The Bunuban languages (or Bunaban) are a small
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
of
Australian Aboriginal languages spoken in northern Australia. The family consists of two languages,
Bunuba and
Gooniyandi
The Gooniyandi, also known as the Konejandi, are an indigenous Australian people in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Language
Gooniyandi with Bunuba is one of the two languages of the Bunuban language family.
Country
Gooniyandi trad ...
, which are related to each other to about the same degree that English is related to Dutch. Bunuba has about 100 speakers and Gooniyandi about 400. Both are
endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
.
Vocabulary
Capell (1940) lists the following basic vocabulary items:
[Capell, Arthur. 1940]
The Classification of Languages in North and North-West Australia
''Oceania'' 10(3): 241-272, 404-433.
:
References
*
{{language families
Non-Pama-Nyungan languages
Language families
Indigenous Australian languages in Western Australia