Nyulnyulan languages

Nyulnyulan
Geographic
distribution:
northern Australia
Linguistic classification: a primary family of Australian languages.
Subdivisions:
Eastern
Western

  Nyulnyulan (at very left of inset)

The Nyulnyulan languages are a small family of closely related Australian Aboriginal languages spoken in northern Australia.

The languages form two branches established on the basis of lexical and morphological innovation.[1]

Nyulnyul, BardiDjawi, Dyaberdyaber, Nimanburru
Jukun, Yawuru, Warrwa, Nyigina

R. M. W. Dixon accepts the validity of the family but incorrectly gives the subgroups as languages; he thus assigns only two languages to the family despite mutual unintelligibility within the Eastern and Western groups.[2]

References

  1. ^ Bowern 2004: Bardi Verb Morphology in Historical Perspective PhD, Harvard University
  2. ^ Dixon, R. M. W. (2002). Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development. Cambridge University Press. http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521473780.