# Mingginda language

Mingginda or Minkin is an extinct Australian Aboriginal language, perhaps a language isolate, of northern Australia. It was spoken by the Mingin people in the area around Burketown, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, in an area that contains the headwaters of the Leichhardt River.
The classification of Minkin is uncertain, primarily due to a lack of data. It has been suggested that it may have been related to the Yiwaidjan or Tankic language families. Evans (1990) believes it has been demonstrated to be a Tankic language, more distant than the others are to each other; this is accepted in Bowern (2011).

## Phonology
### Consonants

| | Peripheral | Peripheral | Laminal | Laminal | Apical | Apical |
| | Labial | Velar | Dental | Palatal | Alveolar | Retroflex |
| Plosive | p | k | t̪ | c | t | ʈ |
| Nasal | m | ŋ | (n̪) | ɲ | n | ɳ |
| Rhotic | | | | | (ɾ~r) | (ɻ) |
| Lateral | | | (l̪) | ʎ | l | ɭ |
| Approximant | w | w | | j | | |
Consonants in parentheses are unattested, but may have existed.

### Vowels

| | Front | Central | Back |
| High | i | | u |
| Low | | a | |
It is not possible to tell if there was vowel length.

## Vocabulary

Minkin data reconstituted by Evans (1990):
    glossMinkin man (Aboriginal)ŋaRka (ŋařka) 'the blacks'yaŋ(k)ana; wampuRa; kOmu; miŋ(k)u white manpiʈa; Takantana young mankulankali; wuRunta (wuɽunta) boy, childrenwuRaRa baby (also 'little', 'younger brother')piltʸinkuRa girlpuLupuLa (puɭupuɭa) womanmaku old manpaʈiŋaRa old womanwaʈikiRi (waʈikiři) fatherkEyatʸi motherkuntuŋu sisterwuŋ(k)uRa-paŋa; yilulaŋa brother, elderNaŋkalʸ or Naŋkay brother, youngerpiRtʸinkuRa mother's motherTiTila GodtʸORpuyu ghostspaʈa 'being who taught them everything'kuwaRi headwiʈa hair of headpuLumpa hair of beard, beardyaRinʸa, yaRiŋa eyemitʸELa earmaRa (mařa) mouthpaRka teethliya tongueTHalŋa ~ THanŋa nosekiwiRa faceyiRa neckpanTaLmaRa shouldertʸaʈa breasts, milkŋukula backkOnTa (kanta) stomachpaʈaka; puLtʸi chestpayuLa thighpiLpa; t̪anpa legtʸila anklemukuLa foottʸaŋ(k)a track of a foottʸaŋ(k)ay, tʸaNa armwaLERa wristmuni-muni; maNay-maNay handŋaRŋaRa (ŋařŋařa) fingersŋařa skinpakuRu boneTimERa (ʈimiřa) bloodtakana fatpaRaŋ(k)a (paɽaŋka) bowels, excrementTORa (ʈuRa) excrementmalina kangaroopunkana; tʸaku-tʸaku possumwapuRa tame dogkutu wild dog, dingomitʸilpaRa emupuLanʸtʸana black duckpiyanʸtʸuRa wood duckyapiRa- muntunʸtʸiRa pelicanyukuTaRa; pitiltu laughing jackass (kookaburra)TalkuRa (t̪alkuřa) native companion (brolga)Tila-TalkuRa; puRalku white cockatooTayalpuwaRa; kaRimpala crowwaŋkuLa swankunankuta wild turkeypiRinkuRa eggyapipa snakepalaŋ(k)aRa; pakanpapa fishwaRa crayfishmiNTuLa mosquitokalaRaŋ(k)a (kalařaŋka) flywuŋaRa; kuRiNa grasskOɳa (kaɳa); puLpa barkkuRumpa; pakuRu woodwiLa; wiLaTaLOnti (wiLa t̪alunti) war-spearwaRinwaRina; maLtʸiNTaRa reed-spearwaRin; ŋuRmi (ŋuřmi) woomerapiRi (piři) shieldTaʈuna; tʸaRpi (tʸařpi) tomahawkTHaʈiyapina; tʸaRiwiNTila boomerangwaŋila carvings on boomerangwaLitʸi canoekamiRa campNETa (ɳat̪a) (ŋita) firewiLa heatyaLuLu (yalulu); mawuRina smokeTumpuɳa; kuya-kuya lightNawaNawa; kawuntuNaRay dark (= night)kawuNTi water, rainwat̪a foodLa(R)kuLa honey (= fat)paRaŋ(k)a (paɽaŋka) thirstyNVRmuNTu (ŋawaRmuNTu) hungryNaLu stone, hillkapaʈa groundkuʈa riverkaTaRa (kat̪ařa) lake, lagoonpaNka swampwuɭpa seamawORa suntʸiRiŋaŋa moonpalaŋatʸi moon; star (?)piRiŋ(k)a (piɽiŋka) star; sky (?)TaLaLa (ʈalala) thunderpiʈimaRa(-Ta) windwaRmaRa (wařmaɽa) rainpuLuLaŋ(k)ana daypalmanmaLamaLa; yiɳanʸtʸi todayyanaNiŋ(k)a, yanaLiŋ(k)a nightmiLimaʈa; kawuNTi yesterdaykawuNTiwa; yaluNTay dawnŋaNaRaNa, yuNaRaNa tomorrowkawuNTu, kawuNTuŋ(k)aRa by-and-bykiTaNTa ŋatʸa coldKuRiNa (ŋuřina) goodpuRuka badTuRka bigpuLaNa; kuNamiRa (kunʸamiřa) little; babypiltʸinkuRa dead, rottenpukayaNa, puka sweetkaRaLkaRaLa onetʸuwaRnʸu ~ tʸuwaLnʸu twoTikinʸa threeTantʸilta fourTikintalʸu- TuwaLʸu, TikintʸaLinʸa plenty, manyyunkuna; wan(a)puRa none, nowiɳiŋa; Wawiŋa anywaNTini sometʸiliŋa sameman̪t̪anʸi othertʸawuNiliŋa to walkyaNkiya to walk, goyapu to runTaŋanʸi to go awaytʸawuyu to come hereŋatʸa to sitNinʸa; kuNuyu to takekawapa to holdniŋapa to let him goyiɭayaNkipa to givewuNapa to burn with fireNalapa to makepiʈimapa to sleepyuŋ(k)uyu to dieyuRpiyu to livepiRitʸinʸa to eatTayaTaya, TaRa to drinkWawunTini to speakwatʸi to seeNawapa to feel(yu)wiŋapa to hear(yu)wiŋʸtʸin- ta(R)watʸiNa to knowmitʸil-maRa yesNiya (ŋiya) 'Name of a place where the being camped'maalpay or maalpi Marriage class A (male)LiyaRaNu Marriage class C (female, marries A)kaŋila Marriage class B (male, marries D)kayaLOLa Marriage class D (female, marries B)ŋařitʸpalaŋi Where are the blacks?TaɳaŋaRa komu?; TaɳaŋaRa miŋ(k)u I don't know.waNTaŋ Naŋ(k)i kuʈa; waNTaŋ Nanʸtʸi kuʈa

