Wamin, also known as Agwamin or Ewamian, is an
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
North Queensland
North Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the Australian state of Queensland that lies just south of Far North Queensland. Queensland is a massive state, larger than many countries, and its Tropical North Queensland, trop ...
spoken by the
Ewamian people.
Wamin was traditionally spoken in the
Etheridge region, in the areas around
Einasliegh,
Georgetown, and
Mount Surprise.
Alternative names and dialects
The language of
Ewamian people, now undergoing revival,
is variously known as Wamin or Agwamin. Elder Fred Fulford, as documented by
Peter Sutton in the early 1970s, explained that Agwamin and Wamin were originally two mutually intelligible dialects, one 'heavy' and one 'light'.
There was said to be one living speaker of the language alive in 1981.
Dixon (2002) counts Wamin as an alternative name for Agwamin.
The
language of the Wakaman people, Wagaman, is thought by some linguists to be a variant of the mutually intelligible Agwamin and Wamin languages.
The following is a list of alternative names for Wamin:
* ''Wamin''
* ''Agwamin''
* ''E'wamin''
* ''Ewamin''
* ''Wimanja''
* ''Egwamin''
* ''Gwamin''
* ''Ak Waumin''
* ''Wamin''
* ''Wommin, Waumin, Wawmin''
* ''Walamin''
* ''Wommin''
* ''Walming''
* ''Wailoolo''
Phonology
Consonants
Vowels
/ɵ/ may also be heard as a sound.
Vocabulary
Some words in Wamin language are:
* (dog)
* (man)
References
External links
Ewamian People Aboriginal Corporation RNTBCAIATSIS Map of Indigenous AustraliaWaminat
Ethnologue
''Ethnologue: Languages of the World'' is an annual reference publication in print and online that provides statistics and other information on the living languages of the world. It is the world's most comprehensive catalogue of languages. It w ...
Bibliography of Agwamin language resources at the
{{Pama–Nyungan languages, Paman
Southern Pama languages