S68: KURNAI | AIATSIS Collection

AIATSIS code:

S68

AIATSIS reference name:

KURNAI

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Name

Thesaurus heading language	Kurnai language S68
Thesaurus heading people	Kurnai people S68
ABN name	Kurnai languages (Previously Ganai language)
ABS name	Kanai
Horton name	Kurnai
Ethnologue name	-
ISO 639-3 code	-
Tindale name	Kurnai
Tindale (1974)	Kurmai (typographical error), Guna
O'Grady et al (1966)
Glottocode	-
Other sources	Kurnai, Kunnai, Ganai, Cunni, Gooni, Gunna [Gardner 1996:6] Gunnai [VACL]
Synonyms	Kanai, Muk thang, Gaanay, Gunai, Kunnai, Brabralung, Braiakaulung, Bratauolung, Ganai, Krauatungalung, Tatungalung, Gunai group, Gurnai, Kurmai, Muk Thang, Kurnai, Cunni, Gooni, Gunna, Guna

Comment

Comments:

Gardener (1996:5) and Hercus (1969) describe Brataulung S39, Braiakaulung S41, Tatungalung S42, Krauatungalung S48 and Brabralung S45 as the names of groups whose language is Kurnai (S68); Clark describes them as dialects (2005).

Howitt (1996:73) gives distinct names for the dialects spoken by each of the clans of the Kurnai group: Muk-thang by the Brabralung S45, Thangquai by the Krauatungalung S48, and Nulit S91 by the Brayakaulung S41, Brataualung S39 and Tatungalung S42.

Walsh (1981) largely follows this analysis, differing in his use of Muk-thang as the cover term S68 (as does Wesson (2002:106-7)) as well as one of the dialects S45, and with the addition of Bidhawal S49 as a fourth dialect. Of Bidawal S49, Howitt (1996:79-81) comments that it is a mixture of Kurnai, Ngarigo S46 and 'Murring' (i.e. a Yuin language).

References:

Clark, Ian. 2005. Aboriginal language areas in Victoria - a reconstruction: a report to Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages. Melbourne: Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages.
Gardner, P. D. 1996. The language of the Kurnai tribes of Gippsland, with notes on grammar and pronunciation, by R. H. Mathews and Kurnai-English and English-Kurnai vocabularies.
Hercus, L.A. 1969. The languages of Victoria. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.
Howitt, Alfred William. 1904. The native tribes of south-east Australia. London: Macmillan.
Mathews, and Kurnai-English, English-Kurnai vocabulary, compiled by P. D. Gardner. Ensay, VIC: Ngarak Press.
Walsh, Michael. 1981. Maps of Australia and Tasmania. In Language atlas of the Pacific area Pt 1, eds S. A. Wurm and Shirô Hattori. Canberra: Australian Academy of the Humanities.
Wesson, Sue C. 2002. The Aborigines of eastern Victoria and far south-eastern New South Wales, 1830 to 1910: an historical geography, Monash University: PhD.

Status:

Confirmed

Location

State / Territory:

VIC

Location information:

... almost all of Gippsland from Inverloch to Cann River (Gardner 1996:5).

Maps:

Links

Search MURA people®

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Awaye! Word Up: "Comedy makes us all braver"

Programs

Activities:

The Yirruk-Tinnor Gunnai/Kurnai Language Program ran for about 10 years. (2007) A short documentary by Suzanne Taylor has been made about the school language lessons for Gunnai. It is being shown on ABC Open television. (2012)

People:

Luise Hercus, Alfred Howitt (Gippsland & East Gippsland Aboriginal Cooperative Ltd)

Indigenous organisations:

Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages

Speakers

Year	Source	Speaker numbers
1975	Oates	-
1984	Senate	-
1990	Schmidt	-
1996	Census	-
2001	Census	-
2004	NILS1	-
2005	Estimate	-
2006	Census	21
2011	Census	3
2014	NILS2
2016	Census	4
2018-2019	NILS3

Speaker numbers were measured differently across the censuses and various other sources listed in AUSTLANG. You are encouraged to refer to the sources.

Speaker numbers for ‘NILS 2004’ and ‘2005 estimate’ come from 'Table F.3: Numbers of speakers of Australian Indigenous languages (various surveys)' in 'Appendix F NILS endangerment and absolute number results' in McConvell, Marmion and McNicol 2005, pages 198-230 (PDF, 2.5MB).

Documentation

Type	Documentation Status	Documentation Score
Word list	Less than 20 pages	1
Text Collection	None	0
Grammar	A few articles	1
Audio-visual	1-10	2

Manuscript note:

tape transcription/field note available

Grammar:

Dictionary:

Classification

Source	Family	Group	Name	Relationship
Ethnologue (2005)
Dixon (2002)			Muk-thang (Gaanay, Kurnai, Kunnai)	Muk-thang (Gaanay, Kurnai, Kunnai) further dialects: Nulit, Thangquai, Bidhawal
Wurm (1994)	Pama-Nyungan	Ganay	Muk-Thang
Walsh (1981)	Pama-Nyungan	Ganay	Muk-Thang	Muk-Thang [dialects: Muk-Thang (Brabiralung), Thangguai, Bidhawal, Nulit (spoken by the Braiakaulung, Bratauolung, Tatungalung tribes)]
Oates (1975)	Unclassified		Gurnai
Wurm (1972)
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966)