Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Jarrakan languages

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Geographic distribution:
  
northern Australia

Glottolog:
  
jarr1235

Subdivisions:
  
Kija Miriwoongic

Jarrakan languages

Linguistic classification:
  
One of the world's primary language families

The Jarrakan (formerly Djeragan) languages are a small family of Australian Aboriginal languages spoken in northern Australia. The name is derived from the word jarrak, which means "language" in Kija.

The three main Jarrakan languages are:

  • Kija (about 100 speakers)
  • Miriwoong (about 20 speakers)
  • Gajirrabeng (three or four speakers)

    • These are divided into two groups: Kijic, consisting of only Kija, and Miriwoongic, consisting of Miriwoong and Gajirrabeng; Dixon (2002) considers the latter to be a single language.

    Doolboong may also have been a Jarrakan language, but this uncertain as it is extinct and essentially unattested.

    References

    Jarrakan languages Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA