Paman languages

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title: "Paman languages" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["paman-languages", "indigenous-australian-languages-in-queensland"] description: "Australian Aboriginal language family" topic_path: "linguistics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paman_languages" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Australian Aboriginal language family ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox language family"]

Field	Value
name	Paman
region	Cape York Peninsula, Queensland
familycolor	Australian
fam1	Pama–Nyungan
glotto	pama1251
glottorefname	Paman
map	Paman languages.png
mapcaption	Paman languages (green) among other Pama–Nyungan (tan)
::

|name = Paman |region = Cape York Peninsula, Queensland |familycolor = Australian |fam1 = Pama–Nyungan |fam2 = |glotto = pama1251 |glottorefname= Paman |map = Paman languages.png |mapcaption = Paman languages (green) among other Pama–Nyungan (tan)

The Paman languages are an Australian language family spoken on Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. First noted by Kenneth Hale, Paman is noteworthy for the profound phonological changes which have affected some of its descendants.

Classification

Various classifications of the Paman languages exist. The one outlined below is that of R. M. W. Dixon, though he does not accept that these branches are necessarily related to each other.

Geographically, running down the east coast, they are:

• North Cape York
  • Northern Paman
  • Umpila
• Umbindhamu
• Lamalamic
  • Umbuygamu
  • Lamu-Lamu
• Yalgawarra
• Yalanjic
  • Guugu Yimithirr
  • Guugu Yalandji
  • Barrow Point ( Wik?)
• Mbariman-Gudhinma
• Djabugay

Down the west coast, they are:

• North Cape York
  • Northern Paman
  • Wik
• Southwestern
  • Upper Southwest Paman
    • Kuuk Thaayorre
    • Kuuk Yak
    • Kunjen (incl. Ogh Undjan)
  • Yir-Yoront (incl. Yirrk-Thangalkl)
  • Koko-Bera (incl. Gugu Dhaw)
• Kok-Nar
• Norman Paman
  • Kurtjar
  • Kuthant
• Gugadj

In the interior, south of Wik, they are:

• Thaypan
  • Gugu Thaypan (?Rarmul)
  • Aghu Tharrnggala
  • Ikarranggal-Alungul-Angkula
    • Ikarranggal
    • Alungul
    • Angkula
  • Takalak
• Southern
  • Agwamin
  • Mbabaram
  • Mbara
  • Walangama

Koko-PossumThe name Gugu Mini means 'good speech', and has been applied to several languages in the Thaypan area. 'Possum language' (Koko-Possum, Gugu Yawa) is another generic name of this area.

The unclassified Marrett River language () was presumably Paman, though distinct from its neighbors, as presumably was Wik Paach (). The Mayabic languages () to the southwest were once classified as Paman, but have been excluded in Bowern (2011). Alodja may have been another Thaypan / Rarmul Pama language.

Notes

References

: {{cite book | author = Dixon, R. M. W. | author-link = R. M. W. Dixon | year = 2002 | title = Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development

References

1. Hale, Kenneth L.. (1964). "Classification of Northern Paman Languages, Cape York Peninsula, Australia; A Research Report". Oceanic Linguistics, Vol. 3, No. 2.
2. Hale, Kenneth L.. (1966). "The Paman group of the Pama–Nyungan phylic family. Appendix to Languages of the World: Indo-Pacific Fascicle Six, by G.N. O'Grady, C. F. & F.M. Voegelin". Anthropological Linguistics.
3. See Dixon (2002), pp. xxx–xlii.
4. {{AIATSIS. Y94. Gugu Mini
5. {{AIATSIS. Y199. Alungul,
   {{AIATSIS. Y74. Gugu Yawa
6. Bowern, Claire. 2011. "[http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/how-many-languages-were-spoken-in-australia/ How Many Languages Were Spoken in Australia?]", ''Anggarrgoon: Australian languages on the web'', 23 December 2011 ([http://pamanyungan.sites.yale.edu/master-list-australian-languages-v12 corrected] 6 February 2012)
7. {{AIATSIS. Y219. Alodja

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