Extinct Australian Aboriginal language
Mingginda or Minkin is an extinct Australian Aboriginal language , perhaps a language isolate , of northern Australia. It was spoken by the Mingin people in the area around Burketown , on the southern coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria , in an area that contains the headwaters of the Leichhardt River .[ 1]
The classification of Minkin is uncertain, primarily due to a lack of data. It has been suggested that it may have been related to the Yiwaidjan or Tankic language families . Evans (1990) believes it has been demonstrated to be a Tankic language , more distant than the others are to each other; this is accepted in Bowern (2011).[ 3]
Phonology
Consonants
Consonants in parentheses are unattested, but may have existed.
Vowels
It is not possible to tell if there was vowel length.[ 1]
Vocabulary
Minkin data reconstituted by Evans (1990):[ 1]
gloss
Minkin
man (Aboriginal)
ŋaRka (ŋařka)
'the blacks'
yaŋ(k)ana; wampuRa; kOmu; miŋ(k)u
white man
piʈa; Takantana
young man
kulankali; wuRunta (wuɽunta)
boy, children
wuRaRa
baby (also 'little', 'younger brother')
piltʸinkuRa
girl
puLupuLa (puɭupuɭa)
woman
maku
old man
paʈiŋaRa
old woman
waʈikiRi (waʈikiři)
father
kEyatʸi
mother
kuntuŋu
sister
wuŋ(k)uRa-paŋa; yilulaŋa
brother, elder
Naŋkalʸ or Naŋkay
brother, younger
piRtʸinkuRa
mother's mother
TiTila
God
tʸORpuyu
ghosts
paʈa
'being who taught them everything'
kuwaRi
head
wiʈa
hair of head
puLumpa
hair of beard, beard
yaRinʸa, yaRiŋa
eye
mitʸELa
ear
maRa (mařa)
mouth
paRka
teeth
liya
tongue
THalŋa ~ THanŋa
nose
kiwiRa
face
yiRa
neck
panTaLmaRa
shoulder
tʸaʈa
breasts, milk
ŋukula
back
kOnTa (kanta)
stomach
paʈaka; puLtʸi
chest
payuLa
thigh
piLpa; t̪anpa
leg
tʸila
ankle
mukuLa
foot
tʸaŋ(k)a
track of a foot
tʸaŋ(k)ay, tʸaNa
arm
waLERa
wrist
muni-muni; maNay-maNay
hand
ŋaRŋaRa (ŋařŋařa)
fingers
ŋařa
skin
pakuRu
bone
TimERa (ʈimiřa)
blood
takana
fat
paRaŋ(k)a (paɽaŋka)
bowels, excrement
TORa (ʈuRa)
excrement
malina
kangaroo
punkana; tʸaku-tʸaku
possum
wapuRa
tame dog
kutu
wild dog, dingo
mitʸilpaRa
emu puLanʸtʸana
black duck piyanʸtʸuRa
wood duck yapiRa- muntunʸtʸiRa
pelican
yukuTaRa; pitiltu
laughing jackass (kookaburra )TalkuRa (t̪alkuřa)
native companion (brolga )Tila-TalkuRa; puRalku
white cockatoo TayalpuwaRa; kaRimpala
crow
waŋkuLa
swan
kunankuta
wild turkey
piRinkuRa
egg
yapipa
snake
palaŋ(k)aRa; pakanpapa
fish
waRa
crayfish
miNTuLa
mosquito
kalaRaŋ(k)a (kalařaŋka)
fly
wuŋaRa; kuRiNa
grass
kOɳa (kaɳa); puLpa
bark
kuRumpa; pakuRu
wood
wiLa; wiLaTaLOnti (wiLa t̪alunti)
war-spear
waRinwaRina; maLtʸiNTaRa
reed-spear
waRin; ŋuRmi (ŋuřmi)
woomera piRi (piři)
shield
Taʈuna; tʸaRpi (tʸařpi)
tomahawk THaʈiyapina; tʸaRiwiNTila
boomerang waŋila
carvings on boomerang
waLitʸi
canoe
kamiRa
camp
NETa (ɳat̪a) (ŋita)
fire
wiLa
heat
yaLuLu (yalulu); mawuRina
smoke
Tumpuɳa; kuya-kuya
light
NawaNawa; kawuntuNaRay
dark (= night)
kawuNTi
water, rain
wat̪a
food
La(R)kuLa
honey (= fat)
paRaŋ(k)a (paɽaŋka)
thirsty
NVRmuNTu (ŋawaRmuNTu)
hungry
NaLu
stone, hill
kapaʈa
ground
kuʈa
river
kaTaRa (kat̪ařa)
lake, lagoon
paNka
swamp
wuɭpa
sea
mawORa
sun
tʸiRiŋaŋa
moon
palaŋatʸi
moon; star (?)
piRiŋ(k)a (piɽiŋka)
star; sky (?)
