Mithaka language

Mithaka (also Midhaga, Mitaka) is an extinct Australian Aboriginal language in the Barcoo Shire of Western Queensland spoken by the Mitaka people.^[2][3]

Mithaka
Native to	Queensland
Ethnicity	Mitaka
Extinct	(date missing)
Language family	Pama–Nyungan Karnic Karna Mithaka
Dialects	Midhaga ? Karruwali (Garuwali) ? Marrulha (Marrula, Marulta)[1]: xxxvii
Language codes
ISO 639-3	rxw (Karuwali)
Glottolog	mith1235
AIATSIS[2]	L34 Mithaka, L35 Karuwali, L33 Marulta
ELP	Mithaka

Classification and dialects

Karruwali (Garuwali) and Marulta (Marrulha, Marrula) are counted as dialects per Dixon (2002).^[1]

Breen thinks Mithaka, Marula, and Marunuda may be the same language but does not know if they are alternative names or distinct dialects of the same language.^[4]

However, Bowern (2001) states that there is not enough evidence to classify them, or even to establish that they are Karnic languages.^[5]

References

1. Dixon, R. M. W. (2002). Australian Languages: their nature and development. Cambridge University Press.
2. L34 Mithaka at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies  (see the info box for additional links)
3. This Wikipedia article incorporates text from Mithaka published by the State Library of Queensland under CC BY licence, accessed on 25 May 2022.
4. Breen, Gavan (2007). "Reassessing Karnic". Australian Journal of Linguistics. 27 (2). Taylor & Francis: 175–199. doi:10.1080/07268600701522780. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
5. Bowern, Claire (2001). "Karnic classification revisited". In J. Simpson; et al. (eds.). Forty years on. Canberra Pacific Linguistics. pp. 245–260. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021.

External links

• Bibliography of Garuwali people and language resources, at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies