Mpakwithi (linguistics)
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| Mpakwithi | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spoken in: | Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia | |
| Total speakers: | ? | |
| Language family: | Pama-Nyungan Paman Northern Anguthimri Mpakwithi |
|
| Language codes | ||
| ISO 639-1: | none | |
| ISO 639-2: | aus | |
| ISO/FDIS 639-3: | — | |
| Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. See IPA chart for English for an English-based pronunciation key. | ||
Mpakwithi is a moribund Australian Aboriginal dialect of Queensland.
Contents |
[edit] Classification
Mpakwithi is generally regarded as a dialect of the Anguthimri language, which is part of the Northern Paman family.
[edit] Phonology
[edit] Vowels
| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| Close | i iː ĩ y | u uː |
| Close-mid | e eː ẽ (ø) | o |
| Open-mid | æ æː æ̃ | |
| Low | a aː ã | |
/ø/ is found in only one word.
Mpakwithi has the most vowels of any Australian language, with 16–17. It also is the only Australian language to have nasal vowels.
[edit] Consonants
While other Anguthimri dialects and Northern Paman languages have three fricatives, /β ð ɣ/, Mpakwithi has a fourth, /ʒ/. Its origin is uncertain. This is an extremely rare sound in Australian languages.
[edit] References
- Crowley, T. (1981). “The Mpakwithi dialect of Anguthimri”, Dixon, R. M. W. and Blake, B. J.: Handbook of Australian Languages, Vol 2, Canberra and Amsterdam: Australian National University Press and John Benjamins, 146-194.
- Dixon, R. M. W. (2002). Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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