411 REFERENCE · Wiktionary
Pama-Nyungan
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
English
+ languages
Etymology
From und pama man, person (in several northeast Australian Aboriginal languages) + und nyungaa man, person (in several southwestern Australian Aboriginal languages) en an. Apparently coined by American linguist Kenneth L. Hale (1934-2001), to show the vast geographical extent of the family.
Pronunciation
en /ˌpamə-ˈnjʊŋən/ AU
en /ˌpʌməˈnjʊŋən/ /ˌpaməˈnjʊŋən/ UK
en LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Pama-Nyungan.wav Southern England
Proper noun
en linguistics A proposed language family encompassing most Australian Aboriginal languages, including Pitjantjatjara and Warlpiri, but excluding those spoken in the northwest. from 1960s
Derived terms
en Proto-Pama-Nyungan non-Pama-Nyungan Pama-Maric Pama-Nyunganist
Further reading
Ethnologue report on Pama-Nyungan languages
en Language families