The Yura or Thura-Yura languages are a group of Australian Aboriginal languages surrounding Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent in South Australia, that comprise a genetic language family of the Pama–Nyungan family.
Name The name Yura comes from the word for "person" in the northern languages; this is a lenited form of the thura found in other languages, hence Thura-Yura. Similar words for "person" are found in languages outside the group, however (for example 'yura' - 'person' in the Sydney language).Macquarie Dictionary Aboriginal Words, 1994; p. 66
Languages The following classification is proposed by Bowern & Koch (2004):Bowern & Koch (2004) Australian Languages: Classification and the Comparative Method
Thura-Yura Nangga Wirangu Nauo Core Thura-Yura Yura (northern) Adnyamathanha–Kuyani Barngarla Kadli (southern) Narangga Kaurna (unclassified) Nukunu Ngadjuri
A Nukunu speaker reported that the Nukunu could understand Barngarla and Kuyani, but not more distant varieties.
Peramangk may have been a southern Thura-Yura language, close to Kaurna.
Dixon (2002) lists a Nantuwara language, but there is no data for it.
Proto-language
Reconstructed Thura-Yura vocabulary by Simpson and Hercus (2004):Simpson, Jane and Luise Hercus. 2004. Thura-Yura as a Subgroup. In Claire Bowern and Harold Koch (eds.), Australian Languages: Classification and the Comparative Method, 179-206, 580-645. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Spelling conventions alveolar tap: r alveolar trill: rr retroflex glide: ṟ retroflex tap: rd indeterminate rhotic: R
gloss Proto-Thura-Yura Proto-Core Thura-Yura Northern Thura-Yura Southern Thura-Yura all wapu; kurru all, many, big *marna ashes *muru thimpa ashes (charcoal) piirla bad *wadLV bad (without) *wakV-Na bark ?*yulti beard ngaNka yaNka beard, cheek, hair *maLTa belly warna munthu belly (abdomen) ?*TiDLi big ngarla bird THirta black maṟu blood ?*kaaṟu; *karti body: muscle, sinew *THiltya *thiltya bone *waLpu *waLpu warlpu breast *ngamV camp (house) *warDli camp (house, ?from “join”) *karrpa *karrpa camp (hut) karnku chest *kuntu child, baby wa(L)kuwa(L)ku child, small *kitya yakaCV; waNi child, voice of infant *kunga cloud *ma(L)ku cloud (low, fog) *putyi cold (cough) *kuLTV- cold, frost *pakaDla cold (in head) (y)urrkV- cold (weather) *paya-; *mVnyV *manya payala (Probably derived from “to bite”) come here! *paNi; *ka *kawayi dog *wiLka wiLka (domestic dog) kadli (domestic dog) down, below ?*warta- wartathi dry *muDLa murdla dry, dust *puthV-RV ear *yuṟi earth *yarta egg pipi muka elbow *thiDNngi K/NGuNaN- eye *mii-na eyebrow *piiku far (stranger) yampa fat *mVrnV *marni feather ?*paDLu fingernail *pirri fire *karDla fish *kuya fly *thapu fly (big fly) *thumpV-Ca *thupV(-Ra) food *mayi foot *THiDna *thidna good *wayV- hair, feather *puthi hand *maṟa head *kaka heart thurlku hungry karnpa knee ?*puṟV *mampa puṟa knee (kneecap) *maTa leaf karlpi liver *Tangka thangka; ngaLTi louse *kuDLu *kuDlu man (boy after circumcision) pardnaapa man (companion) *Nipu man (grown-up) *miṟu (grownup man) man (husband) marni man (initiand) ?*wilya-ṟu ?*ngulta man (male, husband) *yarDli man (person) ?