Yir-Yoront language
| Yir-Yoront | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spoken in | Australia | |||
| Region | Cape York Peninsula, Queensland | |||
| Ethnicity | Yir-Yoront | |||
| Native speakers | 15 (1991) | |||
| Language family | ||||
| Language codes | ||||
| ISO 639-3 | yiy | |||
|
||||
Yir-Yoront is a Paman language spoken in two settlements, Kowanyama and Pormpuraaw on the southwestern part of the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland in Australia, by the Yir-Yoront people. As of 1991 only 15 speakers remain,[1] with the rest of the Yir-Yoront people speaking English or even Kuuk Thaayorre as many speakers of Yir-Yoront apparently are using Kuuk Thaayorre in daily conversation.[2] Together with Yirrk-Thangalkl it forms the group of Yir languages.
Contents |
[edit] Names
Yir-Yoront is written hyphenated as a way of indicating that the syllable following the hyphen is stressed. In the standard orthography, it is correctly spelled Yirr-Yorront, with "rr" representing the consonant /r/. There is a valid alternative pronunciation with stress on the first syllable; this can be written YirrqYorront. Other spellings encountered include Yir Yoront and Jir Joront.
Other names for the language include:
- Yirr-Thuchm: Meaning "from the sandridges"
- Kok-Minychen: The name of the Yir-Yoront in the Koko-Bera language
- Koko-Minychena: Alternative spelling
- Kokomindjen: Alternative spelling
- Mandjoen: Alternative spelling
- Mind'jana: Alternative spelling
- Mundjun: Alternative spelling
- Myunduno: Alternative spelling
- Kuuk-Thaanhon: The name of the Yir-Yoront in the Kuuk Thaayorre language
- Gwandera: A name incorrectly applied to the Yir-Yoront people and their language
- Millera: No source available
[edit] Phonology
[edit] Vowels
Yir-Yoront has 6 vowels:
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unrounded | Unrounded | Rounded | |
| Close | i | u | |
| Close-mid | e | o | |
| Mid | ə | ||
| Open | a |
[edit] Consonants
Yir-Yoront has 20 consonants:
| Peripheral | Laminal | Apical | Glottal | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilabial | Velar | Postalveolar /Palatal |
Dental | Alveolar | Retroflex | ||
| Nasal | m /m/ | ng /ŋ/ | ny /ɲ/ | nh /n̪/ | n /n/ | rn /ɳ / | |
| Plosive | p /p/ | k /k/ | th /t̪/ | t /t/ | rt /ʈ / | q /ʔ/ | |
| Affricate | ch /t͡ʃ/ | ||||||
| Trill | rr /r/ | ||||||
| Tap | r /ɾ/ | ||||||
| Approximant | w /w/ | y /j/ | lh /l̪/ | l /l/ | rl /ɭ / | ||
[edit] Sign
The Yir Yoront had a developed sign form of their language.[3]
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ Ethnologue
- ^ Gaby, Alice Rose (2006). A Grammar of Kuuk Thaayorre. p. 6.
- ^ Kendon, A. (1988) Sign Languages of Aboriginal Australia: Cultural, Semiotic and Communicative Perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[edit] General
- Alpher, Barry (1991). Yir-Yoront lexicon: Sketch and dictionary of an Australian language. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
 |
This Indigenous Australian languages-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
