Languages of Australia

[vijayjohn]

Most of the indigenous languages of Australia belong to the Pama-Nyungan family and are clearly related to one another. However, some of the languages in the far north are not Pama-Nyungan but rather part of as many as 15 other families. There is also one Papuan language from the Eastern Trans-Fly family called Meriam Mir, spoken on Murray Island in the Torres Strait Islands. Meriam Mir has heavily influenced certain Pama-Nyungan languages spoken nearby, perhaps most noticeably Kala Lagaw Ya. All other Eastern Trans-Fly languages are spoken in Papua New Guinea. In addition, needless to say, relatively recent immigrants speak several other languages, most notably English.

[vijayjohn]

The language families of northern Australia excluding Pama-Nyungan are listed on Wikipedia as follows:

Nyulnyulan
Worrorran
Bunuban
Jarrakan
Mindi
Daly
Wagiman
Wardaman
Tiwi
Darwin Region
Iwaidjan
Giimbiyu
Arnhem, incl. Gunwinyguan
Garawan and Tangkic

Out of all of these, the only language I have tried to study at all is Iwaidja. The only other surviving Iwaidjan language is called Maung.

[vijayjohn]

The only Pama-Nyungan languages spoken in far northern Australia are Yolŋu Matha (a group of languages, not one single language), Kala Lagaw Ya, the Paman languages, Yidiny, and the Dyirbalic languages. Just south of where the non-Pama-Nyungan languages are spoken, the groups of Pama-Nyungan languages that are spoken are the Marrngu languages, the Ngumpin-Yapa languages (including Warlpiri), Warumungu, Yanyuwa, Kalkatungic languages, and the Mayi languages.