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Gkuthaarn language facts for kids

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Gkuthaarn
Kuthant
Native to Australia
Region Cape York Peninsula, Queensland
Ethnicity Gkuthaarn
Extinct (date missing)
Language family
Dialects
AIATSIS G31

Gkuthaarn, also rendered Kuthant, Kutanda and other variant spellings, is an extinct Paman language of the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia. It also known as Karundi/Garandi (and variant spellings), but the Garandi language may be a separate dialect.

Norman Tindale also assigned the name Kareldi, but this is not confirmed by others. Current sources refer to the Gkuthaarn people.

Alternative names

Tindale
  • Kotanda, also spelt Kutanda, Goothanto
  • Karundi, also spelt Karunti, Kurandi, Ka-rantee, Karrandi, Karrandee, Gar-und-yih, thought to be derived from Karun-/Gooran, meaning scrublands people.

However, according to Lauriston Sharp, Kotanda was also used for the now extinct Kalibamu, and Karandi/Garandi (AUSTLANG G32) was a different local group, and AIATSIS agrees.

Other variants

Other variant spellings included in AUSTLANG are:

  • Karaldi
  • Gudanda
  • Gudhanda
  • Gudhand
  • Guandhar

Phonology

Consonants

Bilabial Dental Alveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar
Stop p t (ʈ) c k
Nasal m n ɳ ɲ ŋ
Fricative ɣ
Trill r
Flap ɾ ɻ~ɽ
Approximant w j
Lateral l ɭ

[ʈ] is attested only in the sequence [ɳʈ] and in Kukatj loans.

Vowels

Front Front rounded Central Back
Non-low i iː ø øː ɨ ɨː u uː
Low a aː

Kuthant has two diphthongs: /ia/ and /ua/.

Some words

According to W.E. Armit, inspector of Native Police, these were some words of the "Karrandee tribe":

  • irruag (tame dog)
  • nyet (father)
  • mooruk (mother)
  • morbuy (whiteman)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Idioma kuthant para niños

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Gkuthaarn language Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.