| Kune | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Australia |
| Region | Northern Territory |
| Ethnicity | Bininj |
Native speakers | 257 (2021 census) |
Arnhem
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | gune1238 |
| AIATSIS | N70 Kune |
Kune is a dialect of Bininj Kunwok, an Australian Aboriginal language. The Aboriginal people who speak Kune are the Bininj people, who live primarily in western Arnhem Land. Kune is spoken primarily in the south-east of the Bininj Kunwok speaking areas, particularly in the Cadell River district south of Maningrida. Grammatically Kune is closely related to other varieties of Bininj Kunwok, although it differs in vocabulary. According to the 2021 Australian Census, Kune was spoken by approximately 257 people.
Kune is spoken in western Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia primarily in the south-eastern part of the Bininj Kunwok dialect area. Its main stronghold is the Cadell River district, south of Maningrida including outstations such as Kolorbidahdah, Buluhkaduru and Bolkdjam.
Speakers of Kune are part of the Bininj people of western Arnhem Land. Many speakers move between outstations and the township of Maningrida, and the dialect continues to be used in everyday communication, often alongside English and Kriol.
| English | Personal | Possessive | Person |
|---|---|---|---|
| I, me | ngaye | ngardduk | First-person |
| I + you | ngarrku | ngarrku | First-person |
| We (two of us, but not you) | ngarrewoneng | ngarrewoneng | First-person |
| We (three of us, including you) | karrewoneng | karrewoneng | First-person |
| We (all of us, including you) | kadberre | kadberre | First-person |
| We (all of us, excluding you) | ngad | ngadberre | First-person |
| You | ngudda | ke | Second-person |
| You two | ngurrewoneng | ngurrewoneng | Second-person |
| You all | ngudberre | ngudberre | Second-person |
| He, him | nungka | nuye | Third person |
| She, her | ngaleng | ngarre / ngalengarre | Third person |
| They (2+) | berrewoneng | berrewoneng | Third person |
| They | bedda | bedberre | Third person |