Leerdil
Lardil
Tangkic (Tangkic-Pama)
Lardil (Leerdil) is the language of Mornington Island in the Wellesley Islands of the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland. It belongs to the small non-Pama-Nyungan Tangkic family (with Yangkaal, Kayardild, Yukulta and Ganggalida). Lardil is best known to linguistics as the host language of Damin — the ceremonial auxiliary register taught to senior initiated men, which contains the only documented click consonants in any Australian language. Damin was created and maintained as a separate phonological system layered over ordinary Lardil grammar. Long fluency has now collapsed; perhaps one or two fluent speakers remain, though a substantial community heritage tradition continues. Ken Hale's 1960s-80s field work and the community-led Ngakulmungan Kangka Leman (1996) Lardil Dictionary are the principal documentation.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Lardil
Water
kantha
/kanθa/
Fire
jalul
/d͡ʒalul/
Sun
thurara
/θuɾaɾa/
Moon
kirdikir
/kiɖikir/
Mother
ngama
/ŋama/
Father
—
/—/
Eat
jitha
/d͡ʒiθa/
Drink
—
/—/
Love
—
/—/
Heart
—
/—/
Tree
tungal
/tuŋal/
House
—
/—/
Dog
ngawu
/ŋawu/
Cat
—
/—/
Hand
marra
/maɾa/
Eye
mela
/mela/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
One
kunngirr
/kuŋŋir/
Good
—
/—/
Sources
- Ngakulmungan Kangka Leman (1996) Lardil Dictionary
- Hale (1973) "Deep-surface canonical disparities in relation to analysis and change: an Australian example" — and later work on Damin
- Klokeid (1976) Topics in Lardil Grammar (MIT PhD thesis)
- Glottolog: Lardil (lard1248)
- Ethnologue: lbz
Words compared
Compared with related Tangkic (Tangkic-Pama) languages
| Meaning | Lardil | Neko | Yuchi | Yangkaal | Venetic | Goguryeo | Nicaraguan Sign Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kantha /kanθa/ | wai /wai/ | cha /tʃa/ | ngogo /ŋoɡo/ | ouriom /ˈou.ri.om/ | 買 /*mai/ | — /—/ |
| Fire | jalul /d͡ʒalul/ | titɛ /titɛ/ | tsoda /tsoda/ | ngida /ŋida/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | thurara /θuɾaɾa/ | aatʌ /aːtʌ/ | dethla /dɛhla/ | wargu /waɾɡu/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | kirdikir /kiɖikir/ | — /—/ | zethla /zɛhla/ | waldar /waldaɾ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Mother | ngama /ŋama/ | — /—/ | ahnʌh /ahnʌh/ | ngama /ŋama/ | matur /ˈma.tur/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Father | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | kanda /kanda/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | jitha /d͡ʒiθa/ | nei /nei/ | gʌ /ɡʌ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | tungal /tuŋal/ | tei /tei/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| House | — /—/ | — /—/ | tsotʔa /tsotʔa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | ngawu /ŋawu/ | gonʌ /ɡonʌ/ | shtsé /ʃtsɛ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | marra /maɾa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eye | mela /mela/ | ta /ta/ | shela /ʃela/ | miibul /miːbul/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | kunngirr /kuŋŋir/ | — /—/ | hahgo /hahɡo/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
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