| Ngarluma | |
|---|---|
| Kariyarra | |
| Native to | Western Australia |
| Region | Roebourne area |
| Ethnicity | Ngarluma,Kariera,Jaburara |
Native speakers | 11 (2005)[1] |
Pama–Nyungan
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | Either:nrl – Ngarlumavka – Kariyarra |
| Glottolog | ngar1293 |
| AIATSIS[1] | W38 Ngarluma,W39 Kariyarra |
| ELP | Ngarluma |
| Kariyarra | |
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Ngarluma andKariyarra are members of adialect continuum, which is a part of theNgayarda language group ofWestern Australia, in thePama–Nyungan language family. Some sources suggest that anextinct dialect,Jaburara, was a third member of the continuum.[2] However, it is clear that Jaburara had a distinct identity that has been partly obscured by acollapse in the numbers of Jaburara speakers during the late 19th century, and there is some evidence that Jaburara may have instead been a dialect ofMartuthunira (see below).
While Ngarluma and Kariyarra, as parts of a continuum, aremutually intelligible, they are considered distinct languages by their speakers, reflecting an ethnic division between theNgarluma andKariyarra peoples. As such they may be regarded as a single,pluricentric language.
UnderCarl Georg von Brandenstein's 1967 classification scheme, Ngarluma was classed as a "Coastal Ngayarda" (or Ngaryarta) language, but the separation of the group into "Coastal" and "Inland" groups is no longer considered valid.
| Pidgin Ngarluma | |
|---|---|
Native speakers | None |
Ngarluma-basedpidgin | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | None (mis) |
| Glottolog | pidg1247 |
| ELP | Ngarluma |
Apart from the division between Ngarluma and Kariyarra, there are either three or four sub-dialects within Ngarluma. However, the inclusion of Jaburara – which parallels a belief amongst Ngarluma people that theJaburara people and their traditional land were a sub-group of the Ngarluma people and lands – is controversial. There are two reasons for this: the Jaburara dialect is sometimes considered a dialect in its own right, or a dialect of Martuthunira. There is evidence for the latter theory in the wordjaburara, which means "northerners" in the languages of the region:[3] the traditional lands of the Jaburara, on and around theBurrup Peninsula, are generally to the north of theMartuthunira lands (whereas the Jaburara are mostly west of the Ngarluma lands).
Apidginized form of Ngarluma was once used as a contact language in the area.[4]
| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| High | i | u |
| Low | a | |
| Peripheral | Laminal | Apical | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labial | Velar | Dental | Palatal | Alveolar | Retroflex | |
| Plosive | b | k/ɡ | t̪ | ɟ | d | ɖ |
| Nasal | m | ŋ | n̪ | ɲ | n | ɳ |
| Lateral | l̪ | ʎ | l | ɭ | ||
| Rhotic | r | |||||
| Approximant | w | j | ɻ | |||
Kariyarra people, prior to European settlement occupied an area from theYule River east toPort Hedland and south to theHamersley Range.
The official NgarlumaNative Title Determination Area (including the Jaburara lands) covers the area southward fromPoint Samson,Cossack,Wickham,Roebourne, to the northern boundary ofMillstream-Chichester National Park and; from the east side of the mouth of theMaitland River to the west side of thePeawah River nearWhim Creek, including the towns ofDampier andKarratha.[6]
However, this boundary is controversial for two reasons: it includes areas also regarded as traditional country by many Martuthunira people and; for legal reasons, it does not include areas that many Ngarluma people consider to fall into their traditional country.[citation needed]