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Ngarla language

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Aboriginal language of Western Australia

Ngarla
Native toPort Hedland area of Western Australia
EthnicityNgarla
ExtinctCritically endangered
Language familyPama–Nyungan
Language codes
ISO 639-3nrk
Glottologngar1296
AIATSISA79
ELPNgarla
Ngarla is classified as Extinct by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger
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Ngarla is a Pama–Nyungan language of coastal Western Australia. It is possibly mutually intelligible with Panyjima and Martuthunira, but the three are considered distinct languages.

Ngarla is a member of the Ngayarda branch of the Pama–Nyungan languages. Dench (1995) believed there was insufficient data to enable it to be confidently classified, but Bowern & Koch (2004) include it without proviso.

Ngarla is spoken near Port Hedland. The "Ngarla" on the Ashburton River is a dialect of a different, though possibly related, language, Yinhawangka.

According to the Irra Wangga Language Centre, "Ngarla is no longer spoken today, although there remain some community members who know some words and phrases in the language".

Phonology

Consonants

Labial Dorso-velar Lamino-palatal Apico-alveolar Retroflex
Nasal m ŋ ɲ n ɳ
Stop p k c t ʈ
Lateral ʎ l ɭ
Rhotic ɾ ɽ
Semivowel w j

Vowels

Front Back
High i iː u uː
Low a aː

The long vowels are rare.

Grammar

Tense markers

Ngarla tense markers for verbs:

Tense marker Tense
-n past
-ngkaya present
-kuRa future

Language revival

As of 2020, Ngarla is one of 20 languages prioritised as part of the Priority Languages Support Project, being undertaken by First Languages Australia and funded by the Department of Communications and the Arts. The project aims to "identify and document critically-endangered languages — those languages for which little or no documentation exists, where no recordings have previously been made, but where there are living speakers".

Research has been undertaken on the language at the Irra Wangga Language Centre, who have produced resources in Ngarla, including Ngarla Numbers and Jamie’s Bush Tucker Trip.

Notes

  1. Austlang: W40: Ngarla
  2. UNESCO Languages Atlas
  3. A79 Ngarla at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  4. Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger (Report) (3rd ed.). UNESCO. 2010. p. 56.
  5. ^ "Midwest Languages: Ngarla". Bundiyarra Aboriginal Community Aboriginal Corporation. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  6. Westerlund (2015)
  7. O’Grady, Voegelin & Voegelin 1966, p. 82 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFO’GradyVoegelinVoegelin1966 (help)
  8. "Priority Languages Support Project". First Languages Australia. Retrieved 13 January 2020.

References

External links

Ngayarda languages
Pama–Nyungan languages
Paman languages
North
Northeast
Wik
Lamalamic
Yalanjic
Southwest
Norman
Thaypan
Southern
Other
Eastern Pama–Nyungan
Dyirbalic
Maric
Waka–Kabic
Durubalic
Gumbaynggiric
Wiradhuric
Yuin–Kuric
Gippsland
Other
Southern Pama–Nyungan
Yotayotic
KulinicKolakngat
Kulin
Drual
Lower Murray
Thura-Yura
Mirniny
Nyungic
Western Pama–Nyungan
Kartu
Kanyara–Mantharta
Ngayarta
Marrngu
Northern Pama–Nyungan
Ngumpin–Yapa
Warumungu
Warluwaric
Kalkatungic
Mayi
Central Pama–Nyungan
Wati
Arandic
Karnic
Other
Other Pama–Nyungan
Yolŋu
Other
Macro-Pama–Nyungan?
Macro-Gunwinyguan
Maningrida
Mangarrayi-Marran
Gunwinyguan
Other
Tangkic
Garrwan
  • Italics indicate extinct languages.
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