E26: Guwar

AIATSIS code: 
E26
AIATSIS reference name: 
Guwar

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Name
Thesaurus heading language
Guwar language E26
Thesaurus heading people
Ngugi people E26
ABN name
-
ABS name
-
Horton name
Yuggera (Gowar)
Ethnologue name
-
ISO 639-3 code
-
Tindale name
Ngugi
Tindale (1974)
Mugee, Wogee, Gnoogee, Guar (language name ['guar] = ['gowar] = no), Gowar, Goowar, Gooar, Gowr-burra, Chunchiburri, Booroo-geen-merrie.
O'Grady et al (1966)
Ngugi
Glottocode
-
Other sources
-
Synonyms
Yuggera, Gowar, Jagara, Koenpul, Ngugi, Nunukul, Turrubul, Yagara, Booroo geen merrie, Chunchiburri, Coowar, Gnoogee, Gooar, Goowar, Gowr burra, Guar, Mugee, Nooghi, Wodji, Wogee, Quandamooka
Comment
Comments: 

Guwar is the language spoken by the Ngugi (E26) people of Moreton Island. It was previously understood to be an isolate; in 1888 Watkin compared it to the Yagara dialects of North Stradbroke Island and the Moreton Bay coastline, describing Gowar (E26) as 'very distinct'. Jefferies says that Guwar is a language of the Bandjalang E12 sub-group which has been heavily influenced by Yagara, due to the demographic relationships between the Ngugi and their Yagara speaking neighbours, the Guwanpul E19 and the Nunukul E21. The approximate percentages of Guwar lexicon that can be linked to Bundjalung and Yagara are 45% and 25% respectively (Jefferies, p.c. August 2020).

References: 

 

  • Bannister, DD. 1982 ‘The Aboriginal Language of Moreton Island’ John Oxley Library, Brisbane, Qld.

  • Capell, Arthur. 1963. Linguistic survey of Australia. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.

  • Jeffries, Tony. 2011. Guwar, the language of Moreton Island, and its relationship to the Bandjalang and Yagara subgroups : a case for phylogenetic migratory expansion?, Masters thesis, University of Queensland. MS 5077.
  • Tindale, Norman B. 1974. Aboriginal tribes of Australia: their terrain, environmental controls, distribution, limits, and proper names. Berkeley: University of California Press/Canberra: Australian National University Press.

  • Watkin, G. and Hamilton, JE. 1886. 'Stradbroke and Moreton Islands: Goenpul, Wogee and Noonukul tribes'. No. 170 In Curr, E.M., 1887 The Australian Race Vol.3:222-230 Melbourne: Government Printer

  • Welsby, Thomas, 1917. Recollections of the natives of Moreton Bay : together with some of their names and customs of living. Historical Society of Queensland, 1(3) pp 110-129. p WEL.
Status: 
Potential data
Location
State / Territory: 
QLD
Location information: 

Moreton Island (Tindale 1974, Oates 1975.)

Maps: 
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Links

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PDF icon Oates_E26.pdf
Tindale 1974
Programs
Activities: 
-
People: 
-
Indigenous organisations: 
-
Speakers
Year Source Speaker numbers
1975Oates-
1984Senate-
1990Schmidt-
1996Census-
2001Census-
2004NILS1-
2005Estimate-
2006Census-
2011Census-
2014NILS2
2016Census-
2018-2019NILS3

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   1 (unclear status)
Text Collection None 0
Grammar None 0
Audio-visual None 0
Manuscript note: 
tape transcription/field note available
Grammar: 
-
Dictionary: 
-
Classification
Source Family Group Sub-group Name Relationship
Ethnologue (2005)          
Dixon (2002)   CENTRAL EAST COAST GROUP   Guwar Guwar
Wurm (1994) Pama-Nyungan Durubulic   Gowar  
Walsh (1981) Pama-Nyungan Durubulic   Gowar  
Oates (1975) Pama-Nyungan Durubulic   Gowar  
Wurm (1972) Pama-Nyungan Durubulic   Gowar (Ngugi)  
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966) Pama-Nyungan Durubulic   Gowar