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Ngawun is an extinct Mayi language once spoken on the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland, Australia, by the Wunumara and Ngawun peoples. The last speaker of the language was Cherry O'Keefe (or Tjapun in the language) who died of pneumonia on 24 August 1977.

The etymology of the name Ngawun is unknown.

Wanamarra (also known as Maykulan and Wunumura) was spoken in North West Queensland. The language region includes areas within the Shire of McKinlay, Shire of Cloncurry and Shire of Richmond, including the Flinders River area, and the towns of Kynuna and Richmond.

Phonology

Consonants

• /t̪/ can be heard as fricatives in intervocalic positions, and as when in between a nasal and a vowel.
• /ɾ/ can be heard as a trill when in word-final position.
• /ɭ/ can be heard as an alveolo-palatal when before /t̠ʲ/.

Vowels

• /i/ can be heard as when before /j/ or any other alveolo-palatal laminal sounds.
• /u/ can also be heard as , and as when in word-final positions.

References

1. G17 Ngawun at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies  (see the info box for additional links)
2. Breen, Gavan (1981). The Mayi languages of the Queensland Gulf Country. Canberra: AIAS. p. 13. ISBN 0-85575-124-X.
3. This Misplaced Pages article incorporates CC BY 4.0 licensed text from: "Wanamarra". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
4. Breen, Gavan (1981). The Mayi languages of the Queensland Gulf Country. Canberra: AIAS. pp. 21–31.

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