Thura-Yura languages explained

Yura
Also Known As:	Thura-Yura
Familycolor:	Australian
Fam2:	Arandic–Thura-Yura
Child1:	Yura proper
Child2:	Kadli
Child3:	Wirangu
Glotto:	thur1253
Glottorefname:	Thura–Yura
Map:	Yura languages.png
Mapcaption:	Thura-Yura languages (green) among other Pama–Nyungan (tan). The two groups are Nangga (west) and Yura–Kadli (east)

The Yura or Thura-Yura languages are a group of Australian Aboriginal languages surrounding Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent in South Australia, that comprise a genetic language family of the Pama–Nyungan family.

Name

The name Yura comes from the word for "person" in the northern languages; this is a lenited form of the thura found in other languages, hence Thura-Yura. Similar words for "person" are found in languages outside the group, however (for example 'yura' - 'person' in the Sydney language).^[1]

Languages

The following classification is proposed by Bowern & Koch (2004):^[2]

Thura-Yura
- Nangga
  - Wirangu
  - Nauo
- Core Thura-Yura
  - Yura (northern)
    - Adnyamathanha–Kuyani
    - Barngarla
  - Kadli (southern)
    - Narangga
    - Kaurna
  - (unclassified)
    - Nukunu
    - Ngadjuri

A Nukunu speaker reported that the Nukunu could understand Barngarla and Kuyani, but not more distant varieties.^[2]

Peramangk may have been a southern Thura-Yura language, close to Kaurna.

Dixon (2002) lists a Nantuwara language, but there is no data for it.

Proto-language

Proto-Thura-Yura
Familycolor:	Australian
Ancestor:	Proto-Pama–Nyungan
Target:	Thura-Yura languages

Reconstructed Thura-Yura vocabulary by Simpson and Hercus (2004):^[3]

Spelling conventions

alveolar tap: r
alveolar trill: rr
retroflex glide: ṟ
retroflex tap: rd
indeterminate rhotic: R

