Waanyi language

Not to be confused with Wanzi language or Vwanji language.

Waanyi, also spelt Wanyi, Wanji or Waanji, is an endangered Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Waanyi people of the lower gulf area of Northern Queensland, Australia. Although earlier thought to be extinct, as of the 2016 Australian census there were 16 speakers of the language. This was down from the recorded peak of 40 in the 2011 Australian census.^[2]

Wanyi
Waanji
Native to	Australia
Region	Northern Territory, Queensland
Ethnicity	Waanyi
Native speakers	16 (2016)[1]
Language family	Garrwan Wanyi
Language codes
ISO 639-3	wny
Glottolog	wany1247
AIATSIS[1]	G23
ELP	Waanyi

The language region includes the western parts of Lawn Hill Creek and Nicholson River, from about the boundary between the Northern Territory and Queensland, westwards towards Alexandria station, Doomadgee, and Nicholson River. It includes the local government area of the Aboriginal Shire of Doomadgee.^[3]

Words and phrases from this language are used by novelist Alexis Wright in her 2013 novel, The Swan Book.^{[citation needed]}

Phonology

Consonants

Consonants^[4]

	Peripheral		Coronal
	Labial	Velar	Apical	Palatal
Plosive	b	k	d	ɟ
Nasal	m	ŋ	n	ɲ
Lateral			l	ʎ
Tap			ɾ
Glide	w		ɻ	j

Vowels

Vowels^[4]

	Front	Central	Back
High	i iː		u uː
Low		a aː

Phonemic long vowels are rare.^[4]