Marrgu | |
---|---|
Yaako | |
Native to | Australia |
Region | Croker Island, Northern Territory |
Ethnicity | Yaako |
Extinct | 1 speaker reported in 2000; [1] 2 reported to partly understand it in 2008 [2] |
Marrku–Wurrugu?
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 |
mhg |
Glottolog |
marg1251 |
AIATSIS [2] |
N45 |
ELP | Marrgu |
Marrgu language (purple arrow), among other non-Pama–Nyungan languages (grey) | |
Closeup |
Marrgu (Marrku) is a recently extinct Aboriginal language of northern Australia. Additional names include Ajokoot, Croker Island, Raffles Bay, Terrutong (Terutong), Yaako (Jaako, Yako). [1]
Marrgu had been assumed to be an Iwaidjan language like its neighbours. However, Evans (2006) has produced evidence that it was a language isolate, [2] with possible connection to the extinct and poorly attested Wurrugu. This connection however is merely theoretical.
Peripheral | Laminal | Apical | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bilabial | Velar | Palatal | Dental | Alveolar | Retroflex | |
Plosive | p | k | c | t̪ | t | ʈ |
Nasal | m | ŋ | ɲ | n̪ | n | ɳ |
Approximant | w | ɣ | j | ɻ | ||
Trill | r | |||||
Flap | ɽ | |||||
Lateral | (ʎ) | l | ɭ | |||
Lateral flap | ɺ ⟨ld⟩ | 𝼈 ⟨rld⟩ |
Marrgu had the three-vowel (/a/, /i/, /u/) system typical of Iwaidjan languages (Evans 1998).
Front | Back | |
---|---|---|
High | i | u |
Low | a |