Wik languages
The Wik or Middle Paman languages are a family of genetically related Australian Aboriginal languages spoken on the Cape York peninsula, Queensland, Australia.
Most Wik dialects have names beginning with the prefix Wik-, and some can use either Wik- or Kugu-/Kuku-.
Classification
R. M. W. Dixon (2002) places the Wik languages as a subgroup within the north Cape York subgroup, along with the Northern Paman subgroup and Umpila, but regards further connections as unproven.
As is the case with many Australian languages, a traditional name exists only for each tribal dialect, and there is no name for languages in the linguistic sense. Additionally, linguists sometimes differ as to how the dialects should be grouped to form languages. Ethnologue regards each dialect as a distinct language.
See also
References
- Dixon, R. M. W. (2002). Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.