Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pama-nyungan

/ˌpamə-ˈnjʊŋən/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables
pa-ma-nyun-gan
IPA
/ˌpamə-ˈnjʊŋən/
19
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

name

A proposed language family encompassing most Australian Aboriginal languages, including Pitjantjatjara and Warlpiri, but excluding those spoken in the northwest.

Etymology

From pama (“man, person”) (in several northeast Australian Aboriginal languages) + nyungaa (“man, person”) (in several southwestern Australian Aboriginal languages) + -an. Apparently coined by American linguist Kenneth L. Hale (1934-2001), to show the vast geographical extent of the family.

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌpamə-ˈnjʊŋən/
  • British English: /ˌpʌməˈnjʊŋən/

Phrases

non-Pama-Nyungan Pama-Maric Pama-Nyunganist Proto-Pama-Nyungan

Questions

How do you pronounce pama-nyungan?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌpamə-ˈnjʊŋən/.
What does pama-nyungan mean?
A proposed language family encompassing most Australian Aboriginal languages, including Pitjantjatjara and Warlpiri, but excluding those spoken in the northwest.
Where does pama-nyungan come from?
From pama (“man, person”) (in several northeast Australian Aboriginal languages) + nyungaa (“man, person”) (in several southwestern Australian Aboriginal languages) + -an. Apparently coined by American linguist Kenneth L. Hale (1934-2001), to show the vast geographical extent of the family.

How to pronounce pama-nyungan

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pama-nyungan”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌpamə-ˈnjʊŋən/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “pama-nyungan”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “pama-nyungan” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.