Gkuthaarn language

Gkuthaarn, also rendered Kuthant, Kutanda and other variant spellings, is an extinct Paman language of the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia. It also known as Karundi/Garandi (and variant spellings), but the Garandi language may be a separate dialect.

Norman Tindale also assigned the name Kareldi, but this is not confirmed by others. Current sources refer to the Gkuthaarn people.

Alternative names

Tindale:

Kotanda, also spelt Kutanda, Goothanto
Karundi, also spelt Karunti, Kurandi, Ka-rantee, Karrandi, Karrandee, Gar-und-yih, thought to be derived from Karun-/Gooran, meaning scrublands people.

However, according to Lauriston Sharp, Kotanda was also used for the now extinct Kalibamu, and Karandi/Garandi (AUSTLANG G32) was a different local group, and AIATSIS agrees.

Other variants

Other variant spellings included in AUSTLANG are:

Karaldi
Gudanda
Gudhanda
Gudhand
Guandhar

Phonology

Consonants

is attested only in the sequence and in Kukatj loans.

Vowels

Kuthant has two diphthongs: and .

Some words

According to W.E. Armit, inspector of Native Police, these were some words of the "Karrandee tribe":

(tame dog)
(father)
(mother)
(white man)