Gugu Thaypan language

Kuku-Thaypan is an extinct Paman language spoken on the southwestern part of the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland in Australia, by the Kuku-Thaypan people. The language was sometimes called Alaya or Awu Alaya. Koko-Rarmul may have been a dialect, though Bowern (2012) lists Gugu-Rarmul and Kuku-Thaypan as separate languages. The last native speaker, Tommy George, died on 29 July 2016 in Cooktown Hospital.

Vowels
Kuku-Thaypan has six vowels and two marginal vowels possibly only in loan words.


 * Sounds /æ/ and /ɔ/ are only marginal, as phonemes.
 * /e/ is heard as when after palatals and /j/.

Consonants
Kuku-Thaypan has 23 consonants.


 * /r/ may be heard as a voiceless trill when in initial position.
 * /r/ may freely be heard as a tap or trill.