Jawoyn
Djauan
RegionArnhem Land, Australia
EthnicityJawoyn people
Native speakers
15 (2021 census)[1]
Dialects
  • Jawoyn
  • Genhinj'mi
  • Ngarla'mi
  • Lhetburrirt
  • Ngan-wirlang
Language codes
ISO 639-3djn
Glottologdjau1244
AIATSIS[2]N57
ELPJawoyn

Jawoyn (Jawonj, Jawany, Djauan, Jawan, Jawony; Adowen, Gun-djawan), also known as Kumertuo, is an endangered Gunwinyguan language spoken by elders in Arnhem Land, Australia.

Phonology

Consonants

Peripheral Laminal Apical Glottal
Labial Velar Palatal Alveolar Retroflex
Plosive voiceless p k c t ʈ ʔ
tense pː kː cː tː ʈː
Nasal m ŋ ɲ n ɳ
Lateral l ɭ
Rhotic ɾ ~ r
Approximant w j ɻ

/ɾ/ can be heard as either a tap [ɾ] or a trill [r].

Vowels

Front Central Back
High i u
Mid e o
Low a

References

  1. ^ "SBS Australian Census Explorer". Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  2. ^ N57 Jawoyn at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies

Merlan, Francesca and Jacq, Pascale. (2005). Jawoyn-English dictionary & English finder-list. Northern Territory: Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation, Katherine.

Merlan, Francesca C. (2016). Tricksters and Traditions: Jawoyn Stories and Storytellers. (Asia-Pacific Linguistics, 31.) Canberra: Asia-Pacific Linguistics.

External links


Pama–Nyungan languages
Australian Aboriginal and Tasmanian languages
Categories