Kayardild language
| Kayardild | |
|---|---|
| Kaiadilt | |
| Region | South Wellesley Islands, north west Queensland, Australia |
| Ethnicity | Kaiadilt, Yanggal |
Native speakers | 43 (2021 census) |
Macro-Pama–Nyungan?
| |
| Dialects |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | Either:gyd – Kayardildnny – Yangkaal/Nyangga (two different languages) |
| Glottolog | kaya1318 |
| AIATSIS | G35 Kayardild, G37 Yangkaal |
| ELP | Kayardild |
| Yangkaal | |
Kayardild Traditional area | |
Kayardild is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
Kayardild is a moribund Tangkic language spoken by 43 of the Kaiadilt on the South Wellesley Islands, north west Queensland, Australia. Other members of the family include Yangkaal (spoken by the Yangkaal people), Lardil, and Yukulta (Ganggalidda).
Kayardild is a critically endangered language, considered near-extinct. In 1981, there were around fifty native speakers of Kayardild. The number of speakers of Kayardild significantly reduced since the 1940s as a result of the stolen generations. By 1981, there were fifty known native speakers. In the 2016 census, there were eight, and this number increased to 43 in 2021.