Ngura is a disputed and possibly spurious ethnic and language designation of central Australia. The name 'Nura', short for Ngurawarla, means 'empty camp', referring to lands abandoned after a massacre. It is not a language or ethnic designation. Of the various language varieties that have gone by this name, all of which are extinct, Bowern (2001) classifies the

Wilson River language The Wilson River language, also known as "Modern" Wankumara (Wangkumara/ Wanggumara), is an Australian Aboriginal language of the Karnic family. It was spoken by several peoples along the Wilson River in Queensland. Of these, the Wanggumara ...

of the 'modern' Galali/Garlali and Wangkumara-plus-Bundhamara/Punthamara (also known as or closely related to Ngandangara/Yarumarra) peoples as an Eastern Karnic language, while the Bulloo River language of the 'old' Garlali and Wangkumara remains an unclassified Karna–Mari 'fringe' language. Bidjara or less ambiguously 'Bitharra' (not to be confused with the

Bidjara language Bidjara, also spelt Bidyara or Pitjara, is an Australian Aboriginal language. In 1980, it was spoken by twenty elders in Queensland between the towns of Tambo and Augathella, or the Warrego and Langlo Rivers. There are many dialects of the ...

of the Maric languages) may be another variety of Bulloo River, but there is not enough data to be sure. Bowern believes that

Badjiri The Badjiri people, also written Budjari or Badyidi, are an Australian Aboriginal people of just north of the Paroo River, close to the southern border of Queensland. They are not to be confused with the Pitjara/Bidjara people of the Warrego ...

was probably a

Maric language Maran or Maric is an extinct branch of the Pama–Nyungan family of Australian languages formerly spoken throughout much of Queensland by many of the Murri peoples. The well attested Maric languages are clearly related; however, many language ...

. Bowern (2001) said the data is too sketchy to be sure, but Bowern (2011) simply assigned it to Maric. There seems to be enough data to establish three "Ngura" languages, which do not form a coherent group: *The Bulloo River language (unclassified language of the Karna–Mari 'fringe'), including 'Old' Garlali and Wanggumara, plus possibly Bidjara (Bitharra) and Mingbari (Minkabari). *The

(East branch of the Karnic family), including 'modern' Garlali and Wanggumara, Punthamara (Bundhamara), Ngandangara, Yarumarra (Eromarra), Karenggapa and Gungadidji (Kungadutji). Mambangura / Dhiraila (Thereila) may also belong here. *The Badjiri language (Maric family?) In 2013 the old ISO code for 'Ngura', bx was split, with new codes established for these languages, namely for (old?) Garlali, Punthamara, (old and modern?) Wangkumara and Badjiri. A fifth code, kc(the 'Eastern Karnic' language, not to be confused with the 'Eastern Karnic' languages of Bowern, which are Wilson River), was assigned to those names that were too poorly attested to establish as actual language varieties. It was retired in 2020. Besides those names covered above, there is no data associated with the name 'Garandala' (Karendala), apart from a few words of 'Kunandaburi' that may be Kungadutji (Wilson River).

References

Karnic languages Extinct languages of Queensland Extinct languages of New South Wales {{ia-lang-stub