Guugu Yimidhirr
Guugu Yimithirr
Pama-Nyungan (Paman, eastern Cape York)
Guugu Yimithirr (Guugu Yimidhirr) is a Pama-Nyungan language of the Paman subgroup, spoken at Hopevale and surrounding country north of Cooktown in Far North Queensland with around 700-800 speakers. It is internationally famous in cognitive linguistics for using an absolute cardinal-direction reference system — gungga (north), jiba (south), naga (east), guwa (west) — in place of the egocentric left/right used in most European languages. Stephen Levinson's work (1992, 1997) on Guugu Yimithirr spatial cognition has shaped much of the modern field on linguistic relativity. It is also the source language of the English word "kangaroo" (gangurru), recorded by James Cook's expedition in 1770 at the Endeavour River.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Guugu Yimithirr
Water
buurraay
/buːraːj/
Fire
—
/—/
Sun
ngalan
/ŋalan/
Moon
giitha
/ɡiːt̪a/
Mother
ngamu
/ŋamu/
Father
biiba
/biːba/
Eat
budal
/budal/
Drink
—
/—/
Love
—
/—/
Heart
—
/—/
Tree
yugu
/juɡu/
House
bayan
/bajan/
Dog
gudaa
/ɡudaː/
Cat
buthigan
/but̪iɡan/
Hand
mungal
/muŋal/
Eye
miil
/miːl/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
One
nubuun
/nubuːn/
Good
awuun
/awuːn/
Sources
- Haviland (1979) "Guugu Yimidhirr" in Dixon & Blake (eds.) Handbook of Australian Languages vol. 1, pp.27-180
- Haviland (1979) Guugu Yimidhirr Sketch Grammar (ANU Press)
- Levinson (1992, 1997) "Language and Cognition: The Cognitive Consequences of Spatial Description in Guugu Yimithirr" J. Linguistic Anthropology 7:1
- Glottolog: Guugu Yimithirr (gugu1255)
- Ethnologue: kky
Words compared
Compared with related Pama-Nyungan (Paman, eastern Cape York) languages
| Meaning | Guugu Yimithirr | Lardil | Etruscan | Yangkaal | Phrygian | Pyu | Oscan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | buurraay /buːraːj/ | kantha /kanθa/ | — /—/ | ngogo /ŋoɡo/ | — /—/ | ʔuy /uj/ | — /—/ |
| Fire | — /—/ | jalul /d͡ʒalul/ | — /—/ | ngida /ŋida/ | — /—/ | vyaŋ /wjaŋ/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | ngalan /ŋalan/ | thurara /θuɾaɾa/ | usil /ˈuzil/ | wargu /waɾɡu/ | — /—/ | ño /ɲo/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | giitha /ɡiːt̪a/ | kirdikir /kiɖikir/ | tiur /ˈtiur/ | waldar /waldaɾ/ | masê /maˈseː/ | hla /hla/ | — /—/ |
| Mother | ngamu /ŋamu/ | ngama /ŋama/ | ati /ˈati/ | ngama /ŋama/ | mater /ˈmater/ | na /na/ | maatúf /maːtof/ |
| Father | biiba /biːba/ | — /—/ | apa /ˈapa/ | kanda /kanda/ | atas /aˈtas/ | paʔ /paʔ/ | patír /patiːr/ |
| Eat | budal /budal/ | jitha /d͡ʒiθa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | cyaʔ /tɕaʔ/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | yugu /juɡu/ | tungal /tuŋal/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | siŋ /siŋ/ | — /—/ |
| House | bayan /bajan/ | — /—/ | śuthi /ˈsuθi/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | vaiŋ /waiŋ/ | trííbúm /triːbom/ |
| Dog | gudaa /ɡudaː/ | ngawu /ŋawu/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | kan /kan/ | kwiy /kwij/ | — /—/ |
| Cat | buthigan /but̪iɡan/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | mungal /muŋal/ | marra /maɾa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | lak /lak/ | manim /manim/ |
| Eye | miil /miːl/ | mela /mela/ | — /—/ | miibul /miːbul/ | — /—/ | mik /mik/ | — /—/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | nubuun /nubuːn/ | kunngirr /kuŋŋir/ | thu /θu/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | te /te/ | — /—/ |
| Good | awuun /awuːn/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
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