Wulguru language explained

Wulguru
Also Known As:Manbara
Region:Townsville, Queensland
Ethnicity:Manbarra (Wulgurukaba)
Extinct:1900?
Ref:linglist
Familycolor:Australian
Fam1:Pama–Nyungan
Fam2:Dyirbalic
Fam3:Nyawaygic
Iso3:none
Aiatsis:Y135
Linglist:qgu
Glotto:wulg1239
Glottorefname:Wulguru

Wulguru, (also known as Manbara, Manbarra, Korambelbara, Mun ba rah, Nyawaygi or Wulgurukaba) is an Australian Aboriginal language, now extinct, that was spoken by the Wulgurukaba (or Manbarra) people around the area around present day Townsville, Queensland, on the east coast of Australia. The range of Wulguru dialects known to have been around the area include two varieties mentioned from Palm Island, two from the Cleveland Bay area, and various dialects from Townsville.[1] [2]

Classification

Wulguru seems to be a Pama–Nyungan language that was typical for the sort found on the eastern Australian coast. Wulguru ceased to be spoken before it was properly documented, and as a result much of what linguists know of the language is fragmentary.

Possible dialect names include Mulgu, Buluguyban, Wulgurukaba, Coonambella, Nhawalgaba.[3]

Phonology

Consonants of Wulguru[4]
PeripheralLaminalApical
LabialVelarPalatalDentalAlveolar
Stoppkct
Nasalmŋɲn
Laterall
Trillr
Approximantwjɹ
Wulguru has three vowels; /i/, /u/, and /a/. Length distinctions exist for all vowels.

Notes

  1. Web site: Crump . Des . 2020-12-28 . Language of the Week: Week Thirty-One - Wulgurukaba . 2023-11-30 . State Library Of Queensland . en.
  2. Web site: 2019-07-26 . Y135: WULGURUKABA . 2023-11-30 . AIASIS Collection . en.
  3. Book: Dixon, R. M. W. . R. M. W. Dixon . Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development . Cambridge University Press . 2002 . xxxiii.
  4. Donohue, Mark. n.d. Wulguru: A salvage study of the north-eastern Australian language from Townsville. (Languages of the World/Materials.) Lincom Europa.

References