Thura-Yura languages
The Yura or Thura-Yura languages are a group of Australian Aboriginal languages surrounding Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent in South Australia, that comprise a genetic language family of the Pama–Nyungan family.
Yura | |
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Thura-Yura | |
Geographic distribution | South Australia |
Linguistic classification | Pama–Nyungan
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Subdivisions |
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Glottolog | thur1253 |
Thura-Yura languages (green) among other Pama–Nyungan (tan). The two groups are Nangga (west) and Yura–Kadli (east) |
Name
The name Yura comes from the word for "person" in the northern languages; this is a lenited form of the thura found in other languages, hence Thura-Yura. Similar words for "person" are found in languages outside the group, however (for example 'yura' - 'person' in the Sydney language).[1]
Languages
The following classification is proposed by Bowern & Koch (2004):[2]
A Nukunu speaker reported that the Nukunu could understand Barngarla and Kuyani, but not more distant varieties.[2]
Peramangk may have been a southern Thura-Yura language, close to Kaurna.
Dixon (2002) lists a Nantuwara language, but there is no data for it.
Proto-language
Proto-Thura-Yura | |
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Reconstruction of | Thura-Yura languages |
Reconstructed ancestor |
Reconstructed Thura-Yura vocabulary by Simpson and Hercus (2004):[3]
- Spelling conventions
- alveolar tap: r
- alveolar trill: rr
- retroflex glide: ṟ
- retroflex tap: rd
- indeterminate rhotic: R
gloss | Proto-Thura-Yura | Proto-Core Thura-Yura | Northern Thura-Yura | Southern Thura-Yura |
---|---|---|---|---|
all | wapu; kurru | |||
all, many, big | *marna | |||
ashes | *muru | thimpa | ||
ashes (charcoal) | piirla | |||
bad | *wadLV | |||
bad (without) | *wakV-Na | |||
bark | ?*yulti | |||
beard | ngaNka | yaNka | ||
beard, cheek, hair | *maLTa | |||
belly | warna | munthu | ||
belly (abdomen) | ?*TiDLi | |||
big | ngarla | |||
bird | THirta | |||
black | maṟu | |||
blood | ?*kaaṟu; *karti | |||
body: muscle, sinew | *THiltya | *thiltya | ||
bone | *waLpu | *waLpu | warlpu | |
breast | *ngamV | |||
camp (house) | *warDli | |||
camp (house, ?from “join”) | *karrpa | *karrpa | ||
camp (hut) | karnku | |||
chest | *kuntu | |||
child, baby | wa(L)kuwa(L)ku | |||
child, small | *kitya | yakaCV; waNi | ||
child, voice of infant | *kunga | |||
cloud | *ma(L)ku | |||
cloud (low, fog) | *putyi | |||
cold (cough) | *kuLTV- | |||
cold, frost | *pakaDla | |||
cold (in head) | (y)urrkV- | |||
cold (weather) | *paya-; *mVnyV | *manya | payala (Probably derived from “to bite”) | |
come here! | *paNi; *ka | *kawayi | ||
dog | *wiLka | wiLka (domestic dog) | kadli (domestic dog) | |
down, below | ?*warta- | wartathi | ||
dry | *muDLa | murdla | ||
dry, dust | *puthV-RV | |||
ear | *yuṟi | |||
earth | *yarta | |||
egg | pipi | muka | ||
elbow | *thiDNngi | K/NGuNaN- | ||
eye | *mii-na | |||
eyebrow | *piiku | |||
far (stranger) | yampa | |||
fat | *mVrnV | *marni | ||
feather | ?*paDLu | |||
fingernail | *pirri | |||
fire | *karDla | |||
fish | *kuya | |||
fly | *thapu | |||
fly (big fly) | *thumpV-Ca | *thupV(-Ra) | ||
food | *mayi | |||
foot | *THiDna | *thidna | ||
good | *wayV- | |||
hair, feather | *puthi | |||
hand | *maṟa | |||
head | *kaka | |||
heart | thurlku | |||
hungry | karnpa | |||
knee | ?*puṟV | *mampa | puṟa | |
knee (kneecap) | *maTa | |||
leaf | karlpi | |||
liver | *Tangka | thangka; ngaLTi | ||
louse | *kuDLu | *kuDlu | ||
man (boy after circumcision) | pardnaapa | |||
man (companion) | *Nipu | |||
man (grown-up) | *miṟu (grownup man) | |||
man (husband) | marni | |||
man (initiand) | ?*wilya-ṟu | ?*ngulta | ||
man (male, husband) | *yarDli | |||
man (person) | ?*Tuṟa | *thuṟa | ||
meat | *paRu | |||
meat, flesh, heart | *puLTHA | *puLTHa | *pultha | |
moon | *piṟa | |||
mouth | *Taa | |||
mouth, lip | Nimi | |||
name | *mityi | |||
nape, neck | ngurnti, nhurnti; wakarra | |||
neck | *waLTu | |||
night | *nguLTi | maLTi | ||
night, yesterday | *wiltya | |||
north wind, hot weather | *pukarra | |||
north-east wind | ngarnara | karnaRa | ||
nose | *muDlha | *mudlha | ||
not, do not | *madLa | mardla; kuta | ||
now | *kaRi | |||
now, again | ?*nhaTa | |||
