Nunggubuyu language
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| Nunggubuyu | |
|---|---|
| Wubuy | |
| Region | Numbulwar, Northern Territory |
Native speakers |
110 (2006)[1] perhaps 400 semi-speakers and L2 speakers |
|
Arnhem
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | nuy |
| AIATSIS[2] | N128 |
Nunggubuyu, Wubuy or Yingkwira is an Australian Aboriginal language, the traditional language of the Nunggubuyu people. It is the primary language of the community of Numbulwar in the Northern Territory.[3]
Classification
The classification of Nunggubuyu is "problematic". Heath (1997) postulates that Nunggubuyu is most closely related to Ngandi and Anindilyakwa. However, Evans (2003) believes that the similarities are shared retentions rather than shared innovations, and that Nunggubuyu is closest to the eastern Gunwinyguan languages.[4]
Phonology
Consonants
| Peripheral | Laminal | Apical | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilabial | Velar | Palatal | Dental | Alveolar | Retroflex | |
| Nasal | m | ŋ | ɲ | n̪ | n | ɳ |
| Stop | p | k | c | t̪ | t | ʈ |
| Tap | ɾ | |||||
| Lateral | l̪ | l | ɭ | |||
| Approximant | w | j | ɻ | |||
/n̪/ is rare. /ɾ/ may optionally be pronounced as a trill when it occurs word-initial position, which is rare.[5]
Vowels
| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| High | i iː | u uː |
| Low | a aː | |
Numbers
Nunggubuyu uses a quinary number system.[6]
| 1 | anjbadj |
| 2 | wulawa |
| 3 | wulanjbadj |
| 4 | wulawulal |
| 5 | marangandjbugidj |
| 6 | maralibalinala mari anjbadj |
| 7 | maralibalinala mari wulawa |
| 8 | maralibalinala mari wulanjbadj |
| 9 | maralibalinala mari wulawulal |
| 10 | wurumulumara ngandjabugidj |
| 15 | wurumulumbulanbadj |
| 20 | wurumulumbulalwulal |
Notes
- ↑ http://www.ethnologue.com/language/nuy
- ↑ Nunggubuyu at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
- ↑ Numbulwar Numburindi Community Government Council (2007). "Numbulwar's Profile & Information". Retrieved 2007-11-11. "The major language spoken in Numbulwar is Noongabuyu (Noon-ga-boy-you) along with creole. English is generally regarded as a third language in the community."
- ↑ Nicholas Evans, 2003, Bininj Gun-wok: a pan-dialectal grammar of Mayali, Kunwinjku and Kune, vol. 1
- ↑ Heath (1984): p. 12.
- ↑ Capell, A. "A New Approach to Australian Linguistics", Oceania linguistic monographs 1 (1956), Sydney: University of Sydney, p. 68. Cited in John Harris, "Facts and Fallacies of Aboriginal Number Systems", SIL work paper series B, volume 8 (1982), p. 161.
References
- Heath, Jeffrey (1984). Functional Grammar of Nunggubuyu. Canberra: AIAS. ISBN 0-85575-157-6.
- Ladefoged, Peter (2005). Vowels and Consonants (Second ed.). Blackwell.
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