Guugu Yimithirr
DISCLAIMER:
The locations of the language varieties of Cape York Peninsula shown on this map are not intended for Land Claim use, and are an approximate guide only. Individual language project locations are based on information from publicly available documents.
This map is a work in progress and is to be regarded as a dynamic draft. Pama Language Centre welcomes additions and corrections to the draft map and to information about the language varieties listed.
Guugu Yimithirr was the first language to be recorded on this continent in 1770. From the 1870s onwards, the Guugu Yimithirr people were subject to physical and cultural genocide by the invaders. In 1886, the Elim Beach / Hope Valley mission was established at Cape Bedford. Most Guugu Yimithirr were concentrated there. In contrast to other government and mission settelements, the Guugu Yimithirr language was used by the missionaries. There were two main dialects of Guugu Yimidhirr, Thalunthirr (seaside) and Waguurrga (inland); missionaries used the former. Their knowledge enabled Walter Roth to publish a description of Guugu Yimithirr in 1901.
In 1942 the Guugu Yimithirr were deported to Woorabinda by the invaders and the Guugu Yimidhirr nation was further decimated. In 1949 the Guugu Yimithirr returned and built the village Hope Vale.
The first book in a First Nation language was the Guugu Yimithirr Order of Service and Hyms in 1946, but the language was not properly established as a written language. Proper recording of the language (including the oral literature) began with the work of John Haviland in 1972. Some books were produced, but transmission has declined.
| AUSTLANG reference code | Y82 |
| AUSTLANG reference name | GUUGU YIMIDHIRR |
| OTHER REFERENCE CODE(S) | Ethnologue: kky |
| LANGUAGE VARIETY NAME, PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION | [k̬uːkʊ ˈjɪmɪt̪ɪr] |
| LANGUAGE VARIETY NAME, PHONEMIC TRANSCRIPTION | /kuːku ˈjimit̪ir/ |
| LANGUAGE VARIETY COMPLEX | Guugu Yimithirr |
| LANGUAGE STATUS | Shifting
Revitalisation |
| PRACTICAL ORTHOGRAPHIES | GUUGU YIMITHIRR 1986 ORTHOGRAPHY First used in [George Rosendale], Gunbu Guugu Yimithirrbi. Angaston 1986. (self‐published). First academic mention in John B. Haviland, “Anchoring, iconicity, and orientation in Guugu Yimithirr pointing gestures”, Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, Vol. 3, no. 1, 1993. GUUGU YIMIDHIRR 1974 ORTHOGRAPHY KOKO_YIMIDIR 1901 ORTHOGRAPHY (obsolete) |
| DICTIONARY | No dictionary is currently available, but a wordlist can be provided by Pama Language Centre. |
| FIND A TRANSLATOR | There are currently no accredited translators, but there are competent native speakers literate in Guugu Yimithirr, and linguists with knowledge of the language. Please contact Pama Language Centre for translations. |
| CONNECT WITH SPEECH COMMUNITY | The following groups are active in language and culture work: Hope Vale Rangers Hope Vale Indigenous Knowledge Centre |
