| Also Known As: Kokomindjen,Millera,Mind'jana,Myunduno,Jir Joront,Mundjun,Mandjoen,Yir Yiront,Gwandera
Description:
Yir-Yoront (several other names; see below) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken in coastal southwestern Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. It is the traditional language of the Yir-Yoront people, most of whom now speak English.
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 spelt Yirr-Yorront (with "rr" to indicate a tapped liquid). There is a valid alternative pronunciation with stress on the first syllable; this can be written YirrqYorront. Other spellings encountered include Yir Yoront (with a space) and Jir Joront.
Other names for the language include
Yirr-Yorront and Yirrk-Thangalkl (known in Yirr-Yorront as Yirr-Thangell) are sister dialects. The territory of Yirr-Yorront is around the mouth of the Main Mitchell River and to the north and east; that of Yirrk-Thangalkl is south of there to the mouth of the South Mitchell, and running to the east and north. Yirrk-Thangalkl is also known as Yirrk-Mel (Yir Mel in the writings of the anthropologist Lauriston Sharp).
Yirr-Yorront contrasts stops and nasals at five points of articulation (labial: p, m; lamino-dental: th,..... full article at Wikipedia |