now, morning | ?*panyi | |||
now, soon | yatha | |||
old man | *puLka | |||
one | *kuma | |||
other, another, the rest | *kutyu | |||
penis | *waRi | |||
pigface, plant food type (?Carpobrotus_rossii sp.) | ?*kaCkaLa | *karrkaLa | ||
red | ?*TVLTV- | *TaLTHa- | thaltha- | |
red ochre | *miLTi; *karrku | |||
rib | *TiNinyV | |||
rib, side, flank | *pantyi | |||
road | ?*Tapa | *Tapa | thapa | |
root | ||||
rotten, bad-smelling | ?*puka | *thungkV | ||
shit, faeces | *kuDna | *kudna | ||
shoulder | piLpi- | |||
shoulder, wing | *wiṟi | |||
sick, ill | ?*ngaNDa-N | |||
sick, wound | *mingka | |||
skin | ?*paLpa | piyi | paLpa | |
skin, clothes | *palhtha | |||
sky | *NayirrV | iLkaRV | ||
sky, cloud and dust | ?*wirra | |||
smoke | *puyu | |||
smoke (stuff for producing smoke) | ?*Tumpu | |||
snake | ?*TuDNu | wapma | ||
snake, carpet snake | muDLV- | |||
south and south wind | *parrpa | |||
southerly wind | *walypi | waitpi | ||
spear (large) | *wiNTa | wirnta | ||
spear (small) | *kVya | *kaya | ||
spit | *THaDlhi | *THadlhi | ngapalya; ngalytya | |
star | *purDli | |||
stone, adze | THurdla | |||
stone, cooking stone | ?*kaDnya | |||
stone, hill, grinding stone, kneecap | *puRi | |||
stone, limestone | *parnta | |||
stone, quartz-like stone, ice | *makV | |||
sun | *THirntu | *thirntu | ||
tail | kaDLHa | |||
testicles | *kaDLu | *kadLu | kardlu | |
that (near) | *pa- | *pa- | pa-nha | |
that (remote) | *ngu- | ngunha | ||
thigh | *kaNTHi | *kaNTHi | kanthi | |
thigh, flank, groin | ?*paLTi | |||
this (nearest) | *iNHa | |||
throat | *yurDni | |||
to bite | *paya- | |||
to burn tr. | *kampa- | |||
to burn intr. | *ngaDLi- | |||
to climb | ?*warnta- | |||
to come | ?*puDNa- | |||
to cry, call | *kaLTa- | |||
to cry, tears | *muLka | |||
to cry, to scream | *ngaTV- | |||
to cut | ?*waNi- | |||
to die | *paDLu- | thinta-; padlu- | ||
to die, dead | *kuDnyu | kupa | ||
to dig | *paNi-; ?*paka- | pani- | ||
to drink, to kiss, to manipulate with mouth | *THapa- | *Tapa- | thapa- | |
to eat | *ngaLku- | |||
to enter | *ngaLpa- | |||
to fall | *warDni- | |||
to get | *manku- | |||
to get, pick up, lead, bring | *kaNka- | *kangka- | ||
to get, take away | *mama- | |||
to give | *yungkV- | nhungku- | ||
to go | ?*wiNV- | nguka- | ||
to go, walk | ?*padNV- | |||
to hear | *yuri- See “ear”. | |||
to hit with hand | *paLTa- | |||
to hit with missile | *nguṟV- | nguṟa- | ||
to hit, cause break in material integrity | *pungku- | |||
to hit, kill | *kuNTa- | kurnta- | ||
to know, see | *THiLka- | *thiLka- | ||
to leave it | *wVNTV- | *waNTa- | wanthV- | |
to lie down | *waNTi- | wanti- | ||
to put, to get used to | ila- | |||
to see | *nhaku- | |||
to sit | *Tika- | thika- | ||
to sleep, asleep | *miya | |||
to speak | *wangka- | |||
to spear | wiTi- | |||
to stand | *yuwa- | |||
to throw | *paTV- | patha- | ||
to tie, support, build | ?*karrpV- | karrpV- | ||
tomorrow | ?*TarrkV- | |||
tongue | *THa(a)LiN | tha(a)rli | tha(d)lVnya | |
tooth | yira | Tiya | ||
tree | *wadLa; *wira | wardla | ||
two | *puLa | puDla; kalypilV | purla | |
up, above | ?*kaNka | kanka | ||
up, above, high | *karra | |||
urine, piss | *kumpu | |||
warm (weather) | *warlta | |||
water | *kawi; *kapi | |||
west | *wangka | |||
what (how many) | *-miNV | [-]minha | ||
what? | *Na-, ?*Nawi | |||
when? | *nhaDLa-TV | |||
where? | ?*wa-THa | *wa-(nha) | ||
white | *paLkV | *paLka | paLka-ra | |
who? (Ergative, Instrumental) | *ngaNTu | |||
who? (Nominative) | *ngaNa | *ngaNa | ||
who? (Possessive) | *ngaNku | |||
wind | *wari | |||
woman | *pa(a)rla | ngangki | ||
woman, girl | *mankarra | |||
woman, mother, female | *ngamV-THV | |||
woman, wife | *kartu | |||
yam, edible root, plant food type | *ngampa | |||
yesterday | *puki | |||
young one | papa |
References
- Macquarie Dictionary Aboriginal Words, 1994; p. 66
- Bowern & Koch (2004) Australian Languages: Classification and the Comparative Method
- Simpson, Jane and Luise Hercus. 2004. Thura-Yura as a Subgroup. In Claire Bowern and Harold Koch (eds.), Australian Languages: Classification and the Comparative Method, 179-206, 580-645. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
- Simpson, Jane; Hercus, Luise (2004). "Thura-Yura as a subgroup". In Claire Bowern; Harold Koch (eds.). Australian Languages: Classification and the Comparative Method. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.