Thiin language
| Thiin | |
|---|---|
| Thiinma | |
| Native to | Australia |
| Region | Western Australia |
| Ethnicity | Tenma people |
Native speakers | 1 (2026)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | iin |
| Glottolog | thii1234 |
| AIATSIS[2] | W25 |
| ELP | Thiinma |
Thiin (Thiinma) is a nearly extinct Australian Aboriginal language of the Mantharta group, spoken in Western Australia. As of 2026[update], only one person, Peter Salmon, can speak it.[3][4]
Phonology
[edit]Consonants
[edit]| Peripheral | Laminal | Apical | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labial | Velar | Dental | Palatal | Alveolar | Retroflex | |
| Plosive | p | k | t̪ | c | t | ʈ |
| Nasal | m | ŋ | n̪ | ɲ | n | ɳ |
| Rhotic | ɾ | |||||
| Lateral | l̪ | ʎ | l | ɭ | ||
| Approximant | w | j | ɻ | |||
- Stops may also be voiced as [b, ɡ, d̪, ɟ, d, ɖ] in medial position.
Vowels
[edit]| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| Close | i, iː | u, uː |
| Open | a, aː | |
References
[edit]- ↑ Kriss, Sam (2025-10-29). "There is little sadder than the death of a language". The Spectator Australia. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
- ↑ W25 Thiin at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
- ↑ "Peter Salmon is the only known speaker of his language — he wants to change that before it's too late". ABC News. 2021-01-15. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
- ↑ "'I had no-one to talk to': The 92yo trying to save his dying language". ABC News. 2026-04-19. Retrieved 2026-06-02.
- ↑ Austin, Peter K. (2015). A Reference Grammar of the Mantharta Languages, Western Australia.
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