gloss	Proto-Thura-Yura	Proto-Core Thura-Yura	Northern Thura-Yura	Southern Thura-Yura
all			wapu; kurru
all, many, big	marna
ashes		muru	thimpa
ashes (charcoal)			piirla
bad		wadLV
bad (without)		wakV-Na
bark		?*yulti
beard			ngaNka	yaNka
beard, cheek, hair	maLTa
belly			warna	munthu
belly (abdomen)		?*TiDLi
big			ngarla
bird			THirta
black			maṟu
blood		?kaaṟu; karti
body: muscle, sinew	THiltya	thiltya
bone	waLpu	waLpu	warlpu
breast		ngamV
camp (house)		warDli
camp (house, ?from “join”)	karrpa	karrpa
camp (hut)			karnku
chest		kuntu
child, baby				wa(L)kuwa(L)ku
child, small	kitya		yakaCV; waNi
child, voice of infant		kunga
cloud		ma(L)ku
cloud (low, fog)		putyi
cold (cough)		kuLTV-
cold, frost		pakaDla
cold (in head)			(y)urrkV-
cold (weather)	paya-; *mVnyV	manya	payala (Probably derived from “to bite”)
come here!	paNi; *ka	kawayi
dog	wiLka		wiLka (domestic dog)	kadli (domestic dog)
down, below		?*warta-	wartathi
dry		muDLa	murdla
dry, dust		puthV-RV
ear	yuṟi
earth		yarta
egg			pipi	muka
elbow		thiDNngi	K/NGuNaN-
eye	mii-na
eyebrow		piiku
far (stranger)			yampa
fat	mVrnV	marni
feather		?*paDLu
fingernail	pirri
fire	karDla
fish	kuya
fly		thapu
fly (big fly)	thumpV-Ca	thupV(-Ra)
food	mayi
foot	THiDna	thidna
good		wayV-
hair, feather		puthi
hand	maṟa
head	kaka
heart			thurlku
hungry			karnpa
knee	?*puṟV	mampa	puṟa
knee (kneecap)		maTa
leaf			karlpi
liver		Tangka	thangka; ngaLTi
louse	kuDLu	kuDlu
man (boy after circumcision)			pardnaapa
man (companion)		Nipu
man (grown-up)		miṟu (grownup man)
man (husband)			marni
man (initiand)	?*wilya-ṟu	?*ngulta
man (male, husband)		yarDli
man (person)		?*Tuṟa	thuṟa
meat	paRu
meat, flesh, heart	puLTHA	puLTHa	pultha
moon	piṟa
mouth	Taa
mouth, lip			Nimi
name		mityi
nape, neck			ngurnti, nhurnti; wakarra
neck		waLTu
night		nguLTi	maLTi
night, yesterday	wiltya
north wind, hot weather	pukarra
north-east wind			ngarnara	karnaRa
nose	muDlha	mudlha
not, do not		madLa	mardla; kuta
now	kaRi
now, again		?*nhaTa
now, morning	?*panyi
now, soon			yatha
old man	puLka
one	kuma
other, another, the rest	kutyu
penis		waRi
pigface, plant food type (?Carpobrotus_rossii sp.)	?*kaCkaLa	karrkaLa
red	?*TVLTV-	TaLTHa-	thaltha-
red ochre		miLTi; *karrku
rib		TiNinyV
rib, side, flank	pantyi
road	?*Tapa	Tapa	thapa
root
rotten, bad-smelling	?*puka	thungkV
shit, faeces	kuDna	kudna
shoulder			piLpi-
shoulder, wing		wiṟi
sick, ill	?*ngaNDa-N
sick, wound	mingka
skin		?*paLpa	piyi	paLpa
skin, clothes	palhtha
sky		NayirrV	iLkaRV
sky, cloud and dust		?*wirra
smoke	puyu
smoke (stuff for producing smoke)		?*Tumpu
snake	?*TuDNu		wapma
snake, carpet snake			muDLV-
south and south wind		parrpa
southerly wind		walypi		waitpi
spear (large)	wiNTa		wirnta
spear (small)	kVya	kaya
spit	THaDlhi	THadlhi	ngapalya; ngalytya
star		purDli
stone, adze			THurdla
stone, cooking stone		?*kaDnya
stone, hill, grinding stone, kneecap		puRi
stone, limestone	parnta
stone, quartz-like stone, ice		makV
sun	THirntu	thirntu
tail			kaDLHa
testicles	kaDLu	kadLu	kardlu
that (near)	pa-	pa-	pa-nha
that (remote)		ngu-	ngunha
thigh	kaNTHi	kaNTHi	kanthi
thigh, flank, groin	?*paLTi
this (nearest)	iNHa
throat		yurDni
to bite		paya-
to burn tr.	kampa-
to burn intr.		ngaDLi-
to climb	?*warnta-
to come		?*puDNa-
to cry, call		kaLTa-
to cry, tears			muLka
to cry, to scream			ngaTV-
to cut		?*waNi-
to die	paDLu-		thinta-; padlu-
to die, dead		kuDnyu	kupa
to dig		paNi-; ?*paka-	pani-
to drink, to kiss, to manipulate with mouth	THapa-	Tapa-	thapa-
to eat	ngaLku-
to enter		ngaLpa-
to fall	warDni-
to get		manku-
to get, pick up, lead, bring	kaNka-	kangka-
to get, take away		mama-
to give	yungkV-		nhungku-
to go	?*wiNV-		nguka-
to go, walk		?*padNV-
to hear		yuri- See “ear”.
to hit with hand	paLTa-
to hit with missile	nguṟV-		nguṟa-
to hit, cause break in material integrity		pungku-
to hit, kill	kuNTa-		kurnta-
to know, see	THiLka-	thiLka-
to leave it	wVNTV-	waNTa-	wanthV-
to lie down		waNTi-	wanti-
to put, to get used to			ila-
to see	nhaku-
to sit		Tika-	thika-
to sleep, asleep	miya
to speak	wangka-
to spear			wiTi-
to stand		yuwa-
to throw		paTV-	patha-
to tie, support, build	?*karrpV-		karrpV-
tomorrow		?*TarrkV-
tongue	THa(a)LiN		tha(a)rli	tha(d)lVnya
tooth			yira	Tiya
tree		wadLa; *wira	wardla
two		puLa	puDla; kalypilV	purla
up, above	?*kaNka		kanka
up, above, high		karra
urine, piss	kumpu
warm (weather)		warlta
water	kawi; *kapi
west	wangka
what (how many)		-miNV	[-]minha
what?		Na-, ?*Nawi
when?		nhaDLa-TV
where?	?*wa-THa	wa-(nha)
white	paLkV	paLka	paLka-ra
who? (Ergative, Instrumental)		ngaNTu
who? (Nominative)	ngaNa	ngaNa
who? (Possessive)		ngaNku
wind	wari
woman		pa(a)rla		ngangki
woman, girl		mankarra
woman, mother, female		ngamV-THV
woman, wife		kartu
yam, edible root, plant food type		ngampa
yesterday		puki
young one			papa

References

Book: Simpson, Jane . Hercus, Luise . 2004 . Thura-Yura as a subgroup . Claire Bowern . Harold Koch . Australian Languages: Classification and the Comparative Method . Amsterdam/Philadelphia . John Benjamins Publishing Company.

Notes and References

Macquarie Dictionary Aboriginal Words, 1994; p. 66
Bowern & Koch (2004) Australian Languages: Classification and the Comparative Method
Simpson, Jane and Luise Hercus. 2004. Thura-Yura as a Subgroup. In Claire Bowern and Harold Koch (eds.), Australian Languages: Classification and the Comparative Method, 179-206, 580-645. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.