Arrernte (linguistics)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Arrernte | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spoken in: | Northern Territory, Australia | |
| Total speakers: | 1,500[1] | |
| Language family: | Pama-Nyungan Arandic Arrernte |
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| Writing system: | Latin alphabet | |
| Language codes | ||
| ISO 639-1: | none | |
| ISO 639-2: | aus | |
| ISO/FDIS 639-3: | variously: amx — Anmatjirra aly — Alyawarr adg — Antekerrepenhe aer — Eastern Arrernte are — Western Arrernte |
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| Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. See IPA chart for English for an English-based pronunciation key. | ||
Arrernte (or Aranda) is a language or group of closely related languages spoken in and around Alice Springs (Mparntwe in Arrernte) in the Northern Territory, Australia. This group includes the following:
- Anmatjirra
- Alyawarr
- Ayerrerenge
- Antekerrepenhe
- Eastern Arrernte or Ikngerripenhe
- Central Arrernte or Mparntwe Arrernte
- Western Arrernte, Tyuretye Arrernte or Arrernte Alturlerenj
- Souther Arrernte or Pertame
- Lower Arrernte or Alenjerntarpe
Opinions vary as to their status as dialects or distinct languages.
Contents |
[edit] Phonology
[edit] Consonants
| Peripheral | Laminal | Apical | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilabial | Velar | Uvular | Palatal | Dental | Alveolar | Retroflex | |
| Stop | p pʷ | k kʷ | c cʷ | t̪ t̪ʷ | t tʷ | ʈ ʈʷ | |
| Nasal | m mʷ | ŋ ŋʷ | ɲ ɲʷ | n̪ n̪ʷ | n nʷ | ɳ ɳʷ | |
| Prestopped nasal | pm pmʷ | kŋ kŋʷ | cɲ cɲʷ | t̪n̪ t̪n̪ʷ | tn tnʷ | ʈɳ ʈɳʷ | |
| Lateral | ʎ ʎʷ | l̪ l̪ʷ | l lʷ | ɭ ɭʷ | |||
| Approximant | w | ɰ~ʁ | j jʷ | ɻ ɻʷ | |||
| Tap/Trill | r rʷ | ||||||
/ɰ~ʁ/ is described as velar ([ɰ]) by Breen (2005), and as uvular ([ʁ̞]) by Henderson (2003).
[edit] Vowels
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | (i) | (u) | |
| Mid | ə | ||
| Low | a |
All dialects have at least /ə a/.
[edit] Phonotactics
The syllable structure of Arrernte is argued to be VC(C) syllable structure, with obligatory codas and no onsets.
[edit] Arrernte in schools
In most primary schools in Alice Springs, students (of all races and nationalities) are taught Arrernte (or in some cases Western Arrernte) as a compulsory language, often alongside French or Indonesian languages. Additionally, most Alice Springs High Schools give the option to study Arrernte language throughout High School as a separate subject, and it can also be learned at Centralian College as part of a TAFE course. Future plans are that it will be included as a university subject.
[edit] Arrernte in workplaces
Many Alice Springs workplaces require for employees to learn at least basic Arrernte in order to communicate effectively with the large numbers of Arrernte people (approximately 25% of Alice Springs residents speak Arrernte as their first language). Many workplaces offer learning of Arrernte as an option and will fund the course.
[edit] References
- Breen, Gavan (2001). “The wonders of Arandic phonology”, Simpson, Jane, Nash, David, Laughren, Mary, Austin, Peter & Alpher, Barry: Forty Years On: Ken Hale and Australian Languages. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, 45–69.
- Breen, Gavan (2005). "Illustrations of the IPA: Central Arrernte". Journal of the International Phonetic Association 35 (2): 249–254. DOI:10.1017/S0025100305002185.
- Breen, Gavan, Rob Pensalfini (1999). "Arrernte: A Language with No Syllable Onsets". Linguistic Inquiry 30 (1).
- Dixon, R. M. W. (2002). Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Henderson, John (1988). Topics in Eastern and Central Arrernte grammar, PhD dissertation. University of Western Australia.
- Henderson, John, Veronica Dobson (1994). Eastern and Central Arrernte to English Dictionary. Alice Springs: IAD Press.
- Henderson, John (2003). “The word in Eastern/Central Arrernte”, R. M. W. Dixon and Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald: Word: A Cross-Linguistic Typology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 100–124.
- Mathews, R. H. (Oct.–Dec. 1907). "The Arran'da Language, Central Australia". Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 46 (187): 322–339.
- Strehlow, T. G. H. (1944). Aranda phonetics and grammar. Sydney: Oceania Monographs.
- Wilkins, David P. (1988). “Switch-reference in Mparntwe Arrernte (Aranda): form, function, and problems of identity”, Austin, P. K.: Complex sentence constructions in Australian languages. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 141–176.
- Wilkins, David P. (1989). Mparntwe Arrernte (Aranda): studies in the structure and semantics of grammar, PhD dissertation, Australian National University.
- Wilkins, David P. (1991). "The semantics, pragmatics and diachronic development of "associated motion" in Mparntwe Arrente". Buffalo Working Papers in Linguistics 91: 207–257.
- Yallop, C. (1977). Alyawarra, an Aboriginal language of central Australia. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.
