Jandai is an
extinct
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
Australian Aboriginal language
The Indigenous languages of Australia number in the hundreds, the precise number being quite uncertain, although there is a range of estimates from a minimum of around 250 (using the technical definition of 'language' as non-mutually intellig ...
of the
Quandamooka people who live around the
Moreton Bay region of
Queensland.
Other names and spellings are Coobenpil; Djandai; Djendewal; Dsandai; Goenpul; Janday; Jendairwal; Jundai; Koenpel; Noogoon; Tchandi.
Traditionally spoken by members of the
Goenpul people, it has close affinities with
Nunukul language (spoken by the
Nunukul people) and
Gowar language (spoken by the
Ngugi people).
Today now only few members still speak it.
Classification
The three tribes that comprise the Quandamooka people spoke dialects of a
Durubalic language.
The language that the Goenpul tribe of central and southern Stradbroke Island speaks is Jandai, and the Nunukul dialect of northern Stradbroke island was called Moondjan, the term for its distinctive word for "no".
Bowern (2011) lists five
Durubalic languages:
[Bowern, Claire. 2011.]
How Many Languages Were Spoken in Australia?
, ''Anggarrgoon: Australian languages on the web'', December 23, 2011
corrected
February 6, 2012)
* Jandai (Janday)
*
Turrubal (Turubul) and Yagara (Jagara)
*
Nunukul (Nunungal, Moonjan)
*
Gowar (Guwar)
Dixon (2002) considers all but Guwar to be different dialects of the
Yagara language.
Vocabulary
Some words from the Jandai language include:
* ''Maroomba bigi/maroomba biggee'': good day
* ''Juwanbinl'': bird
* ''Buneen'': echidna
* ''Gagarr'': fish
* ''Murri'': kangaroo
* ''Dumbirrbi'': koala
* ''Gabul'': snake
* ''Bingil'': grass
* ''Humpi'': home/camp
* ''Djara'': land
* ''Juhrram'': rain
* ''Bigi'': sun
* ''Dabbil'': water
* ''Bargan'': boomerang
* ''Goondool'': canoe
* ''Jahlo'': fire
* ''Marra'': hand
* ''Jalwang'': knife
* ''Tabbil'': water
* ''Wanya'': where?
References
Durubalic languages
Extinct languages of Queensland
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