Dyirbal language

E637802

Dyirbal language is an Australian Aboriginal language traditionally spoken in northeastern Queensland, noted for its complex noun class system and distinctive grammatical structures.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Australian Aboriginal language
Pama–Nyungan language
natural language
branchOf Dyirbalic branch NERFINISHED
country Australia
documentedBy R. M. W. Dixon NERFINISHED
ethnicity Dyirbal people NERFINISHED
hasDialect Dyirbal proper NERFINISHED
Girramay NERFINISHED
Mamu NERFINISHED
Ngajan NERFINISHED
hasFeature agreement on verbs
avoidance speech style
case-marking on nouns
complex noun class system
distinct mother-in-law speech register
ergative–absolutive alignment
extensive verb morphology
noun-incorporation-like constructions
rich demonstrative system
split-ergativity
verb-final word order tendency
hasISO639-3Code dbl
hasKeyWork Dixon 1972 "The Dyirbal language of North Queensland" NERFINISHED
hasNounClass Bala class
Balam class
Balan class
Bayi class
hasNounClasses 4
hasPhonologicalFeature small consonant inventory typical of Australian languages
three-vowel system
isNotedFor influence on theories of syntax and semantics
role in linguistic typology
semantic basis of noun classes
unusual gender system including women, fire, and dangerous things
languageFamily Pama–Nyungan NERFINISHED
region Herbert River area NERFINISHED
Johnstone River area NERFINISHED
Tully River area
spokenIn Australia NERFINISHED
northeastern Queensland NERFINISHED
status severely endangered
subfamilyOf Dyirbalic languages NERFINISHED
traditionalTerritory rainforest region of northeastern Queensland
usedAsExampleIn studies of avoidance registers
studies of ergativity
studies of noun classification
writingSystem Latin alphabet
surface form: Latin script

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.