Guwar language

Gowar
Gowar
Ngugi
Native to	Australia
Region	Queensland
Ethnicity	Ngugi Quandamooka
Era	attested 1886
Language family	Pama–Nyungan Durubalic?; Bandjalangic? Guwar–Pimpama ? Gowar; ; ;
Language codes
ISO 639-3	None (mis)
Glottolog	guwa1244
AIATSIS	E26

Gowar is an extinct indigenous language of Australia. The language was spoken on Moreton Island off the coast of modern-day Brisbane.

Name

Other spellings and names for Guwar are Goowar, Gooar, Guar, Gowr-burra; other names Ngugi (Mugee, Wogee, Gnoogee), Chunchiburri, Booroo-geen-merrie. The name of the language comes from the word for 'no', gooar or goowar.^{: 228–230}

Revival

Guwar is currently undergoing revival by the Ngugi people. Various language guides and dictionaries of Guwar have been produced.

Classification

Conventionally, Guwar is classified as a Durubalic language. However, Tony Jeffries argues that Guwar (along with the Pimpama language) belongs to the Bandjalangic languages, having been influenced greatly by Turrbal. However, the classification of Guwar as Durubalic is more widely accepted.

Phonology

Vowels

Guwar has a three-vowel system, with both short and long vowels.

Guwar vowels
	Front		Central		Back
	short	long	short	long	short	long
High	i	iː			u	uː
Low			a	aː

Consonants

Guwar consonants
	Labial	Velar	Palatal	Apical
Plosive	p	k	c	t
Nasal	m	ŋ	ɲ	n
Rhotic				r ɹ
Lateral				l
Approximant	w		j

References

1 2 E26 Gowar at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
1 2 3 Jefferies, Anthony (1 September 2011). Guwar, the language of Moreton Island, and its relationship to the Bandjalang and Yagara subgroups: a case for phylogenetic migratory expansion? (MPhil Thesis thesis). The University of Queensland. doi:10.14264/276920.
1 2 3 4
↑ Curr, Edward Micklethwaite (1886). The Australian race : its origin, languages, customs, place of landing in Australia and the routes by which it spread itself over the continent. Cornell University Library. Melbourne : J. Ferres.
↑ National, Brought to you byABC Radio (10 August 2019). "Word Up: Dr Glenda Harward-Nalder". ABC listen. Retrieved 1 November 2026.
1 2 3 Moran, Steven; McCloy, Daniel, eds. (2019), "Guwar sound inventory", Phoible, Anthony Jefferies, retrieved 1 November 2026

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[AIATSIS-1] 1 2 E26 Gowar at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies

[Jefferies2011-1-2] 1 2 3 Jefferies, Anthony (1 September 2011). Guwar, the language of Moreton Island, and its relationship to the Bandjalang and Yagara subgroups: a case for phylogenetic migratory expansion? (MPhil Thesis thesis). The University of Queensland. doi:10.14264/276920.

[aiatsis-3] 1 2 3 4

[4] Curr, Edward Micklethwaite (1886). The Australian race : its origin, languages, customs, place of landing in Australia and the routes by which it spread itself over the continent. Cornell University Library. Melbourne : J. Ferres.

[5] National, Brought to you byABC Radio (10 August 2019). "Word Up: Dr Glenda Harward-Nalder". ABC listen. Retrieved 1 November 2026.

[MoranMcCloy2019-1-6] 1 2 3 Moran, Steven; McCloy, Daniel, eds. (2019), "Guwar sound inventory", Phoible, Anthony Jefferies, retrieved 1 November 2026