Umpithamu language
| Umbindhamu | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Australia |
| Region | Cape York Peninsula, Queensland |
| Ethnicity | Umpithamu, Lamalama, possibly Barungguan |
| Extinct | likely by 2003 |
Pama–Nyungan
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | umd |
| Glottolog | umbi1243 |
| AIATSIS[1] | Y50 |
| ELP | Umpithamu |
Umbindhamu (Umpithamu) is an extinct Australian aboriginal language of the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia. According to the Australian Indigenous Languages Database (AUSTLANG), there were two "full speakers" living in 2008.[1]
According to Verstraete (2008:219), Umpithamu is 'one of four languages associated with a group of people currently known as Lamalama', the others being Morrobalama, Mba Rumbathama and Rimanggudinhma.[1]
'Yintjinggu/Jintjingga' is a place name used for both Umbindhamu and the neighboring Ayabadhu language.
Classification
Though generally accepted as a branch of the Paman languages, Dixon believes it to be an isolate. According to Rigsby (1997), Umbindhamu shares some grammatical features with the other languages spoken by the Lamalama people (Lamalama, Rimanggudinhma, and Morrobalama), but it shares more lexicon with Ayapathu and Umpila.[1]