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Yir Yoront language

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Native to
  
Extinct
  
by 2005

Ethnicity
  
Yir-Yoront

Dialects
  
Yirr-Thutjim (Yir-Yoront)Yirrk-Thangalkl (Yirrk-Mel)

Signed forms
  
Yir Yoront Sign Language

Glottolog
  
yiry1247yiry1245  (bookkeeping with bibliography)

Language family
  
Pama–Nyungan: Paman > Southwestern > Coastal > Yir-Yoront

ISO 639-3
  
Either: yyr – Yir Yoront; yrm – Yirrk-Mel

Yir-Yoront was a Paman language spoken in two settlements, Kowanyama and Pormpuraaw on the southwestern part of the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland in Australia, by the Yir-Yoront people. In 1991 only 15 speakers remained, with the rest of the Yir-Yoront people speaking English or even Kuuk Thaayorre as many speakers of Yir-Yoront apparently are using Kuuk Thaayorre in daily conversation. At present it is thought to be extinct. There are two sister dialects, Yir-Yoront proper and Yirrk-Thangalkl, which are very close. The shared name Yir is sometimes used for both taken together.

Contents

Names

The first part of both of the name, Yir, is from the word yirrq meaning speech or language. Following is the ethnonym.

Yir-Yoront is written hyphenated as a way of indicating that the syllable following the hyphen is stressed. In the standard orthography, it is correctly spelled Yirr-Yorront, with "rr" representing the consonant /r/. There is a valid alternative pronunciation with stress on the first syllable; this can be written YirrqYorront. Other spellings encountered include Yir Yoront and Jir Joront.

Other names for the language include:

  • Yirr-Thuchm: Meaning "from the sandridges"
  • Kok-Minychen: The name of the Yir-Yoront in the Koko-Bera language
  • Koko-Minychena: Alternative spelling
  • Kokomindjen: Alternative spelling
  • Mandjoen: Alternative spelling
  • Mind'jana: Alternative spelling
  • Mundjun: Alternative spelling
  • Myunduno: Alternative spelling
  • Kuuk-Thaanhon: The name of the Yir-Yoront in the Kuuk Thaayorre language
  • Gwandera: A name incorrectly applied to the Yir-Yoront people and their language
  • Millera: No source available
  • Phonology

    The following description is for Yir-Yoront proper. For another dialect, see Yirrk-Thangalkl dialect.

    Vowels

    Yir-Yoront has 6 vowels:

    Consonants

    Yir-Yoront has 20 consonants:

    Sign language

    The Yir Yoront have (or had) a well-developed signed form of their language.

    References

    Yir-Yoront language Wikipedia


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