Marrgu language

Marrgu
Region	Croker Island, Northern Territory, Australia
Extinct	1 speaker reported in 2000; 2 reported to partly understand it in 2008
Language family	Marrku–Wurrugu? Marrgu
Language codes
ISO 639-3
Glottolog	marg1251
AIATSIS	N45
Marrgu language (purple arrow), among other non-Pama–Nyungan languages (grey)
Closeup

Marrgu (Marrku) is a recently extinct Aboriginal language of Northern Australia. Additional names include Ajokoot, Croker Island, Raffles Bay, Terrutong (Terutong), Yaako (Jaako, Yako).

Marrgu had been assumed to be an Iwaidjan language like its neighbors. However, Evans (2006) has produced evidence that it was a language isolate, with possible connection to the extinct and poorly attested Wurrugu.

Marrgu had the three-vowel ( /a/, /i/, /u/) system typical of Iwaidjan languages (Evans 1998).