Giimbiyu language

Giimbiyu
Mangerr
Native toAustralia
RegionNorthern Territory
Extinct1980s–1990s
Arnhem Land?
  • Giimbiyu
Dialects
  • Mangerr
  • Erri
  • Urningangga
Latin (Australian Aboriginal)
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
zme  Mangerr
urc  Urningangg
err  Erre
Glottologgiim1238
AIATSISN220
ELPUrningangga
Giimbiyu (purple), among other non-Pama-Nyungan languages (grey)

Giimbiyu is an extinct Aboriginal Australian language isolate once spoken by the Giimbiyu people of northern Australia.

The name Giimbiyu is a Gaagudju word for 'of the stoney country'. It was introduced in Harvey (1992) as a cover term for the named dialects,

  • Mangerr (Mengerrdji)
  • Urningangga (Wuningak)
  • Erri (Arri)

In 1997 Nicholas Evans proposed an Arnhem Land family that includes the Giimbiyu languages. However, they are not included in Bowern (2011).