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Western Desert language

Western Desert
Wati
Native toAustralia
RegionDesert areas of Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory
EthnicityWestern Desert cultural bloc
Native speakers
7,400[failed verification] (2006 census)[1]
Pama–Nyungan
  • Desert Nyungic
Standard forms
Dialects
Western Desert Sign Language
Manjiljarra Sign Language
Ngada Sign Language
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
ktd – Kokata (Kukarta)
kux – Kukatja
mpj – Martu Wangka
ntj – Ngaanyatjarra
pti – Pintiini (Wangkatja)
piu – Pintupi-Luritja
pjt – Pitjantjatjara
tjp – Tjupany
kdd – Yankunytjatjara
Glottologwati1241  Wati
AIATSIS[1]A80
ELPKukatja
 Pintiini[2]
Wati languages (green) among Pama–Nyungan (tan)
This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA.

The Western Desert language, or Wati, is a dialect cluster of Australian Aboriginal languages in the Pama–Nyungan family.

The name Wati tends to be used when considering the various varieties to be distinct languages, Western Desert when considering them dialects of a single language, or Wati as Warnman plus the Western Desert cluster.

Location and list of communities

The speakers of the various dialects of the Western Desert Language traditionally lived across much of the desert areas of Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory. Most Western Desert people live in communities on or close to their traditional lands, although some now live in one of the towns fringing the desert area such as Kalgoorlie, Laverton, Alice Springs, Port Augusta, Meekatharra, Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing.

The following is a partial list of Western Desert communities:

Dialect continuum

See also: Dialect continuum

The Western Desert Language consists of a network of closely related dialects; the names of some of these have become quite well known (such as Pitjantjatjara) and they are often referred to as "languages".[3] As the whole group of dialects that constitutes the language does not have its own name it is usually referred to as the Western Desert Language. WDL speakers referring to the overall language use various terms including wangka ("language") or wangka yuti ("clear speech"). For native speakers, the language is mutually intelligible across its entire range.

Dialects

Following are some of the named varieties of the Western Desert Language.

Language/dialect People Notes AIATSIS Reference
Antakarinya dialect Antakarinya people C5: Antikirinya[4]
Kartujarra dialect Kartujarra people A51: Kartujarra[5]
Kokatha dialect Kokatha people C3: Kokatha[6]
Two dialects of the Western Desert language have been named 'Kukatja'; Kukatja (A68) and Kukatja (C7) Kukatja (A68) and Kukatja (C7) A68 is in the north of Western Australia near Lake Gregory, and C7 is west of Haasts Bluff in central Australia.[7][8]
A68 is one of the dialects that make up Martu Wangka at Jigalong.[9]: iii 
C7 call themselves 'Luritja' now.[7]		 A68: Kukatja & C7: Kukatja[7][8]
Kuwarra dialect Kuwarra people There is little information regarding the language but the people are well attested.[10][11] A16: Kuwarra[12]
Luritja dialect Luritja people The Kukatja (C7) call themselves 'Luritja' now.[7]
Pintupi and Luritja are two similar but overlapping dialects.[13][14]		 A7.1: Luritja[13]
Manyjilyjarra dialect Manyjilyjarra people One of the dialects that make up Martu Wangka at Jigalong.[9]: iii  A51.1: Manyjilyjarra[15]
Mantjintjarra dialect Mantjintjarra people A33: Mantjintjarra[16]
Martu Wangka dialect Martu people Martu Wangka refers to either a dialect found at and around Jigalong, Western Australia[9]: iii [17] or many different dialect groups in the Gibson, Little Sandy and Great Sandy deserts.[17] A86: Martu Wangka[17]
Nakako dialect Nakako people Little is known of the people and their language[18] A32: Nakako[19]
Ngaanyatjarra dialect Ngaanyatjarra people A38:Ngaanyatjarra[20]
Ngaatjatjarra dialect Ngaatjatjarra people A43: Ngaatjatjarra[21]
Ngalia dialect Ngalia people C2: Ngalia[22]
Pindiini/Wangkatha/Wangkatja dialect Pindiini/Wangkatha/Wangkatja people These three dialects & people have been hardly distinguished.[23][24][25] A102: Pindiini, A12: Wangkatha & A103: Wangkatja[23][24][25]
Pintupi dialect Pintupi people Pintupi and Luritja are two similar but overlapping dialects.[13][14] C10: Pintupi[14]
Pitjantjatjara dialect Pitjantjatjara people C6: Pitjantjatjara[26]
Putijarra dialect Putijarra people One of the dialects which make up Martu Wangka at Jigalong[9]: iii  A54: Putijarra[27]
Tjupan dialect Tjupan people A31: Tjupan[28]
Wangkajunga dialect Wangkajunga people A87: Wangkajunga[29]
Yankunytjatjara dialect Yankunytjatjara people C4: Yankunytjatjara[30]
Yulparija dialect Yulparija people A67: Yulparija[31]

Language

Status

The Western Desert Language has thousands of speakers, making it one of the strongest indigenous Australian languages. The language is still being transmitted to children and has substantial amounts of literature, particularly in the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara dialects in South Australia where there was formerly a long-running bilingual program.[citation needed]

