Marimanindji language

Marimanindji
Marramaninjsji
Native toAustralia
RegionNorthern Territory
EthnicityMaramanindji
Extinctby 2016[1]
Western Daly
Language codes
ISO 639-3zmm
Glottologmari1417
AIATSIS[2]N16
ELPMarimanindji

Marimanindji (Marramanindjdji) is an extinct[3] Australian Aboriginal language of the Daly River region in the Northern Territory.[4][5] No fluent speakers remained by 2016.[1] The name means 'what language?' and is derived from mara- 'language' and manandjil 'what'.[2][6] The primary description of Marimanindji is a sketch grammar by Tryon (1974).[7]

Phonology

[7]

Consonants

Bilabial Dental Alveolar Retroflex Palatal Dorsal
Stop p () t ʈ k
Nasal m n ɳ ŋ
Approximant w l ɭ j
Rhotic r ɻ

References

  1. ^ a b "Preserving precious Indigenous languages". Pursuit. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  2. ^ a b N16 Marimanindji at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  3. ^ "Glottolog 5.3 - Marimanindji". glottolog.org. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
  4. ^ Tryon, D. T. (Ed ) (2015). CRCL (ed.). "The Daly River Languages: A Survey" (PDF). Papers in Australian Linguistics. 3. CRCL, Pacific Linguistics And/Or The Author(S): 3.5M, 21–49 pages. doi:10.15144/PL-A14.21.
  5. ^ Moseley, Christopher (2007). Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages (1 ed.). Abingdon: Routledge.
  6. ^ "The Daly Languages". dalylanguages.org. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  7. ^ a b Tryon, D. T. (1974). "Maramanandji". Daly family languages, Australia. Pacific linguistics. Series C. ;no. 32. Canberra: Dept. of Linguistics, Research School of Pacific Studies, The Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-85883-106-3.