Wik-Ngathan language

Wik-Ngathan, or Wik-Iinjtjenj (Wik-Iinychanya), is a Paman language spoken on the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland, Australia, by the Wik-Ngathan people. It is closely related to the other Wik-Ngathan language, Wik-Ngatharr and more distantly to the other Wik languages. In 1981 there were 130 speakers.^[3]

Wik-Ngathan
Wik-Iinjtjenj
Native to	Australia
Region	Cape York Peninsula, Queensland
Ethnicity	Wiknatanja, Wik-Kalkan
Native speakers	3 (2016 census)[1]
Language family	Pama–Nyungan Paman North Cape York Wik Wik-Ngathan
Dialects	Wik-Ngathan Wik-Ngatharr (Wik-Alken)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Either: wig – Wik Ngathan wik – Wikalkan
Glottolog	wikn1245  Wik-Ngathana
AIATSIS[2]	Y54 Wik Ngathan, Y51 Wik Ngatharr
ELP	Wik-Ngathana
Wik-Ngathan is classified as Definitely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger
Coordinates: 13°52′S 141°31′E

A dictionary of Wik-Ngathan has been compiled by Peter Sutton.^[4]

Phonology

Consonants

	Peripheral		Laminal		Apical	Glottal
	Labial	Velar	Dental	Palatal	Alveolar
Plosive	p	k	t̪	c	t	ʔ
Nasal	m	ŋ	n̪	ɲ	n
Lateral					l
Tap/Trill					ɾ ~ r
Approximant	w			j	ɹ

• Sounds /m, n̪, n, ŋ, l/ are heard as syllabic [m̩, n̩, n̪̩, ŋ̍, l̩] when following consonants. A schwa [ə] may also be heard between as well, and may be heard as [ʊ] within the context of bilabials and as [ɪ] within the context of palatal consonants.
• /j/ can also be heard as [ɟ] when under extreme emphasis.
• Nasals may also be pre-stopped when under extreme emphasis.
• /l, n/ may be heard as pre-ploded-syllabic [ᵈl̩, ᵈn̩], when following consonants.

Vowels

	Front		Central	Back
High	i iː	y yː		u uː
Mid	e eː			o oː
Low			a aː

• The high-fronted vowel sounds /y, yː/, may vary in position to [œ, œː].^[5]