Lardil language
| Lardil | |
|---|---|
| Leerdil | |
| Pronunciation | [leːɖɪl] |
| Native to | Australia |
| Region | Bentinck Island, north west Mornington Island, Queensland |
| Ethnicity | Lardil people |
Native speakers | 65 (2016 census) |
| Dialects |
|
| Marlda kangka | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | lbz |
| Glottolog | lard1243 |
| AIATSIS | G38 |
| ELP | Lardil |
Location of Wellesley Islands, the area traditionally associated with Lardil | |
Lardil is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
Lardil, also spelled Leerdil or Leertil, is a moribund language spoken by the Lardil people on Mornington Island (Kunhanha), in the Wellesley Islands of Queensland in northern Australia. Lardil is unusual among Aboriginal Australian languages in that it features a ceremonial register, called Damin (also Demiin). Damin is regarded by Lardil-speakers as a separate language and has the only phonological system outside Africa to use click consonants.