Maric languages

Maran
EthnicityMurri peoples
Geographic
distribution
Coastal Queensland
Linguistic classificationPama–Nyungan
  • Maran
Glottologmari1445  (Maric)
grea1282  (Greater Maric)
Maric languages (green) among Pama–Nyungan (tan). The outlined solid area on the coast is Kingkel. The striped areas, which may be Maric, are Ngaro and Giya on the coast and Guwa and Yanda in the interior.

Maran or Maric is an extinct branch of the Pama–Nyungan family of Australian languages formerly spoken throughout much of Queensland by many of the Murri peoples.[1] The well attested Maric languages are clearly related; however, many languages of the area became extinct before much could be documented of them, and their classification is uncertain. The clear Maric languages are:

Dharumbal was added by Bowern (2011); it had been classified in the Kingkel branch of Waka–Kabic. It is not clear if the other Kingkel language, Bayali, is also Maric; Bayali and Darumbal are not close.

  1. ^ RMW Dixon (2002), Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development, p xxxiii