part 1 by peter drew college of australian aboriginal languages the australian aboriginal language...

The Australian Aboriginal Language Family

Part 1Part 1

By Peter DrewBy Peter DrewCollege of Australian Aboriginal Languages College of Australian Aboriginal Languages

www.coaal.com.au

Copyright @ 2012 "College of Australian Aboriginal Languages" By Peter Drew - www.coaal.com.au 1

What is a language family and how many language families are there?


A language family is a group of languages that have descended

from a common parent language.


There Are 29 Language There Are 29 Language Families In The WorldFamilies In The World..

Examples of language families are: Indo-European,

Papuan, Malayo-Polynesian ,Niger-Congo, Semitic, Australian Aboriginal.


We will briefly look at the Indo-European language family to help us see the extent of a language

family.


The Indo-European Family has The Indo-European Family has these branchesthese branches

Albanian, Iranian, Baltic, Slavic, Indic, Celtic, Greek, Armenian,

Germanic, Italic


The Germanic and the Italic The Germanic and the Italic branches have these groups and branches have these groups and

languageslanguages

German, Dutch, English, Frisian, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic.

Italian, French, Provencal, Spanish,

Rhaeto-Roman, Catalian, Portugese


The Italian group for example contains 30 dialects and languages.

The English language contains an unknown number of dialects.

For a partial list see:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dialects_of_the_English_language http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dialects_of_the_English_language


We use the term “Family” to describe all Australian Aboriginal languages rather than language

groups or branches.


Australian Aboriginal Language Family

Pama Nyungan/Non- Pama Nyungan Division

Branches

Language Groups

LanguagesCopyright @ 2012 "College of Australian Aboriginal Languages" By Peter Drew - www.coaal.com.au

10

The Following Slide Shows The The Following Slide Shows The Papuan, Australian Aboriginal,

and Part of The Malayo-PolynesianLanguage Families.


Malayo-Polynesian (Olive) Papuan (White) Australian Aboriginal (Orange)

Copyright @ 2012 "College of Australian Aboriginal Languages" By Peter Drew - www.coaal.com.au

12

How many Language Families are there and what is a language

family?

There are 29 language families in the world.

A language family is a group of languages that have descended

from a common parent language. Copyright @ 2012 "College of Australian Aboriginal Languages" By Peter Drew - www.coaal.com.au 13

How many languages are there in the world?

When Europeans arrived in Australia how many languages

were there?

How many languages are likely to be in every day use in 50 years?


There Are Nearly 7,000There Are Nearly 7,000 Languages In The World Languages In The World


How do we distinguish How do we distinguish between a language and a between a language and a

dialect?dialect?

Once there is at least a 30% difference between two speech varieties, these are considered

separate languages and not dialects.


The two Aboriginal languagesPitjantjatjara and Ngaanyatjara

are 70% the same. That is there is a 30% difference

between them, therefore they are different languages.


Two common ways of naming languages (and branches and

groups) are: use the languages’ word for man/person, or to

describe a distinguishing feature by saying, language having X.


Using the languages’ word for Man/person; Wati, Yolngu, Pama, Tiwi : The South West

Wati Branch. The Yolngu, Pama(n) and Nyungar groups.

The Tiwi language, Tiwi (plural of Tini) = Men/People


Language having XLanguage having X

Pitjantja-tjara literally “having pitja.”This distinguishes it from its neighbour Yankuntjatjara.

Wira-djuri is the language “having wira” wira = no, while Gamil-araay is the language “having gamil” for no.


When Europeans arrived in Australia there were approximately

250 languages with 500-600 dialects in the Australian Aboriginal

Language Family

Go to the link: http://foundingdocs.gov.au/pathways.html


At the time of the 2006 Census 147 Aboriginal languages were still

spoken.

However only 60 are in everyday use as a first language.


It is impossible to be certain but less than 20 languages are likely to

be in everyday use as a first language in another 50 years.


How many language are there in the world? Approximately 7,000.

When Europeans arrived in Australia approximately how many

languages were there? 250.

How many languages are likely to be in every day use in 50 years?

Less than 20.Copyright @ 2012 "College of Australian Aboriginal Languages" By Peter Drew - www.coaal.com.au

24

Most Australians are unaware that Aboriginal Languages are still

spoken as first languages, explain why?


