Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A large family of Australian aboriginal languages, spoken throughout Australia except in the extreme north, and including Pitjantjatjara and Warlpiri.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- proper noun the most widespread family of Australian Aboriginal languages, including
Pitjantjatjara andWarlpiri .
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[pama, man (in northeast languages) + nyunga, man (in southwest languages).]
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Examples
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Kala Lagaw Ya spoken in the west is an Australian Pama-Nyungan language, Meriam Mir spoken in the east, is Australia's only Papuan indigenous language.
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Yolngu is used in Armhem Land both for Yolngu people ie speakers of Pama-Nyungan Yolngu languages and for Aboriginal people in general.
Comments
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