| Nungali | |
|---|---|
| Yilngali | |
| Native to | Australia |
| Region | Upper Daly River,Northern Territory |
| Ethnicity | Nungali |
| Extinct | c. 2000 |
| Revival | 8 (2021) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | nug |
| Glottolog | nung1291 |
| AIATSIS[1] | N28 |
| ELP | Nungali |
Nungali, or (with a different prefix)Yilngali, is anAustralian language which is believed to beextinct. It was spoken in theNorthern Territory ofAustralia, around theupper Daly River.[2] Its closest relative is theJaminjung language.
It is the onlyYirram language which has retained the originalfour-class system innominals. The four classes aremasculine,feminine,neuter and plants, and each of the classes have separateprefixes expressing theabsolutive case,locative orergative case, and thedative case.[3]
| Class | Abs. | Loc. / Erg. | Dat. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Masc. | ti- | nyi- | ki- |
| II | Fem. | nya- | nyani- | kanyi- |
| III | Neut. | nu- /ni- | nyi- | ki- /ku- |
| IV | Plants | ma- | - | ki- |
Thelocative case is also productive when it comes toplacenames. An example isNyimarlanpurruni referring to theTimber Creek area, which consists of the neuter locative prefixnyi-, the word for"river gum", theplural marker-purru, and an additional marker of the neuter locative,-ni.[3]