its words. These lists are like old dictionaries. They help us learn about languages that are no longer spoken.
Who Collected Tommeginne Words?
These important word lists were gathered by a person named Joseph Milligan. He collected them on Flinders Island, which is an island off the coast of Tasmania. Milligan published these lists in 1857 and 1859.
What Are Word Lists?
Joseph Milligan created two main word lists for the Tommeginne language. One list was called "northwest tribes" and had 268 words. The other was called "western tribes" and contained 369 words. These lists are very valuable because they are some of the only records we have of the Tommeginne language.
