Olkol
Pama-Nyungan
Olkol is a Northern Paman Pama-Nyungan language of the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia, sister to Yir-Yoront and other Cape York Paman languages. Critically endangered with only ~50 fluent elderly speakers remaining; the broader Olkol community has shifted to English and Aboriginal English (Kriol-influenced). The Olkol traditional country includes the headwaters of the Coen and Watson Rivers in northern Cape York. Linguistically, Olkol shares classical Paman features (initial-dropping consonants, simple vowel system, ergative-absolutive alignment) with sister Northern Paman languages, but with distinctive vocabulary and minor phonological features. The Sutton 1976 Cape York Peninsula linguistic survey is the foundational documentation, supplemented by AIATSIS recordings.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Olkol
Water
kupa
/kupa/
Fire
paral
/paɻal/
Sun
naŋkari
/naŋkaɻi/
Moon
kakal
/kakal/
Mother
ngangi
/ŋaŋi/
Father
kaba
/kaba/
Eat
ngarinya
/ŋaɻiɲa/
Drink
kupa nyaa
/kupa ɲaː/
Love
kanyji
/kaɲɟi/
Heart
piku
/piku/
Tree
warray
/waɾaj/
House
mariŋ
/maɻiŋ/
Dog
kunpa
/kunpa/
Cat
paka
/paka/
Hand
mara
/maɻa/
Eye
mil
/mil/
Hello
palya
/paʎa/
Thank you
marlu
/maɻlu/
One
kuyu
/kuju/
Good
palya
/paʎa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Pama-Nyungan languages
| Meaning | Olkol | Nhanda | Warnman | Pitjantjatjara | Pintupi-Luritja | Ngunnawal | Noongar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kupa /kupa/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kungal /kuŋal/ | kep /kep/ |
| Fire | paral /paɻal/ | warla /waɻla/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | warba /waɻba/ | kaarl /kaːɻl/ |
| Sun | naŋkari /naŋkaɻi/ | ngama /ŋama/ | tjirntu /cinʈu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | guma /ɡuma/ | ngangk /ŋaŋk/ |
| Moon | kakal /kakal/ | kanyala /kaɲala/ | kintirriny /kinʈiriɲ/ | pira /piɻa/ | pira /piɻa/ | birrang /biɻaŋ/ | miyak /mijak/ |
| Mother | ngangi /ŋaŋi/ | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | guni /ɡuni/ | ngangk /ŋaŋk/ |
| Father | kaba /kaba/ | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | kirrki /kiɻki/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | pumba /pumba/ | maam /maːm/ |
| Eat | ngarinya /ŋaɻiɲa/ | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | ngarra /ŋaɻa/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | daring /daɻiŋ/ | ngarn /ŋaɻn/ |
| Drink | kupa nyaa /kupa ɲaː/ | nyuna /ɲuna/ | nyaa /ɲaː/ | tjikini /cikini/ | tjikini /cikini/ | nyu /ɲu/ | ngarn /ŋaɻn/ |
| Love | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | marmit /maɻmit/ | djaadjam /dʒaːdʒam/ |
| Heart | piku /piku/ | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | kurda /kuɖa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | mara /maɻa/ | kortang /koɻtaŋ/ |
| Tree | warray /waɾaj/ | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | watiya /watija/ | punu /punu/ | punu /punu/ | warabi /waɻabi/ | boorn /boːɻn/ |
| House | mariŋ /maɻiŋ/ | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | kuni /kuni/ | mia /maja/ |
| Dog | kunpa /kunpa/ | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | walyamarra /waʎamaɻa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | mirri /miɻi/ | dwert /dweɻt/ |
| Cat | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | ngarda /ŋaɖa/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | poosi /puːsi/ | nguni /ŋuni/ |
| Hand | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mar /maɻ/ |
| Eye | mil /mil/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | mil /mil/ | mel /mel/ |
| Hello | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | yumalundi /jumalundi/ | kaya /kaja/ |
| Thank you | marlu /maɻlu/ | marlu /maɻlu/ | walytjarra /waʎcaɻa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | miyamala /mijamala/ | boordawan /boːɻdawan/ |
| One | kuyu /kuju/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kutju /kucu/ | kutju /kucu/ | guma /ɡuma/ | keny /keɲ/ |
| Good | palya /paʎa/ | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | walunga /waluŋa/ | kwobidak /kwobidak/ |
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