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Nakkara language

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Nakkara
RegionNorthern Territory
EthnicityNagara people
Native speakers
55 (2021 census)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3nck
Glottolognaka1260
AIATSIS[2]N80
ELPNakara

Nakkara (Na-kara) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Nagara people of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia.

It is also spelled Nakara or Nagara and also called Kokori.

Phonology

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Consonants

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Consonant chart[3]
Bilabial Apical Laminal Dorsal
Alveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar
Stop b d ɖ ɟ g
Nasal m n ɳ ɲ ŋ
Lateral l ɭ
Rhotic r/ɾ ɽ
Semivowel w j

Stops have both voiced and voiceless allophones, depending on their position in the word. Furthermore, a stop length variation is present, which is only contrastive in morpheme-medial positions. This can be interpreted as either gemination, or as evidence for the existence of two separate stop series, with a suprasegmental hypothesis being mostly ruled out.

The tapped and trilled allophones of /r/ are in free variation.[3]

Vowels

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Vowel chart[3]
Front Central Back
Close i u
Mid e o
Open a

References

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  1. ^ "SBS Australian Census Explorer". Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  2. ^ N80 Nakkara at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  3. ^ a b c Eather, Bronwyn (1990). A grammar of Nakkara (Central Arnhem Land Coast) (PhD thesis). Australian National University. doi:10.25911/5D723D207FDA3. hdl:1885/132899.