About

Mirniny is a Pama-Nyungan Australian Aboriginal language that is spoken on the western coast of South Australia. The seaside location of this language is very important to the culture of the people, since the whale is a very important symbol and totem-animal for the Mirniny people. The people consider the whale to be a part of their family, and there are cultural celebrations to honor the animal. The language is critically endangered, and it was recently believed to be extinct. However, one speaker was discovered, and it is possible, but unlikely, that there are more. There have been documentation and revitalization efforts, such as books and dictionaries in the language, but it is likely that the language will go extinct in the near future.

More/Stats

Also known as: Mirning 

Language Family: Pama-Nyungan

Written Alphabet: Latin

Category: Critically Endangered

Speakers: Fewer than 10