2006 CENSUS: one in eight Aboriginal people (55, 695) people said that an “Indigenous language

was their primary household language,” but over 60% of these

are in the NT.


As we are aware many languages are no longer spoken. With some the only thing left behind is a name for the language. Nothing else is known.

27Copyright @ 2012 "College of Australian Aboriginal Languages" By Peter Drew www.coaal.com.au

The languages of the populated areas

of Vic, NSW, SA, Qld and WA are not spoken as first languages. However

what remains of many of these languages are being collected

and revived.


Contrary to popular belief there are Tasmanian Aboriginal people,

however not much of their traditional languages remain .


Only Blue Areas Have Languages

With More Than 100 Speakers


30

Our main focus is languages still spoken so we will very briefly

compare four languages from the blue areas as representative of the

Australian Aboriginal Language Family: Tiwi (T), Gupapuyngu (G),

Pitjantjatjara (P), Warlpiri (W).


Most Australians are unaware that Aboriginal Languages are still

spoken as first languages, explain why?

In the larger population regions of Australia there are no speakers of the original Aboriginal languages.


Tiwi Green, Gupapuyngu Orange, Warlpiri Purple

Pitjantjatjara Brown,, Nyungar/Noongar Yellow .


33

What Are Some Common Features Of Australian Aboriginal Languages?


Some Common Features Of Some Common Features Of Australian Aboriginal Australian Aboriginal

Languages: Languages:

Phonology or SoundsNumerals

Roots Grammatical features


Writing systems differ for different languages. For example, tj, j, ty, dj and ch are used to represent the

same sound in different languages. A side view of the head showing the tongue position for this sound

is seen below.


PhonologyPhonology

S. A. Wurm an expert on Aboriginal languages noted the

“remarkably similar phonological features” (sound systems) of the Languages of

Australia.


Most (70%) aboriginal

languages have

three vowels. The rest

have two or four.


VowelsVowelsThe three vowels a, i, u.

A as in Papa I as in Dili

Within the word it is short as in hit.

But on the end of a word it is a long (an ee sound.)

U is always as in put.


Common Consonants of Common Consonants of Aboriginal LanguagesAboriginal Languages

Bilabials: p, m, w.Alveolars: t, n, l, r.

Post alveolars (Retroflex):r, t, n, l.Palatals: tj, ny, ly, y.

Velars: k, g.


““Sounds Distinct From English”Sounds Distinct From English”

The sounds represented by:rl/l, rn/n, rt/t, tj/j, ny, ly.

Ng at the start of words eg. ngali

We will look at these sounds in the next slide.


Warlpiri (above) and Tiwi belong to Warlpiri (above) and Tiwi belong to different sub families yet their different sub families yet their

phonologies are more similar than English phonologies are more similar than English and French.and French.


42

Numerals Numerals

Most Aboriginal languages have number systems with one, two,

three then many.


Tiwi and Pitjantjatjara have 12% of their words with the same roots.

An example of roots is considered below

Nyungar/Pitjantjatjara/English Tjin tjina foot

Muly mulya nosekaat kata headtjaa tjaa mouth

maar mara handCopyright @ 2012 "College of Australian Aboriginal Languages" By Peter Drew - www.coaal.com.au

44

Grammatical FeaturesGrammatical Features

No Verb to be: (is, was, will be)

All below are literally man good,but English has The man is good

Wati palya P Wati ngurrju WTini pupuni T

Gurrmal manymak GKwop nyungar N


45

Aboriginal languages make a distinction between transitive and

intransitive verbs seen in noun endings.

Transitive verbs have two involved

in the action. Intransitive verbs only have one involved in the

action.


PitjantjatjaraPitjantjatjara

Wati and Watingku both mean man.

Intransitive. Wati nyinanyi.

The man is sitting

Transitive Watingku mai ngalkunu.

The man ate the food.Copyright @ 2012 "College of Australian Aboriginal Languages" By Peter Drew - www.coaal.com.au 47

Nyunyul WA (Near Broome) Nyunyul WA (Near Broome)

Wamb and Wambin both mean man.

Intransitive. Wamb injalk

The man he-fell.

Transitive Wambin barn inaw burrak

The man he-shot the kangaroo.Copyright @ 2012 "College of Australian Aboriginal Languages" By Peter Drew - www.coaal.com.au 48

What Are Some Common What Are Some Common Features Of Australian Features Of Australian Aboriginal Languages?Aboriginal Languages?