### Animals

* jaco-jaco (kangaroo)
* kallanarra (mosquito)
* karimbala (white cockatoo)
* koodoo (tame dog)
* koorina (fly)
* megilpurra (wild dog)
* ooabiba (egg)
* paganbaba (snake)
* piringooraa (wild turkey)
* piteldoo (pelican)
* poolunganna (emu)
* pooralga (native companion)
* wapoora (possum)
* wongoola (crow)
* worra (fish)

### Body parts

* bilba (thigh)
* boormba (hair of the head)
* changa (foot)
* charn-nga (tongue)
* dimira (bone)
* kiwira (nose)
* lia (teeth)
* makola (breasts)
* mara (ear)
* migilla (eye)
* na-nga-ra (hand)
* pagooroo (skin)
* paranga (fat)
* pardaga (stomach)
* parka (mouth)
* tangana (blood)
* turra (bowel and excrement)
* wedda (head)
* yarin-nga (beard)

### Numbers

* choarng-ngo (one)
* tigina (two)
* tarngiltna (three)

### People

* birgenkoora (brother-younger)
* churbooyo (God)
* kiagi (father)
* koo-ar-ee (being who taught them everything)
* koondoonoo (mother)
* magoo (black woman)
* nacile (brother-elder)
* nurka (aboriginal man)
* ooardigiri (old woman)
* ooroonda (a young man)
* parda (ghosts)
* pardingara (an old man)
* pelgincorra (a baby)
* takandana (a white man)
* tano ara mingoo? (where are black?)
* tyana (track of a foot)
* wompoora (the blacks)
* yillolunga (sister-elder)
Source: Curr 1886, p. 314