| Ngarrkic | |
|---|---|
| Yapa | |
| Geographic distribution: |
Central Australia |
| Linguistic classification: | Pama–Nyungan
|
| Subdivisions: |
? Ngardi
|
Ngarrkic or Yapa is the name of a small language family of Central Australia, consisting of the two closely related languages Warlmanpa and the more populous Warlpiri. It is part of the diverse Southwest Pama–Nyungan family.
The family was named after the common word for initiated man in the member languages, ngarrka (Aboriginal pronunciation: [ˈŋarɡa]). Ngarga is an older spelling. In about 2000 an alternate name was suggested, yapa, based on the word for aboriginal man in the two languages.
In 2004 it was demonstrated that Ngarrkic is related to the neighboring Ngumpin languages.