Thalanyji (also spelt Dhalandji, Thalanyji, and other variations) and Binigura /Pinikura (also spelt Pinigura, Binnigoora, and other variations), are two closely related
languages
Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...
from the
Pilbara
The Pilbara () is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal peoples; its ancient landscapes; the red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore. It is also a gl ...
region of
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to ...
. They are part of the
Kanyara subgroup of the
Pama–Nyungan language family.
They are spoken by the
Thalanyji and
Pinikura
The Binigura people, these days usually spelt Pinikura, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Country
The Binigura in Norman Tindale's calculation, held sway over some of tribal land, centred on the As ...
peoples respectively. Both languages are thought to be
extinct; there were six speakers of Thalanyji recorded in 2004/5,
and ten speakers of Pinikura recorded in 1975, but none since in either language.
According to
Peter Austin, Pinikura, Thalanyji,
Payungu and
Purdana "should probably be classified as belonging to the Kanyara subgroup".
[
]
References
Kanyara languages
{{IndigenousAustralian-lang-stub