Phonology

In the following tables of the WDL sound system, symbols in ⟨angle brackets⟩ give a typical practical orthography used by many WDL communities. Further details of orthographies in use in different areas are given below. Phonetic values in IPA are shown in [square brackets].[citation needed]

Vowels

Front Back
Close i ⟨i⟩ iː ⟨ii⟩ u ⟨u⟩ uː ⟨uu⟩
Open a ⟨a⟩ aː ⟨aa⟩

The Western Desert Language has the common (for Australia) three-vowel system with a length distinction creating a total of six possible vowels.[citation needed]

Consonants

Peripheral Laminal Apical
Bilabial Velar Palatal Alveolar Retroflex
Plosive p ⟨p⟩ k ⟨k⟩ c ⟨tj⟩ t ⟨t⟩ ʈ ⟨rt⟩
Nasal m ⟨m⟩ ŋ ⟨ng⟩ ɲ ⟨ny⟩ n ⟨n⟩ ɳ ⟨rn⟩
Trill r ⟨rr⟩
Lateral ʎ ⟨ly⟩ l ⟨l⟩ ɭ ⟨rl⟩
Approximant w ⟨w⟩ j ⟨y⟩ ɻ ⟨r⟩

As shown in the chart, the WDL distinguishes five positions of articulation, and has oral and nasal occlusives at each position. The stops have no phonemic voice distinction but display voiced and unvoiced allophones; stops are usually unvoiced at the beginning of a word, and voiced elsewhere. In both positions, they are usually unaspirated. There are no fricative consonants.[citation needed]

Orthography

While the dialects of the WDL have very similar phonologies there are several different orthographies in use, resulting from the preferences of the different early researchers as well as the fact that the WDL region extends into three states (Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory), with each having its own history of language research and educational policy.[citation needed]

Sign language

Main article: Australian Aboriginal sign languages

Most of the peoples of central Australia have (or at one point had) signed forms of their languages. Among the Western Desert peoples, sign language has been reported specifically for Kardutjara and Yurira Watjalku,[32] Ngaatjatjarra (Ngada),[33] and Manjiljarra. Signed Kardutjara and Yurira Watjalku are known to have been well-developed, though it is not clear from records that signed Ngada and Manjiljarra were.[34]

References

  1. ^ a b A80 Western Desert at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  2. ^ Endangered Languages Project data for Pintiini.
  3. ^ "Pitjantjatjara language, alphabet and pronunciation". www.omniglot.com. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
  4. ^ C5 Antakarinya at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  5. ^ A51 Kartujarra at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  6. ^ C3 Kokatha at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  7. ^ a b c d C7 Kukatja at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  8. ^ a b A68 Kukatja at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  9. ^ a b c d Burgman, Albert; Marsh, James; Hansen, Ken; Booth, Joshua (2005). Martu Wangka Dictionary and Topical Finderlist 2005 Draft. South Hedland, Western Australia: WANGKA MAYA Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre. ISBN 1875946152.
  10. ^ "Kuwarra". Goldfields Aboriginal Language Centre. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  11. ^ Liberman, Kenneth (1980). "The Decline of the Kuwarra People of Australia's Western Desert: A Case Study of Legally Secured Domination". Ethnohistory. 27 (2): 119–133. doi:10.2307/481223. ISSN 0014-1801. JSTOR 481223. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  12. ^ A16 Kuwarra at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  13. ^ a b c C7.1 Luritja at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  14. ^ a b c C10 Pintupi at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  15. ^ A51.1 Manyjilyjarra at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  16. ^ A33 Mantjintjarra at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  17. ^ a b c A86 Martu Wangka at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  18. ^ "Nakako". Mobile Language Team. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  19. ^ A32 Nakako at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  20. ^ A38 Ngaanyatjarra at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  21. ^ A43 Ngaatjatjarra at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  22. ^ C2 Ngalia at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  23. ^ a b A102 Pindiini at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  24. ^ a b A12 Wangkatha at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  25. ^ a b A103 Wangkatja at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  26. ^ C6 Pitjantjatjara at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  27. ^ A54 Putijarra at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  28. ^ A31 Tjupan at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  29. ^ A87 Wangkajunga at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  30. ^ C4 Yankunytjatjara at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  31. ^ A67 Yulparija at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  32. ^ Miller, Wick R. (1978). A report on the sign language of the Western Desert (Australia). Reprinted in Aboriginal sign languages of the Americas and Australia. New York: Plenum Press, 1978, vol. 2, pp. 435–440.
  33. ^ C.P. Mountford (1938) "Gesture language of the Ngada tribe of the Warburton Ranges, Western Australia", Oceania 9: 152–155. Reprinted in Aboriginal sign languages of the Americas and Australia. New York: Plenum Press, 1978, vol. 2, pp. 393–396.
  34. ^ Kendon, A. (1988) Sign Languages of Aboriginal Australia: Cultural, Semiotic and Communicative Perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Goddard, C. 1985. A Grammar of Yankunytjatjara. Alice Springs: IAD.
  • Rose, David (2001), The Western Desert Code: an Australian cryptogrammar, Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, ISBN 085883-437-5
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