| Paman | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Cape York Peninsula,Queensland |
| Linguistic classification | Pama–Nyungan
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | pama1251 |
 Paman languages (green) among other Pama–Nyungan (tan) | |
ThePaman/ˈpæmən/ languages are anAustralian language family spoken onCape York Peninsula,Queensland. First noted byKenneth Hale, Paman is noteworthy for the profoundphonological changes which have affected some of its descendants.[1][2]
Variousclassifications of the Paman languages exist. The one outlined below is that ofR. M. W. Dixon, though he does not accept that these branches are necessarily related to each other.[3]
Geographically, running down the east coast, they are:
Down the west coast, they are:
In the interior, south of Wik, they are:
The nameGugu Mini means 'good speech', and has been applied to several languages in the Thaypan area.[4] 'Possum language'(Koko-Possum, Gugu Yawa) is another generic name of this area.[5]
The unclassifiedMarrett River language (†) was presumably Paman, though distinct from its neighbors, as presumably wasWik Paach (†). TheMayabic languages (†) to the southwest were once classified as Paman, but have been excluded in Bowern (2011).[6]Alodja may have been another Thaypan / Rarmul Pama language.[7]