| Mirndi | |
|---|---|
| Mindi | |
| Geographic distribution | Victoria River andBarkly Tableland,Northern Territory |
| Linguistic classification | One of the world's primarylanguage families |
| Subdivisions | |
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | mirn1241 |
 Yirram Barkly (Jingulu + Ngurlun) other non-Pama–Nyungan families | |
TheMirndi orMindi languages are anAustralianlanguage family spoken in theNorthern Territory ofAustralia. The family consists of two sub-groups and an isolate branch: theYirram languages, and theNgurlun languages andJingulu language some 200 km farther to the southeast, separated by theNgumpin languages.[1][2] The primary difference between the two sub-groups is that while theYirram languages are all prefixing like othernon-Pama–Nyungan languages, the Ngurlun languages are all suffixing like mostPama–Nyungan languages.[3]
The name of the family is derived from thedualinclusivepronoun ('we', in the sense of 'you and I') which is shared by all the languages in the family in the form of eithermind- ormirnd-.[1]
The family has been generally accepted after being first established by Neil Chadwick in the early 1980s. The genetic relationship is primarily based uponmorphology and notlexical comparison,[3] with the strongest evidence being found among the pronouns. However, "there are very few other systematic similarities in other areas of grammar[, which] throw some doubts on the Mirndi classification, making it less secure than generally accepted."[4] Nonetheless, as of 2008 proto-Mirndi has been reconstructed.[5]
An additional language may be added,Ngaliwurru. However, it is unsure whether it is a language on its own, or merely adialect of theJaminjung language.[2][6][7][8][9] The same is true forGudanji andBinbinka, although these are generally considered dialects of theWambaya language. These three dialects are collectively referred to as theMcArthur River languages.[3][8][10]
Due to the close contact been theYirram languages and theNgurlun languages, and theNgumpin languages and other languages as well, many of thecognates that theYirram andNgurlun languages share may in fact be loanwords, especially ofNgumpin origin.[1] For instance, while theBarkly languageJingulu only shares 9% of its vocabulary with itsYirram relative, theNgaliwurru dialect of theJaminjung language, it shares 28% with the nearbyNgumpin languageMudburra.[3]
TheJingulu language shares 29% and 28% of its vocabulary with theWambaya language and theNgarnka language respectively. TheNgarnka language shares 60% of its vocabulary with theWambaya language, while theWambaya language shares 69% and 78% with itsdialects,Binbinka andGudanji, respectively. Finally, these two dialects share 88% of their vocabulary.[10]
Capell (1940) lists the following basic vocabulary items:[11]
| gloss | Nungali | Jilngali | Djämindjung | Ngaliwuru |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| man | diːimbul | djumbul | djumbul | djumbul |
| woman | njäŋaːruŋ | ŋaruŋ | malɛji | ŋaruŋ |
| head | niimburu | guɽunjuŋ | gulaga | djumburu |
| eye | mijaŋargin | djuwud | djuwad | djuwud |
| nose | nijuija | djuwija | djuwija | djuwija |
| mouth | nijara | djära | djära | djära |
| tongue | niaŋandjilin | djalaṉ | djalaṉ | djalan |
| stomach | meuŋug | buru | magala | magala |
| bone | guːdjin | bunu,gujuwan | gujuwan | gujuwan |
| blood | guŋulu | garŋan | wurinjun | guŋulu |
| kangaroo | dijaŋara | jaŋara | jaŋara | jaŋara |
| opossum | djaŋana | ŋurgudi | djägulädji | djägulädji |
| emu | gumurindji | |||
| crow | duagirag | waŋguɽin | waŋgina | waŋgina |
| fly | diridjburu | gunäma | nämbul | gunäma |
