Kalkatungu (also ''Kalkutungu'', ''Galgadungu'', ''Kalkutung'', ''Kalkadoon'', or ''Galgaduun'') is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce 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 ...

formerly spoken around the area of

Mount Isa Mount Isa ( ) is a city in the Gulf Country region of Queensland, Australia. It came into existence because of the vast mineral deposits found in the area. Mount Isa Mines (MIM) is one of the most productive mines in world history, based on co ...

and

Cloncurry Cloncurry is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia. It is informally known by local people as The Curry. Cloncurry is the administrative centre of the Shire of Cloncurry. Cloncurry is known as the ''Friendl ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

Classification

Apart from the closely related language,

Wakabunga The Wakabunga are an indigenous Australian people of the state of Queensland. Language Norman Tindale referred to material by two early correspondents, Urquhart and O'Reilley, in a publication by E. M. Curr for details about the Wakabunga and ...

, Kalkatungu is sometimes grouped with

Yalarnnga The Yalarnnga, also known as the Jalanga, are an Indigenous Australian people of the state of Queensland. Language Yalarnnga is an extinct Australian Aboriginal language, hypothesized to be one of the two Galgadungic languages of the Pama–Ny ...

as the Kalkatungic (Galgadungic) branch of the Pama–Nyungan family. O'Grady et al., however, classify it as the sole member of the "Kalkatungic group" of the Pama-Nyungan family, and Dixon (2002) regards Kalkatungic as an areal group.

Revival

Emeritus Professor

Barry Blake Barry John Blake (born 1937) is an Australian linguist, specialising in the description of Australian Aboriginal languages. He is a professor emeritus at La Trobe University Melbourne. Career Blake was born in the northern Melbourne suburb of A ...

, Sheree Blackley and others have revived the language based on recordings, written grammars and personal memories. Robert Ah Wing, assisted by Uncle Arthur Peterson is also active in this field. Often, emphasis is placed on belonging, passing on elements of language to younger Kalkatungu.

Phonology

Vowels

Consonants

It is not clear if the vibrant is a trill or a tap.

Stress

Like in English, word stress is realised in terms of loudness. Sentence stress is also organised similar to English with the first syllable in the final word of a phonological phrase getting the main stress. (tonic stress) Moreover, if there are more than two words in a phrase, the first syllable of the first word receives more stress than the non-final words.

Vocabulary

Below is a basic vocabulary list from

Blake Blake or Blake's may refer to: People * Blake (given name), a given name of English origin (includes a list of people with the name) * Blake (surname), a surname of English origin (includes a list of people with the name) ** William Blake (1757 ...

(1981). :

Kalkatungu Sign Language

Kendon (1988) shows that Kalkatungu also had a developed signed form of their language.Kendon, A. (1988) ''Sign Languages of Aboriginal Australia: Cultural, Semiotic and Communicative Perspectives.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

References

* Roth, Walter E. (1897). ''The expression of ideas by manual signs: a sign-language.'' (p. 273–301) Reprinted from Roth, W.E. ''Ethnological studies among the North-West-Central Queensland Aborigines''. London, Queensland Agent-Generals Information Office, 1897; 71–90; Information collected from the following tribes; Pitta-Pitta, Boinji, Ulaolinya, Wonkajera, Walookera, Undekerebina, Kalkadoon, Mitakoodi, Woonamurra, Goa. Reprinted (1978) in ''Aboriginal sign languages of the Americas and Australia.'' New York: Plenum Press, vol. 2.

External links

Soraya Johnston digital story

State Library of Queensland State Library of Queensland (State Library) is the state public reference and research library of Queensland, Australia, operated by the Government of Queensland, state government. The Library is governed by the Library Board of Queensland, whi ...

. Digital story discussing Kalkadoon language {{Pama–Nyungan languages, North Kalkatungic languages Extinct languages of Queensland North West Queensland