Extinct (date missing) | Ethnicity Kalkadoon people | |
Language family Pama–NyunganKalkatungicKalkatungu Signed forms Kalkutungu Sign Language | ||
Kalkatungu (also written Kalkutungu, Galgadungu, Kalkutung, Kalkadoon, Galgaduun) is an extinct Australian Aboriginal language formerly spoken around the area of Mount Isa, Queensland.
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Classification
Apart from the closely related language, Wakabunga, Kalkatungu is sometimes grouped with Yalarnnga as the Kalkatungic (Galgadungic) branch of the Pama–Nyungan family. O'Grady et al., however, classify it as the sole member of the "Kalkatungic group" of the Pama-Nyungan family, and Dixon (2002) regards Kalkatungic as an areal group.
It is not clear if the vibrant is a trill or a tap.
Stress
Like in English, word stress is realised in terms of loudness. Sentence stress is also organised similar to English with the first syllable in the final word of a phonological phrase getting the main stress.(tonic stress) Moreover,if there are more than two words in a phrase, the first syllable of the first word receives more stress than the non-final words.
Kalkatungu Sign Language
Kendon (1988) shows that Kalkatungu also had a developed signed form of their language.