Their sounds, word roots, grammar and numerals.


What Are The Two Divisions Of What Are The Two Divisions Of Australian Aboriginal Australian Aboriginal

Languages?Languages?

What Is The Percentage Of The What Is The Percentage Of The Larger Division?Larger Division?


We have considered a few common features now we will breakdown the

Australian Aboriginal Language Family and take a quick look at

Pama-Nyungan languages.


The Non Pama-Nyungan are described as prefixing languages.

This means the pronoun (the word I and you) is at the beginning of the

verb. While Pama-Nyungan languages put the pronoun on the end of the verb. Seen in the next

slide.


Non Pama-NyunganNon Pama-NyunganPrefixing eg Tiwi

ngiri- I, jiyi- youNgiya ngiri-majirripi kapi warta.

I slept in the bush.Nginja jiyimajirripi kapi warta. You

slept in the bush.

Pama-Nyungan-na I

Ngayulu nyninanyi(-na)I am sitting


53

Pama means man in the North Qld Paman group.

Nyunga means man in the Nyunga group of South West WA.


Approx 90% Languages Pama Approx 90% Languages Pama NyunganNyungan


56

What are the two divisions of Australian Aboriginal Language

Family?

What is the percentage of the larger division?

Pama-Nyungan 90%, Non Pama-

Nyungan 10%.


Pama Nyungan How Similar?

North Queensland languages average 22% of roots the same as

Pitjantjatjara and words from Nyungar SW of WA have

35% of roots same.


When learning to pronounce Pama Nyungan (PN) words break

them into syllables.Emphasis is usually on the first

syllable. There are FOUR possible syllables: (C=Consonant

V=Vowel) VC, CVC, CV, V.


Numbers of speakers of the larger groups and languages:

Western Desert Group 8,000 Yolngu Group 6,000 Arandic Group 5,000

Creoles 12,000Pitjantjatjara 3500.


60

The languages we look at very briefly are

Gupapuyngu (G) which is part of the Yolngu

group. Pitjantjatjara (P) and Warlpiri (W) are

both part of the South West Wati branch.

Pitjantjatjara is part of the Western Desert

Group, Nyungar (N) was a group of

languages remnants of which are seen in

Noongar.


Gupapuyngu (G) Orange, Pitjantjatjara (P) Brown, Warlpiri (W) Purple, Nyungar/Noongar (N) Yellow.


62

We can see similarities in these four languages with the words for

sit and talk. Talk! Sit!

P wangka nyina W wangkaya nyinaya

N wangk nyin G wanga nhina


Similarities lessen as seen in the word Eat:

ngalkuni P, ngarni W, ngarniny N, nyang’thun G. As we mentioned before

Pitjantjatjara and Nyungar have 35% of roots same.

Warlpiri shares many words and roots with Pitjantjatjara as they both are in the same

branch.

Gupapuyngu while clearly having many similar words and grammatical features is

the least similar to the other three. Copyright @ 2012 "College of Australian Aboriginal Languages" By Peter Drew - www.coaal.com.au 64

Semantic featuresSemantic features Areas of meaning of words.

One word has the meaning; sit, stay, live, be in WPG[N?].

I am sitting.I am staying here.

I am living at Alice Springs. I am in the tree.


Semantic FeaturesSemantic Features

PN languages have a word for we two and another word for you two. They also

distinguish between you plural and you singular.

Eg Pitjantjatjara.Nyuntu you singular, Nyupali you two

Nyura you mob (more than two) Ngayulu I, Ngali Us two, Nganana Us mob

(more than two)


Semantic FeaturesSemantic Features

Many times a word will refer both to a thing and what it came from.

Eg punu; tree, stick, woodipi; breast, breast milk

waru; fire, firewood


Some common roots in Pama-Nyungan Division:

Mai food, ngura camp, nya see, nyin sit, (y)an go, ngana who,

ngali we two.


We hope you enjoyed learning a bit about the Australian Aboriginal Language Family.

See Part 2 See Part 2

College of Australian Aboriginal LanguagesCollege of Australian Aboriginal LanguagesBy Peter DrewBy Peter Drew

Mobile: 0410 312 276 Email: [email protected]

www.coaal.com.au


part 1 by peter drew college of australian aboriginal languages the australian aboriginal language...

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peter drew

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tiwi language