Gaagudju (also spelt Gagadu, Gaguju, and Kakadu) is an extinct Australian Aboriginal language formerly spoken in the environs of Kakadu National Park, in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia.
Country and status Explorer Baldwin Spencer incorrectly ascribed the name "Kakadu tribe" to all of the people living in the Alligator Rivers area, but Gaagudju was confined to the plains South and East Alligator Rivers.
The language is classed as extinct, since its last fluent speaker, Big Bill Neidjie, died on 23 May 2002;
Classification Gaagudju has traditionally been classified with the Gunwinyguan languages. However, in 1997 Nicholas Evans proposed an Arnhem Land family that includes Gaagudju.
Phonology Vowels Front Back High Mid Low
Consonants Peripheral Laminal Apical Bilabial Velar Palatal Alveolar Retroflex Stop Nasal Lateral Rhotic Semivowel
Vocabulary Capell (1942) lists the following basic vocabulary items:Capell, Arthur. 1941-1942, 1942-1943. Languages of Arnhem Land, North Australia. Oceania 12: 364-392, 13: 24-51.
{| class="wikitable sortable" ! gloss !! Gagadu |- | man || |- | woman || |- | head || |- | eye || |- | nose || |- | mouth || |- | tongue || |- | stomach || |- | bone || |- | blood || |- | kangaroo || |- | opossum || |- | emu || |- | crow || |- | fly || |- | sun || |- | moon || |- | fire || |- | smoke || |- | water ||
References
External links
AusAnthrop Australian Aboriginal tribal database