Marrgu language

Marrgu (Marrku) is an extinct^[3] Aboriginal language of northern Australia. Additional names include Ajokoot, Croker Island, Raffles Bay, Terrutong (Terutong), Yaako (Jaako, Yako).^[1]

Marrgu
Yaako
Native to	Australia
Region	Croker Island, Northern Territory
Ethnicity	Yaako
Extinct	2003[1]
Language family	Marrku–Wurrugu? Iwaidjan? Marrgu
Language codes
ISO 639-3	mhg
Glottolog	marg1251
AIATSIS[2]	N45
ELP	Marrgu
Marrgu language (purple arrow), among other non-Pama–Nyungan languages (grey)
Closeup

Classification

Marrgu had been assumed to be an Iwaidjan language like its neighbours. However, Evans (2006) has produced evidence that it was a language isolate, with possible connection to the extinct and poorly attested Wurrugu.^[2]

Phonology

Consonant inventory

Marrgu consonants^[4]

	Peripheral		Laminal		Apical
	Bilabial	Velar	Palatal	Dental	Alveolar	Retroflex
Plosive	p	k	c	t̪	t	ʈ
Nasal	m	ŋ	ɲ	n̪	n	ɳ
Approximant	w	ɣ	j			ɻ
Trill					r
Flap						ɽ
Lateral			(ʎ)		l	ɭ
Lateral flap					ɺ ⟨ld⟩	𝼈 ⟨rld⟩

Vowels

Marrgu has the three-vowel (/a/, /i/, /u/) system typical of Iwaidjan languages (Evans 1998).

	Front	Back
High	i	u
Low	a