Paman languages
Encyclopedia
The Paman languages are an Australian language family
spoken on the Cape York Peninsula
of Queensland
. First noted by Kenneth Hale, Paman is noteworthy for the profound phonological changes which have affected some of its descendants.
, is available online.
Languages of Australia
Although Australia has no official language, it is largely monolingual with English being the de facto national language. Australian English has a distinctive accent and vocabulary. According to the 2001 census, English is the only language spoken in the home for around 80% of the population...
spoken on the Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. First noted by Kenneth Hale, Paman is noteworthy for the profound phonological changes which have affected some of its descendants.
Classification
Various classifications of the Paman languages exist. The one outlined below is that of R. W. Dixon, though he does not accept that these branches are necessarily related to each other. Another widely accepted classification, that of EthnologueEthnologue
Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International , a Christian linguistic service organization, which studies lesser-known languages, to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language and support their efforts in language development.The Ethnologue...
, is available online.
- North Cape York [accepted by Dixon]
- Umbindhamu [an isolate per Dixon]
- Lamalamic: Umbuygamu, Lama-Lama [accepted by Dixon]
- Mbariman: Mbariman–Gudhinma, Gugu Warra
- WesternWestern Paman languagesThe Western Paman languages are a subdivision of the Paman languages consisting of eleven languages, all spoken on the western part of the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland, Australia. The Upper- and Coastal Western Paman languages are grouped according to both Barry Alpher and R. M. W. Dixon,...
(See) - Thaypan (Rarmul): Thaypan, Gogo Mini (incl. Aghu Tharrnggala), TakalakTakalak languageTakalak is an extinct Australian Aboriginal language of Queensland....
- Southern: Agwamin, MbabaramMbabaram languageMbabaram is an extinct Australian Aboriginal language of north Queensland. It was the traditional language of the Mbabaram tribe. Known speakers were Albert Bennett, Alick Chalk, Jimmy Taylor and Mick Burns. Recordings of Bennett and Chalk are held in the Audiovisual Archive of the Australian...
, MbaraMbara language (Australia)Mbara is an extinct aboriginal language of Australia. It was spoken by tribal aborigines. No district or region was recorded on Ethnologue, so it is unknown where Mbara was spoken. It could be that the language has been extinct for too long. It has certainly been many years since any aborigines...