Giimbiyu language facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Giimbiyu
Mangerr
Native to	Australia
Region	Northern Territory
Extinct	1980s–1990se25
Language family	Language isolate or Arnhem Land? Giimbiyu
Dialects	Mangerr Erri Urningangga
Writing system	Latin (Australian Aboriginal)
AIATSIS	N220
Giimbiyu (purple), among other non-Pama-Nyungan languages (grey)

Giimbiyu is an extinct Aboriginal Australian language isolate once spoken by the Giimbiyu people of northern Australia.

The name Giimbiyu is a Gaagudju word for 'of the stoney country'. It was introduced in Harvey (1992) as a cover term for the named dialects,

• Mangerr (Mengerrdji)
• Urningangga (Wuningak) and Erri (Arri)

In 1997 Nicholas Evans proposed an Arnhem Land family that includes the Giimbiyu languages. However, they are not included in Bowern (2011).

Vocabulary

Capell (1942) lists the following basic vocabulary items:

gloss	Mangeri	Uningangk
man	wurilg	wurig
woman	ŋeːn	ŋeːn
head	wiliŋerm	ulŋerb
eye	iːm	iːm
nose	jingolm	ingolb
mouth	jagir	indjaːd
tongue	nindjadj	indjaːd
stomach	abeɽweɽe	abeɽwe
bone	ijerm	mulgud
blood	maneŋulm	waija
kangaroo	oidjbaɣar	wurulamb
opossum	muŋaːd	malijarŋ
emu	wiwijüw	iwidjiw
crow	gagud	gagud
fly	muɳimuɳi	maŋanaŋaɳ
sun	muɣaːliŋ	indjuwawi
moon	järagäl	järagäl
fire	wiɽumgarm	widjälim
smoke	wuŋɛŋg	wuŋɛŋg
water	ogog	ogog

See also

In Spanish: Idioma giimbiyu para niños