TaLaLa (ʈalala)
thunder
piʈimaRa(-Ta)
wind
waRmaRa (wařmaɽa)
rain
puLuLaŋ(k)ana
day
palmanmaLamaLa; yiɳanʸtʸi
today
yanaNiŋ(k)a, yanaLiŋ(k)a
night
miLimaʈa; kawuNTi
yesterday
kawuNTiwa; yaluNTay
dawn
ŋaNaRaNa, yuNaRaNa
tomorrow
kawuNTu, kawuNTuŋ(k)aRa
by-and-by
kiTaNTa ŋatʸa
cold
KuRiNa (ŋuřina)
good
puRuka
bad
TuRka
big
puLaNa; kuNamiRa (kunʸamiřa)
little; baby
piltʸinkuRa
dead, rotten
pukayaNa, puka
sweet
kaRaLkaRaLa
one
tʸuwaRnʸu ~ tʸuwaLnʸu
two
Tikinʸa
three
Tantʸilta
four
Tikintalʸu- TuwaLʸu, TikintʸaLinʸa
plenty, many
yunkuna; wan(a)puRa
none, no
wiɳiŋa; Wawiŋa
any
waNTini
some
tʸiliŋa
same
man̪t̪anʸi
other
tʸawuNiliŋa
to walk
yaNkiya
to walk, go
yapu
to run
Taŋanʸi
to go away
tʸawuyu
to come here
ŋatʸa
to sit
Ninʸa; kuNuyu
to take
kawapa
to hold
niŋapa
to let him go
yiɭayaNkipa
to give
wuNapa
to burn with fire
Nalapa
to make
piʈimapa
to sleep
yuŋ(k)uyu
to die
yuRpiyu
to live
piRitʸinʸa
to eat
TayaTaya, TaRa
to drink
WawunTini
to speak
watʸi
to see
Nawapa
to feel
(yu)wiŋapa
to hear
(yu)wiŋʸtʸin- ta(R)watʸiNa
to know
mitʸil-maRa
yes
Niya (ŋiya)
'Name of a place where the being camped'
maalpay or maalpi
Marriage class A (male)
LiyaRaNu
Marriage class C (female, marries A)
kaŋila
Marriage class B (male, marries D)
kayaLOLa
Marriage class D (female, marries B)
ŋařitʸpalaŋi
Where are the blacks?
TaɳaŋaRa komu?; TaɳaŋaRa miŋ(k)u
I don't know.
waNTaŋ Naŋ(k)i kuʈa; waNTaŋ Nanʸtʸi kuʈa
Animals
jaco-jaco (kangaroo)kallanarra (mosquito)karimbala (white cockatoo)koodoo (tame dog)koorina (fly)megilpurra (wild dog)ooabiba (egg)paganbaba (snake)piringooraa (wild turkey)piteldoo (pelican)poolunganna (emu)pooralga (native companion)wapoora (possum)wongoola (crow)worra (fish)
Body parts
bilba (thigh)boormba (hair of the head)changa (foot)charn-nga (tongue)dimira (bone)kiwira (nose)lia (teeth)makola (breasts)mara (ear)migilla (eye)na-nga-ra (hand)pagooroo (skin)paranga (fat)pardaga (stomach)parka (mouth)tangana (blood)turra (bowel and excrement)wedda (head)yarin-nga (beard)
Numbers
choarng-ngo (one)tigina (two)tarngiltna (three)
People
birgenkoora (brother-younger)churbooyo (God)kiagi (father)koo-ar-ee (being who taught them everything)koondoonoo (mother)magoo (black woman)nacile (brother-elder)nurka (aboriginal man)ooardigiri (old woman)ooroonda (a young man)parda (ghosts)pardingara (an old man)pelgincorra (a baby)takandana (a white man)tano ara mingoo? (where are black?)tyana (track of a foot)wompoora (the blacks)yillolunga (sister-elder)Source: Curr 1886 , p. 314
References
North Northeast Wik Lamalamic Yalanjic Southwest Norman Thaypan Southern Other
