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| Gathang | |
|---|---|
| Worimi, Lower North Coast | |
| Region | New South Wales |
| Ethnicity | Worimi (Warrimay),Birrbay (Birpai),Guringay (Gringai) |
| Extinct | late 20th century |
| Revival | >1,000 (2018-19) |
| Dialects |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | kda – inclusive codeIndividual code: xbj – Birrpayi |
| Glottolog | wori1245 Worimi |
| AIATSIS[1] | E67 |
| ELP | Birrpayi |
 | |
| This article containsIPA phonetic symbols. Without properrendering support, you may seequestion marks, boxes, or other symbols instead ofUnicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, seeHelp:IPA. | |
TheGathang language, also speltGadjang,Kattang,Kutthung,Gadhang,Gadang and previously known asWorimi (also spelt Warrimay), is anAustralian Aboriginal language or group of dialects. The three known dialects areBirrbay,Guringay, andWarrimay, which are used by theWorimi,Guringay, andBirrbay peoples. It wentextinct during the latter half of the 20th century, but has beenrevived in the 21st century.
After thecolonisation of Australia, many of the hundreds of Aboriginal languages fell into disuse. The Worimi people comprised 18 clan groups (ngurras), all of whom spoke Gathang. The four ngurras of thePort Stephens area moved to the settlement atCarrington to work at theAustralian Agricultural Company, and over the years lost their language and culture as they learnt European ways. Many Worimi people were forced into missions andreserves.[2]
In 1887:E.M. Curr published the first word list of the Gathang language, which had been compiled by John Branch, and in 1900,W.J. Enright published a description and word list. In 1929, American linguistGerhardt Laves worked with Gathang speakers Charlie Briggs, Bill Dungie, Charlie Bugg, Jim Moy, Albert Lobban, Hannah Bugg, Susan Russell, Ted Lobban, and Mrs Russell.[3] During the 1960s, Swedish linguistNils Holmer made recordings of two Worimielders, Eddie Lobban and Fred Bugg, and compiled agrammar of the Gathang language.[2][4][3]
For many years the language appeared to beextinct, butrevitalisation has been under way in the 21st century. In 2010,A Grammar and Dictionary of Gathang: The Language of the Birrbay, Guringay and Warrimay, by Amanda Lissarrague, was published,[5] and theMuurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative started running classes inTaree,Forster, andPort Macquarie. The number of speakers soon grew, and classes were introduced atTAFEs, schools, and within family groups.[3] As of 2014, there were 40 recorded speakers of the language, and by 2018-2019 there were more than a thousand,[6] after work had been done on reviving the language.[7] Today, books, songs, dance,storytelling, and language workshops are all used to help revive and preserve the language,[2] and it is being studied atPhD level.[3]
Gathang is closely related toAwabakal, in theYuin–Kuric group ofPama–Nyungan.[6] Gathang is the language name covering three dialects: Birrbay, Guringay, and Warrimay.[3]
The phonology of the language was recorded by Enright.[8] The description that follows was extracted from the updated phonology by Amanda Lissarague (2010).[5]
| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| High | ɪ⟨i⟩ iː⟨ii⟩ | ʊ⟨u⟩ uː⟨uu⟩ |
| Low | ə⟨a⟩ aː⟨aa⟩ | |
There is also the diphthong "ay", pronounced [aj].
| Bilabial | Velar | Dental | Palatal | Alveolar | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plosive | voiceless | p⟨p⟩ | k⟨k⟩ | t̪⟨th⟩ | c⟨tj⟩ | t⟨t⟩ |
| voiced | b⟨b⟩ | g⟨g⟩ | d̪⟨dh⟩ | ɟ⟨dj⟩ | d⟨d⟩ | |
| Nasal | m⟨m⟩ | ŋ⟨ng⟩ | n̪⟨nh⟩ | ɲ⟨ny/yn⟩ | n⟨n⟩ | |
| Lateral | l⟨l⟩ | |||||
| Approximant | w⟨w⟩ | j⟨y⟩ | ɹ⟨r⟩ | |||
| Flap/Trill | ɾ~r⟨rr⟩ | |||||
Within theorthography, bothvoiceless and voicedstops are written, words begin with voiced stops only and only voiced stops may occur in consonant clusters or suffixes. There is some inconsistency in the orthography to choice of stop intervocalically. The dictionary/grammar written by Lissarrague prescribes voiceless stops intervocalically, but this is violated many times such as inmagu - axe. The phonemes /p/ and /b/ may contrast, such asgaparr - baby, boy, andgabarr - head. This is unclear.[5]
There is some evidence of a merger of the dental and palatal stops/nasals, with free variation existing in many words, such asdjinggarr~dhinggarr - silver, grey.[5]
At the end of a word, a nasal may also be pronounced as its corresponding stop. (E.g.bakan~bakat - rock).[5]
Intervocalically, "b" may be pronounced as [v].[5]
Some Gathang words are:[2]
There are many place names in New South Wales which have names ascribed to them in the Gathang language, including:[2]