| sun | njailän | wulŋan | wulŋan | waŋgu |
| moon | dabaraŋaɽa | baraŋan | djägilin | baɽaŋan |
| fire | nujug | gujug | gujug | gujug |
| smoke | niulaṉ | djuwulaṉ | djuwulaṉ | djuːlaṉ |
| water | gogo | gogo | gogo | gogo |
| Proto-Mirndi | |
|---|---|
| Reconstruction of | Mirndi languages |
Proto-Mirndi reconstructions by Harvey (2008):[5]
| no. | gloss | Proto-Mirndi |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | to hang, to tip | *jalalang |
| 2 | high, up | *thangki |
| 3 | women's song style | *jarra(r)ta |
| 4 | that (not previously mentioned) | *jiyi |
| 5 | mother's father | *jaju |
| 6 | woman's son | *juka |
| 7 | bird (generic) | *ju(r)lak |
| 8 | blind | *kamamurri |
| 9 | daughter's child | *kaminyjarr |
| 10 | cold | *karrij |
| 11 | chickenhawk | *karrkany |
| 12 | bull ant | *(kija-)kija |
| 13 | to tickle | *kiji-kiji(k) |
| 14 | red ochre | *kitpu |
| 15 | shitwood | *kulinyjirri |
| 16 | dove sp. | *kuluku(ku) |
| 17 | sky | *kulumarra |
| 18 | throat,didgeridoo | *kulumpung |
| 19 | urine | *kumpu |
| 20 | firestick | *kungkala |
| 21 | pollen | *kuntarri |
| 22 | flesh | *kunyju |
| 23 | fat | *kurij |
| 24 | bush turkey | *kurrkapati |
| 25 | boomerang | *kurrupartu |
| 26 | club | *ku(r)turu |
| 27 | shield | *kuwarri |
| 28 | fire | *kuyVka |
| 29 | father-in-law | *lamparra |
| 30 | car | *langa |
| 31 | bony | *larrkaja |
| 32 | plant sp. | *lawa |
| 33 | eagle | *lirraku |
| 34 | blue-tongue lizard | *lungkura |
| 35 | to return | *lurrpu |
| 36 | to wave | *mamaj |
| 37 | ear | *manka |
| 38 | plant sp. | *manyanyi |
| 39 | gutta percha tree | *manyingila |
| 40 | butterfly | *marli-marli |
| 41 | old man | *marluka |
| 42 | all right, later | *marntaj |
| 43 | human status term | *marntak |
| 44 | circumcision ritual | *marntiwa |
| 45 | upper leg, thigh, root | *mira |
| 46 | owl | *mukmuk |
| 47 | to be dark | *mu(wu)m |
| 48 | scorpion | *muntarla |
| 49 | string | *munungku |
| 50 | upper arm | *murlku |
| 51 | three | *murrkun |
| 52 | to name | *nij |
| 53 | hand | *nungkuru |
| 54 | femaleantilopine wallaroo | *ngalijirri |
| 55 | to lick | *ngalyak |
| 56 | to sing | *nganya |
| 57 | bauhinia | *ngapilipili |
| 58 | father's mother | *ngapuju |
| 59 | breast | *ngapulu |
| 60 | to be hot | *ngartap |
| 61 | bird sp. | *nyurijman |
| 62 | to dream | *pank(iy)aja |
| 63 | older brother | *papa |
| 64 | nightjar | *parnangka |
| 65 | young woman | *parnmarra |
| 66 | women's dance | *pa(r)ntimi |
| 67 | moon | *partangarra |
| 68 | baby | *partarta |
| 69 | hot weather | *parung(ku) |
| 70 | cicatrice | *pa(r)turu |
| 71 | scraper | *pin(y)mala |
| 72 | father | *pipi |
| 73 | snake (generic) | *pulany |
| 74 | to bathe | *pulukaj(a) |
| 75 | ashes | *puna |
| 76 | full | *punturr/tu |
| 77 | to finish | *purrp |
| 78 | dreaming | *puwarraja |
| 79 | deep (hole) | *tarlukurra |
| 80 | flame, light | *tili/u |
| 81 | to be tied up | *tirrk |
| 82 | feather | *tiya-tiya |
| 83 | to poke | *turrp |
| 84 | to open | *walk |
| 85 | woomera | *wa(r)lmayi |
| 86 | black-headed python | *warlujapi |
| 87 | strange(r) | *warnayaki |
| 88 | grass (generic) | *warnta |
| 89 | to scratch | *warr |
| 90 | number sevenboomerang | *warratirla |
| 91 | freshwater crocodile | *warrija |
| 92 | to be together | *warrp |
| 93 | parrot sp. | *wilikpan |
| 94 | new | *yalang |
| 95 | initiated youth | *yapa |
| 96 | magic song | *yarrinti |
| 97 | young man | *yarrulan |
12. Chadwick, Neil (1997) "The Barkly and Jaminjungan Languages: A Non-Contiguous Genetic Grouping In North Australia" in Tryon, Darrell, Walsh, Michael, eds. Boundary Rider: Essays in honour of Geoffrey O'Grady. Pacific Linguistics, C-136
