Wangkatha, Wangkatja A103 and Pindiini A102 are all listed as separate dialects of the Western Desert language A80 in this database but they appear to be very close to each other and hardly distinguishable.
Thieberger (1993), Douglas (1990 p.c.) and Glass (1990 p.c.) point out that Wanggatha from around Mt Margaret and Leonora is different to Wangatja which is spoken at Cundelee and Coonana. Glass also notes that the term Wangkatja is confusing, 'because all the Western Desert speaking Aborigines of the Eastern Goldfields and surrounding desert areas call themselves Wangkatja'.
Tindale's Pindiini may be equivalent to Wangkatja A103 or Wangkatha A12 - he lists Wanggada as an alternative name of Pindiini A102. Between Pindiini and Wangkatha, Tindale's map shows two other groups, Murunitja A8 and Tjeraridjal A7, but the validity of these groups is uncertain. Wangatha or Wangkatja A103 may have been spoken there.
Mt Margaret and Leonora (WA Handbook)
Search MURA people®
Search MURA language®
Search OZBIB
Search Trove
Search Worldcat
Wangka Goldfields Aboriginal Language Centre - https://wangka.com.au/
Speaker numbers were measured differently across the censuses and various other sources listed in AUSTLANG. You are encouraged to refer to the sources.
Speaker numbers for ‘NILS 2004’ and ‘2005 estimate’ come from 'Table F.3: Numbers of speakers of Australian Indigenous languages (various surveys)' in 'Appendix F NILS endangerment and absolute number results' in McConvell, Marmion and McNicol 2005, pages 198-230 (PDF, 2.5MB).
Vaszolyi, Eric G. 1979. Teach yourself Wangkatja. Perth: Mt Lawley Teachers' College.
Wangkanyi Ngurra Tjurta Aboriginal Language Centre. 2002. Wangkatha dictionary. Kalgoorlie, WA: Wangkanyi Ngurra Tjurta Aboriginal Corporation Language Centre.
