Amurdak

{{main|Amurdak language}}

The language of the Amarak, Amurdak, is now virtually extinct, the last known speaker being Charlie Mungulda.{{sfn|Schmid|2007}} It was also known as Wardadjbak, and belongs to the Iwaidja language family. It had two dialects, Urrik and Didjurra.{{sfn|Dixon|2002|p=xlii}}

The Amurdak's traditional lands extended over some {{convert|900|mi2|km2}} around the eastern coast of Van Diemen Gulf. Their northern extend lay beyond Murgenella Creek and in the vicinity of Cooper Creek, while their southern frontier was close to the East Alligator River.{{sfn|Tindale|1974|p=220}}

{{further|Aboriginal Australian mythology}}

According to the widespread creation story of the Cobourg Peninsula dreamtime, the Amurdak (Umoriu) descended from Imberombera deposited who children at a place near Cooper Creek known as Mamul. One of the children was called Kominuuru, and, on leaving, she told them to speak Amurdak, and an edible bulb called {{Transliteration|amg|murarowa}}.{{sfn|Spencer|1914|p=277}}

• Amarag, Amuruk, Amurag, Amurrak
• Ngamurak, Ngamurag, Nga:mu:rak
• Umoriu
• Monobar (?){{sfn|Tindale|1974|p=220}}
• A'moordiyu
• Amardak
• Amurdag
• Amurtak
• Amuruk
• Mamurug
• Namurug
• Umoreo
• Umorrdak
• Wardadjbak
• Woraidbug
• Wureidbug{{sfn|Amurdak|2018}}

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist|20em}}

{{refbegin|30em}}

• {{Cite book| title = Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development

| last = Dixon | first = Robert M. W.

| author-link = Robert M. W. Dixon

| year = 2002

| volume = 1

| publisher = Cambridge University Press

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=MSqIBNJtG0AC&pg=PR42

| isbn = 978-0-521-47378-1

}}

• {{Cite news| title = Researchers Say Many Languages Are Dying

| last = Schmid | first = Randolph E.

| newspaper = The Washington Post

| agency = Associated Press

| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/18/AR2007091801109_pf.html

| date = 18 September 2007

}}

• {{Cite book| chapter = Amurdak

| year = 2018

| title = Ethnologue: Languages of the World

| edition = 21st

| editor1-last = Simons | editor1-first = Gary F.

| editor2-last = Fennig | editor2-first = Charles D.

| publisher = Ethnologue

| url = https://www.ethnologue.com/language/amg

| ref = {{harvid|Amurdak|2018}}

}}

• {{Cite book| title = Native tribes of the Northern Territory of Australia

| last = Spencer | first = Baldwin

| author-link = Walter Baldwin Spencer

| year = 1914

| publisher = Macmillan Publishers | location = London

| url = https://archive.org/download/cu31924028623076/cu31924028623076.pdf

}}

• {{Cite book| chapter = Amarak (NT)

| last = Tindale | first = Norman Barnett

| author-link = Norman Tindale

| year = 1974

| title = Aboriginal Tribes of Australia: Their Terrain, Environmental Controls, Distribution, Limits, and Proper Names

| publisher = Australian National University

| chapter-url = http://archives.samuseum.sa.gov.au/tindaletribes/amarak.htm

| archive-date = 20 March 2020

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200320020206/http://archives.samuseum.sa.gov.au/tindaletribes/amarak.htm

| isbn = 978-0-708-10741-6

}}

{{refend}}

{{Aboriginal peoples of the Northern Territory}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Aboriginal peoples of the Northern Territory