Yirrk-Thangalkl (Yir Thangedl) is a dialect of

Yir-Yoront The Yir-Yoront, also known as the Yir Yiront, are an Indigenous Australian people of the Cape York Peninsula now living mostly in Kowanyama (''kawn yamar'' or 'many waters') but also in Lirrqar/Pormpuraaw, both towns outside their traditional ...

, a Paman language spoken on the southwestern part of the

Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

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 ...

, by the Yirrk-Thangalkl people. The language is also known as ''Yirr-Thangell'' and ''Yirrk-Mel''. During the early 1900s (decade), Yirrk-Thangalkl speakers started shifting to the Yir-Yoront dialect with the arrival of the Mitchell River Mission.

Phonology

Consonants

Yirrk-Thangalkl has 16

consonant In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. Examples are and pronounced with the lips; and pronounced with the front of the tongue; and pronounced wit ...

s. The inventory is the same as that of

, except that Yirrk-Thangalkl lacks the

retroflex A retroflex ( /ˈɹɛtʃɹoːflɛks/), apico-domal ( /əpɪkoːˈdɔmɪnəl/), or cacuminal () consonant is a coronal consonant where the tongue has a flat, concave, or even curled shape, and is articulated between the alveolar ridge and the ha ...

and glottal consonants and .

References

Southwestern Paman languages Extinct languages of Queensland {{ia-lang-stub