Mbara (also known as Midjamba, Mitjamba, Ambara, Balgalu, or Bargal), and Yanga (also known as Jangaa, Janggal, Janga, Yangaa, Purkaburra) are
mutually intelligible but separate
Aboriginal language of
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, both now
extinct.
Glottolog
''Glottolog'' is a bibliographic database of the world's lesser-known languages, developed and maintained first at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany (between 2015 and 2020 at the Max Planck Institute fo ...
assigns a code to a group level as Mbara-Yanga (mbar1254). Yanga is not to be confused with the
Yangga language
Biri, also known as Biria, Birri Gubba, Birigaba, Wiri, Perembba and other variants, is an Australian Aboriginal language of the Mackay area of Queensland spoken by the Birri Gubba people. There are at least eight languages regarded as dialec ...
, a dialect of Biri.
The Mbara and Yanga people were traditionally neighbours, along with the
Gugu-Badhun
The Gugu Badhun are an Aboriginal nation whose country is located in the Upper Burdekin region of northern Queensland. Gugu Badhun country is approximately 220 km northwest of Townsville and includes the small township of Greenvale as wel ...
,
Yirandali
The Yirandhali are an indigenous Australian people, who lived in the area of the present day Shire of Flinders in the state of Queensland.
Language
Yirandhali may possibly. according to Robert Dixon, belong to the Maric branch of the Pama–Ny ...
,
Wunumara
Ngawun is an extinct Mayi language once spoken on the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland, Australia, by the Wunumara and Ngawun peoples. The last speaker of the language was Cherry O'Keefe (or ''Tjapun'' in the language) who died of pneumonia o ...
and
Ngawun
The Ngaun were an indigenous Australian people of the state of Queensland.
Country
Norman Tindale calculated that the Ngaun had a territorial estate extending over . They were present at Iffley, and eastwards as far as the Gregory Range and Saxb ...
peoples. The expansion of cattle farming and
gold rushes
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Ze ...
in the second half of the nineteenth century affected the habitat of these groups.
According to
AUSTLANG
The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), established as the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (AIAS) in 1964, is an independent Australian Government statutory authority. It is a collecting, ...
, Yanga may be the same as
Nyangga language
The Yukulta language, also spelt Yugulda, Yokula, Yukala, Jugula, and Jakula, and also known as Ganggalidda (Kangkalita, Ganggalida), is an extinct Tangkic language spoken in Queensland and Northern Territory, Australia. It was spoken by the Y ...
and
Ganggalida
The Yukulta people, also spelt Jokula, Jukula, and other variants, and also known as Ganggalidda or Gangalidda, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of Queensland.
They may be the same as the Yanga group.
Country
Norman Tindale ( ...
.
[
]
References
{{Pama–Nyungan languages, Paman
Extinct languages of Queensland
Southern Pama languages