The Wik languages are a subdivision of the
Paman languages consisting of sixteen
languages, all spoken on the
Cape York Peninsula of
Queensland,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. This grouping was first proposed by
R. M. W. Dixon.
Each of the Kugu-Muminh dialects may have the
prefix
A prefix is an affix which is placed before the Word stem, stem of a word. Adding it to the beginning of one word changes it into another word. For example, when the prefix ''un-'' is added to the word ''happy'', it creates the word ''unhappy'' ...
''Wik-'' instead of ''Kugu-''.
Wik Paach is not a Wik language despite its name.
The languages are as follows; often various dialects are considered separate languages:
*
Wik-Ngathan (incl.
Wik-Ngatharr dialect)
*
Wik-Me'nh
*
Wik-Mungkan
*
Wik-Ompoma (Ambama) †
*
Kugu Nganhcara (incl.
Gugu Uwanh dialect) †
*
Ayabadhu †
*
Pakanha †
The
Flinders Island language and
Barrow Point language were apparently Wik.
See also
*
Wik peoples
*
Wik Peoples v Queensland
References
North Cape York Paman languages
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