Waanyi language

{{short description|Extinct Australian Aboriginal language}} {{distinguish|Wanzi language|Vwanji language}} {{Use Australian English|date=October 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}} {{Infobox language | name = Wanyi | altname = Waanji | region = [[Northern Territory]], [[Queensland]] | ethnicity = [[Waanyi]] | familycolor = Australian | fam1 = [[Garrwan languages|Garrwan]] | iso3 = wny | glotto = wany1247 | glottorefname = Wanyi | aiatsis = G23 | speakers = 16 | date = 2016 | ref = aiatsis | states = [[Australia]] }}

'''Waanyi''', also spelt '''Wanyi''', '''Wanji''' or '''Waanji''', is an endangered [[Australian Aboriginal languages|Australian Aboriginal language]] spoken by the [[Waanyi]] people of the lower gulf area of [[Northern Queensland]], Australia. Although earlier thought to be [[extinct language|extinct]], as of the [[2016 Australian census]] there were 16 speakers of the language. This was down from the recorded peak of 40 in the [[2011 Australian census]].<ref name=austlang>{{cite web | title=G23: Waanyi | website=AIATSIS Collection: AUSTLANG| url=https://collection.aiatsis.gov.au/austlang/language/G23 | access-date=10 October 2020}}</ref>

The language region includes the western parts of [[Lawn Hill Creek]] and [[Nicholson River (Queensland)|Nicholson River]], from about the boundary between the [[Northern Territory]] and Queensland, westwards towards [[Alexandria Station (Northern Territory)|Alexandria station]], [[Doomadgee, Queensland|Doomadgee]], and Nicholson River. It includes the local government area of the [[Aboriginal Shire of Doomadgee]].<ref>{{Cite SLQ-CC-BY|url=https://maps.slq.qld.gov.au/iyil/view/136|title=Waanyi|author=|date=|website=Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map|access-date=5 February 2020}}</ref>

Words and phrases from this language are used by novelist [[Alexis Wright]] in her 2013 novel, ''[[The Swan Book]]''.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

==Phonology==

=== Consonants=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ Consonants<ref name="Breen2003">{{cite book |last=Breen |first=Gavan |year=2003 |chapter=Wanyi and Garrwa comparative data |editor-last=Evans |editor-first=Nicholas |title=The Non-Pama-Nyungan Languages of Northern Australia: comparative studies of the continent's most linguistically complex region |series=Pacific Linguistics |volume=552 |location=Canberra |pages=425–462 |doi=10.15144/PL-552.425 |doi-access=free}}</ref> |- ! rowspan=2 | ! colspan=2 | [[Peripheral consonant|Peripheral]] ! colspan=2 | [[Coronal consonant|Coronal]] |- ! [[Labial consonant|Labial]] ! [[velar consonant|Velar]] ! [[apical consonant|Apical]] ! [[palatal consonant|Palatal]] |- ! [[Plosive]] | {{IPA link|b}} | {{IPA link|k}} | {{IPA link|d}} | {{IPA link|ɟ}} |- ! [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]] | {{IPA link|m}} | {{IPA link|ŋ}} | {{IPA link|n}} | {{IPA link|ɲ}} |- ! [[Lateral consonant|Lateral]] | | | {{IPA link|l}} | {{IPA link|ʎ}} |- ! [[Tap consonant|Tap]] | | | {{IPA link|ɾ}} | |- ! [[Glide consonant|Glide]] | colspan="2" | {{IPA link|w}} | {{IPA link|ɻ}} | {{IPA link|j}} |}

=== Vowels=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+Vowels<ref name="Breen2003" /> ! ![[Front vowel|Front]] ![[Central vowel|Central]] ![[Back vowel|Back]] |- ![[High vowel|High]] |{{IPA link|i}} {{IPA link|iː}} | |{{IPA link|u}} {{IPA link|uː}} |- ![[Low vowel|Low]] | |{{IPA link|a}} {{IPA link|aː}} | |} Phonemic long vowels are rare.<ref name="Breen2003" />

==References== {{Reflist}}

[[Category:Garawan languages]]