The Dhurga language, also written Thurga, is an
Australian Aboriginal language
The Indigenous languages of Australia number in the hundreds, the precise number being quite uncertain, although there is a range of estimates from a minimum of around 250 (using the technical definition of 'language' as non-mutually intellig ...
of
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
. It is a language of the
Yuin people, specifically the
Wandandian and
Walbunja groups, but there have been no fluent speakers officially recorded for decades, so it has been
functionally extinct
Functional extinction is the extinction of a species or other taxon such that:
#It disappears from the fossil record, or historic reports of its existence cease;
#The reduced population no longer plays a significant role in ecosystem function;
#T ...
for some time. Efforts have been made to revive the language since the 2010s.
Status and revival
No speakers of the language have been officially recorded since before 1975.
[
In 2015 local Yuin people collaborated with the Tathra Public School in Tathra to create a new app as a teaching aid for both Dhurga and the Thaua language, using old ]audio recording
Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical, mechanical, electronic, or digital inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording t ...
s of elders as well as documentation created by early explorers and settlers in the region. One of the major contributors to the project, Graham Moore, has also written an Aboriginal language book.
Staff of Vincentia High School, led by Gary Worthy, have carried out research into Aboriginal languages and run community workshops since 2004, and a dedicated languages team teaches the Dhurga language.
Bermagui Public School, a primary school in Bermagui, has taught local Aboriginal languages including Dhurga and the Djiringanj language, along with the associated cultures, since 2019.
Geographical distribution
It was spoken in the Nowra
Nowra () is a city in the South Coast, New South Wales, South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located south-southwest of the state capital of Sydney (about as the crow flies). As of the 2021 census, Nowra has an estimated po ...
-Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay () is a oceanic bay and village in the Jervis Bay Territory and on the South Coast (New South Wales), South Coast of New South Wales, Australia.
A area of land around the southern headland of the bay, known as the Jervis Bay Terri ...
area southwards to Narooma
Narooma () is a town in the Australian state of New South Wales on the far south coast. The town is on the Princes Highway, which crosses the Wagonga Inlet to North Narooma. The heritage town of Tilba, New South Wales, Central Tilba is nearby t ...
, and possibly as far south as Wallaga Lake. Dharumba and Walbanga/Walbjunja may have been dialects.
Phonology
The language is tonal.
References
Tharawal languages
Extinct languages of New South Wales
Critically endangered languages
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