*Tuṟa *thuṟa meat *paRu meat, flesh, heart *puLTHA *puLTHa *pultha moon *piṟa mouth *Taa mouth, lip Nimi name *mityi nape, neck ngurnti, nhurnti; wakarra neck *waLTu night *nguLTi maLTi night, yesterday *wiltya north wind, hot weather *pukarra north-east wind ngarnara karnaRa nose *muDlha *mudlha not, do not *madLa mardla; kuta now *kaRi now, again ?*nhaTa now, morning ?*panyi now, soon yatha old man *puLka one *kuma other, another, the rest *kutyu penis *waRi pigface, plant food type (?Carpobrotus rossii sp.) ?*kaCkaLa *karrkaLa red ?*TVLTV- *TaLTHa- thaltha- red ochre *miLTi; *karrku rib *TiNinyV rib, side, flank *pantyi road ?*Tapa *Tapa thapa root rotten, bad-smelling ?*puka *thungkV shit, faeces *kuDna *kudna shoulder piLpi- shoulder, wing *wiṟi sick, ill ?*ngaNDa-N sick, wound *mingka skin ?*paLpa piyi paLpa skin, clothes *palhtha sky *NayirrV iLkaRV sky, cloud and dust ?*wirra smoke *puyu smoke (stuff for producing smoke) ?*Tumpu snake ?*TuDNu wapma snake, carpet snake muDLV- south and south wind *parrpa southerly wind *walypi waitpi spear (large) *wiNTa wirnta spear (small) *kVya *kaya spit *THaDlhi *THadlhi ngapalya; ngalytya star *purDli stone, adze THurdla stone, cooking stone ?*kaDnya stone, hill, grinding stone, kneecap *puRi stone, limestone *parnta stone, quartz-like stone, ice *makV sun *THirntu *thirntu tail kaDLHa testicles *kaDLu *kadLu kardlu that (near) *pa- *pa- pa-nha that (remote) *ngu- ngunha thigh *kaNTHi *kaNTHi kanthi thigh, flank, groin ?*paLTi this (nearest) *iNHa throat *yurDni to bite *paya- to burn tr. *kampa- to burn intr. *ngaDLi- to climb ?*warnta- to come ?*puDNa- to cry, call *kaLTa- to cry, tears *muLka to cry, to scream *ngaTV- to cut ?*waNi- to die *paDLu- thinta-; padlu- to die, dead *kuDnyu kupa to dig *paNi-; ?*paka- pani- to drink, to kiss, to manipulate with mouth *THapa- *Tapa- thapa- to eat *ngaLku- to enter *ngaLpa- to fall *warDni- to get *manku- to get, pick up, lead, bring *kaNka- *kangka- to get, take away *mama- to give *yungkV- nhungku- to go ?*wiNV- nguka- to go, walk ?*padNV- to hear *yuri- See “ear”. to hit with hand *paLTa- to hit with missile *nguṟV- nguṟa- to hit, cause break in material integrity *pungku- to hit, kill *kuNTa- kurnta- to know, see *THiLka- *thiLka- to leave it *wVNTV- *waNTa- wanthV- to lie down *waNTi- wanti- to put, to get used to ila- to see *nhaku- to sit *Tika- thika- to sleep, asleep *miya to speak *wangka- to spear wiTi- to stand *yuwa- to throw *paTV- patha- to tie, support, build ?*karrpV- karrpV- tomorrow ?*TarrkV- tongue *THa(a)LiN tha(a)rli tha(d)lVnya tooth yira Tiya tree *wadLa; *wira wardla two *puLa puDla; kalypilV purla up, above ?*kaNka kanka up, above, high *karra urine, piss *kumpu warm (weather) *warlta water *kawi; *kapi west *wangka what (how many) *-miNV [-]minha what? *Na-, ?*Nawi when? *nhaDLa-TV where? ?*wa-THa *wa-(nha) white *paLkV *paLka paLka-ra who? (Ergative, Instrumental) *ngaNTu who? (Nominative) *ngaNa *ngaNa who? (Possessive) *ngaNku wind *wari woman *pa(a)rla ngangki woman, girl *mankarra woman, mother, female *ngamV-THV woman, wife *kartu yam, edible root, plant food type *ngampa yesterday *puki young one papa
References