Aboriginal LanguagesThe Australian Aboriginal languages comprise up to twenty-seven language families and isolates native to the Australian Aboriginal people of Australia and a few nearby islands, but by convention excluding the languages of Tasmania and the eastern Torres Strait Island languages. The relationships between these languages are not clear at present, although substantial progress has been made in recent decades. In the late 18th century, there were between 350 and 750 distinct Aboriginal social groupings, and a similar number of languages or dialects. At the start of the 21st century, fewer than 150 Indigenous languages remainin daily use, and all except roughly 20 are highly endangered. Of those that survive, only 10% are being learned by children and those languages are usually located in the most isolated areas. For example, of the 5 least endangered Western Australian Aboriginal languages, 4 belong to the Ngaanyatjarra grouping of the Central and Great Victoria Desert. Yolŋu languages from north-east Arnhem Land are also currently learned by children. Bilingual education is being used successfully in some communities. Seven of the most widely spoken Australian languages, such as Warlpiri and Tiwi, retain between 1,000 and 3,000 speakers. Some Aboriginal communities and linguists show support for learning programs either for language revival proper or for only "post-vernacular maintenance" (teaching Indigenous Australians some words and concepts related to the lost language). The Tasmanian people were nearly eradicated early in Australia's colonial history, and their languages were lost before much was recorded. Tasmania was separated from the mainland at the end of the last ice age, and the Tasmanian Aborigines apparently remained isolated from the outside world for around 10,000 years. Too little is known of their languages for classification, though they seem to have had phonological similarities with languages of the mainland. |
AdynyamathanhaThis language has been known by many names and variants of names, including: Adnyamathanha, Adynyamathanha, Adjnjamathanha, Atʸnʸamat̪an̪a, Adnjamathanha, Adnyamathana, Anyamathana, Ad'n'amadana, Anjimatana, Anjiwatana, Unyamootha The Adnyamathanha language group are Australian Aborignal people from the Flinders Ranges in South Australia.
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AlawaThis language has been known by many names and variants of names, including: Alaua The Alawa people are an Australian Aborignal people from the Northern Territory of Australia. The map shows where the Alawa group live. |
AlyawarrThis language has been known by many names and variants of names, including: Iliaura Illiaura The Alyawarr are Australian Aboriginal people , or language group from the Northern Territory. In 1980 the Alyawarre made a land claim with the Wakaya people, which was handed back to them on 22 October 1992. The Utopia community, 250 km north east of Alice Springs, in Central Australia was set up in 1927, is partly on Alyawarre land, partly on land of the Anmatyerre. This map is only here to provide a very general idea of the location
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ArrernteThis language has been known by many names and variants of names, including: Aranda,Aranta, Arunda, Arunta, Arranda, Arinta (by Iliaura), Arrinda, Urrundie, Herinda, Arrundta, Wonggaranda, The word Arrernte refers to: Arrernte people, the Austalian Aboriginal people who are the original custodians of Arrernte lands; their language is a dialect cluster spoken in and arround Alice Springs in Central Australia.
This map is only here to provide a very general idea of the location) |
Pintupi-LuritjaThis language has been known by many names and variants of names, including: Pintubi, Bindubi, Pintunala, Pintubu (by Walpiri), Pindu, Pindubu Bindubu, Bindooboo Bindibu, Bindiboo Bindaboo, Pintubidjara, Pintularapi Matjunalatara (by Ngadadjara) Children who were born in Papunya and Haasts Bluff grew up speaking a new variety of Pintupi, now known as Pintupi-Luritja, due to their close contact with speakers of Arrernte, Warlpiri and other varieties of the WDL. This has continued through the moves west so that most Pintupi people today speak Pintupi-Luritja, although there remains a clear distinction between the more western and eastern varieties.
(This map is only here to provide a very general idea of the location) |
Ngaanyatjarra
This language has been known by many names and variants of names, including: Ngaanyatjara, Ngaanjatjarra It is one of the dialects of the Western Desert Language and is very similar to its close neighbour Ngaatjatjarra, with which it is highly mutually intelligible.
Most Ngaanyatjarra people live in one of the communities of Warburton, Warakurna, Tjukurla, Papulankutja, Mantamaru (Jameson) or Kaltukatjara.
(This map is only here to provide a very general idea of the location) |
NgalkbunAlternative names for Ngalkbun are: Buan Dalabon is an endangered Gunwinyguan language spoken by some 20 speakers in Arnhem Land, Australia.
This map is only here to provide a very general idea of the location) |
PitjantjatjaraAlternative names for the language group Pitjantjatjara Jangkundjara This map is only here to provide a very general idea of the location)
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RembarungaRembarrnga (Rembarunga) is an Australian Aboriginal language. It is one of the Northern Non-Pama–Nyungan languages, spoken in the Roper River region of the Northern Territory. |
WarlpiriAlternative names for the language group Warlpiri :
This map is only here to provide a very general idea of the location) |
AnmatyerreAlternative names for Aboriginal language group Anmatyerre: Nmatjera
The Anmatyerr region covers a large section of Central Australia approximately 100 km north of Alice Springs, the major township in Central Australia. Communities located within the region include Nturiya (Old Ti Tree Station), Pmara Jutunta (6 Mile), Willowra, Laramba (Napperby Station), Alyuen and the rural township of Ti Tree. This map is only here to provide a very general idea of the location) |
Aboriginal word glossary
