Gaagudju
RegionNorthern Territory
EthnicityGaagudju, Watta
ExtinctMay 2002, with the death of Big Bill Neidjie
Dialects
  • Wada
Language codes
ISO 639-3gbu
Glottologgaga1251
AIATSIS[1]N50
ELPGagudju

  Gaagudju
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Gaagudju (also spelt Gagadu, Gaguju, and Kakadu) is an extinct Australian Aboriginal language formerly spoken in the environs of Kakadu National Park, in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia.

Country and status

Explorer Baldwin Spencer incorrectly ascribed the name "Kakadu tribe" to all of the people living in the Alligator Rivers area,[2][3] but Gaagudju was confined to the plains South and East Alligator Rivers.[1]

The language is classed as extinct, since its last fluent speaker, Big Bill Neidjie, died on 23 May 2002;[4][5] AUSTLANG's sources recorded no speakers between 1975 and 2016.[1]

Classification

Gaagudju has traditionally been classified with the Gunwinyguan languages. However, in 1997 Nicholas Evans proposed an Arnhem Land family that includes Gaagudju.

Phonology

Vowels

Front Back
High i iː u uː
Mid e eː o oː
Low a aː

Consonants

Peripheral Laminal Apical
Bilabial Velar Palatal Alveolar Retroflex
Stop p k c t ʈ
Nasal m ŋ ɲ n ɳ
Lateral ʎ l 𝼈
Rhotic r ɻ
Semivowel w j

Vocabulary

Capell (1942) lists the following basic vocabulary items:[6]

gloss Gagadu
man djereiŋi
woman djireːwan
head ŋaːṙi
eye bɔːrɔ
nose geːni
mouth djaːbul
tongue ŋaːndjil
stomach mabulu
bone benaːgăra
blood maneŋul
kangaroo baːgu
opossum mɔɳɔ
emu gabaṙɛːbi
crow mawaːga
fly ŋɔrmul
sun gobolbara
moon maɖba
fire gudjäli
smoke uŋari
water gaṙu

References

  1. ^ a b c N50 Gaagudju at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  2. ^ "Kakadu National Park, NT". Aussie Towns. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  3. ^ Spencer, Baldwin (2020). Native Tribes of the Northern Territory of Australia. Library of Alexandria. ISBN 978-1-4655-7998-0. Retrieved 14 March 2021 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Kemp, David (24 May 2002). "Passing of Kakadu elder Big Bill Neidje". Parliament of Australia.
  5. ^ Mackinolty, Chips (17 June 2002). "The man who attended his own wake: Big Bill Neidjie, Kakadu Man, circa WWI-2002". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  6. ^ Capell, Arthur. 1941-1942, 1942-1943. Languages of Arnhem Land, North Australia. Oceania 12: 364-392, 13: 24-51.

External links

Wiktionary has a word list at Appendix:North Australian word lists
Pama–Nyungan languages
Australian Aboriginal and Tasmanian languages
Primary language families
Authority control databases: National
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