澳大利亚原住民语言

澳大利亞原住民语言（Australian Aboriginal languages）包括在澳大利亞大陸和周边岛屿（不过一般不包括塔斯马尼亚岛）使用的语言，可以分为数个语系和一些孤立语言，其中最著名的是帕马-恩永甘语系。在欧洲殖民者到来之前，澳大利亚曾是世界上语言最多样的地区之一，拥有大约250种不同的語言。

目前，澳大利亞原住民语言的数目已经减少到大约150，并且绝大多数语言还是处于高度濒危状态。在今存的语种中，只有大约10%仍在学校中教授，并且这些语言大多使用在一些生活较孤立的地区。一些语言如塔斯马尼亚语系语言已经完全灭亡。

截至2019年4月，只剩13种还没被列为“高度濒危”语言。这一事实总是被人们忽略。

澳大利亞原住民语言形成一个语言区域，享有众多共同词汇和独特的语音特征。典型的澳大利亞原住民语言只含有三个元音，一般为[a, i, u]（可能有长短音的区别）。清浊音的区别很少见，而且擦音也极为罕见。

很多澳大利亞原住民语言为作通格語言。

參考文獻

Dixon, R.M.W. 1989. Searching for Aboriginal Languages. University of Chicago Press, 1989. ISBN 0-226-15430-0
Dixon, R. M. W. 2002. Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development.
Evans, Nicholas (ed.). 2003. The non-Pama–Nyungan languages of northern Australia: comparative studies of the continent's most linguistically complex region. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
McConvell, Patrick and Nicholas Evans. (eds.) 1997. Archaeology and Linguistics: Global Perspectives on Ancient Australia. Melbourne: Oxford University Press
O'Grady, Geoff; Ken Hale. 2004. The Coherence and Distinctiveness of the Pama–Nyungan Language Family within the Australian Linguistic Phylum. In Claire Bowern and Harold Koch, eds., Australian Languages: Classification and the Comparative Method. John Benjamins Pub. Co.
UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger  (retrieved 8/6/10)
Walsh, Michael. 1991. Overview of indigenous languages of Australia. In Suzane Romaine (ed), Language in Australia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-33983-9
Zuckermann, Ghil'ad, "Aboriginal languages deserve revival", The Australian Higher Education, 26 August 2009.

參見 
 澳洲原住民口語拼音

參考資料

外部連結
AustLang database of Australian languages
The Linguist List MultiTree Project: Australian Family Tree
Map of indigenous Australian languages  from Muturzikin.com (current ranges)
Australian languages plotted on Google Maps (Claire Bowern)
Aboriginal Languages of Australia 
The Horton map of Australian indigenous languages (recorded ranges; full view here
Languages of Australia , as listed by Ethnologue
National Indigenous Languages Survey Report 2005 PDF format, size 2.6 MB Accessed 16 February 2009
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait  Islander Studies (AIATSIS) 
Ethnologue report on all languages by alphabetical order 
Finding the meaning of an Aboriginal word 
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Social Justice Report 2009  for more information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and policy.

澳大利亞原住民語言
語系