D1: Wemba Wemba

AIATSIS Code: 
D1
AIATSIS Reference name: 
Wemba Wemba

tab group

Name
ABN Name
Wemba Wemba language (Previously Wembawemba language)
ABS Name
Other Australian Indigenous Languages, nec (Wamba Wamba)
Horton Name
Wemba Wemba
Ethnologue name
-
ISO 639-3 code
-
Tindale name
Wembawemba
Thesaurus heading
Wemba Wemba / Wamba Wamba language (D1) (Vic, NSW SI54-16)
Tindale (1974)
(['wemba] = ['wamba] == ['womba] = no), Wamba-wamba (valid alternative), Wamba, Womba, Weumba, Waamba, Waimbiwaimbi, Gourrmjanyuk (horde at Lake Boga), Gorrmjanyuk.
O'Grady et al (1966)
Wambawamba, Womba, Weumba, Waamba, Yambayamba, Yamba
Glottocode
-
Other sources
Wembawemba, Wiembar, Wamba wamba, Yamba-yamba, Swan Hill tribe, Moulmein dialect 'Moolamiin' (Wamba = no), Lake Boga dialect, The neighbourhood of Lake Boga, probably Moorebat and the Lower Loddon dialect (Weumba=no), Kerang, Loddon R. dialect (Waamba = no), Wa-amba, Wa-amba, Waamba, Wamba, Wemba-wemba, Wamba Wamba, Lake Boga tribe, Waimbi-waimbi, Wamba-wamba, Wambo wambo, Waimbu-Waimbu, Wambawamba, (Lake) Boga tribe, Wembawemba, Wemba Wemba, Wemberwemba, Womba, Weumba, Waimbiwaimbi, WembaWemba, Wemba-Wemba, Jambajamba, Yamba, Yambayamba (wrongly considered an alt/var of Jupagalk by Tindale 1974) [Clark 1990:406]
Synonyms
Wamba Wamba
Wembawemba
Wambawamba
Womba
Weumba
Waamba
Yambayamba
Yamba
Wiembar
Wamba wamba
Yamba yamba
Swan Hill tribe
Moulmein dialect Moolamiin
Lake Boga dialect
The neighbourhood of Lake Boga
probably Moorebat
the Lower Loddon dialect
Kerang
Loddon R
dialect
Wa amba
Wamba
Wemba wemba
Lake Boga tribe
Waimbi waimbi
Wambo wambo
Waimbu Waimbu
Boga tribe
Wemberwemba
Waimbiwaimbi
WembaWemba
Jambajamba
Gourrmjanyuk
Gorrmjanyuk
Comment
Language comment
Hercus (1992:1) comments on the close relationship between Western Kulin languages, with over 75 percent common vocabulary, concluding that they are dialects of a single language. She describes three 'main groups': Werkaya, Wembawemba and Mathimathi. She describes the Wembawemba group as comprising Wembawemba (D1), Perəpaperəpa D5 and Narinari D9. Hercus (1986, 1992) says that Berəbaberəba D5 is practically identical to Wembawemba (D1), an observation often made by Wembawemba informants.
References

Hercus, Luise. 1986. Outline of the Wergaia Language: Djadjala Dialect. In Victorian languages: a late survey, ed. Luise Hercus. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
Hercus, Luise. 1992. Wembawemba dictionary. Canberra: Department of Linguistics, The Faculties, Australian National University, with the assistance of AIATSIS.
Tindale, Norman B. 1974. Aboriginal tribes of Australia: their terrain, environmental controls, distribution, limits, and proper names. Berkeley: University of California Press/Canberra: Australian National University Press.
Status
Confirmed
Location
State
NSW
VIC
Location information
... people of this tribe concentrated on Moonacullah Mission, some 25 miles downstream from Deniliquin on the Edwards River (Hercus 1986:3). On Loddon River from Kerang, Vic., north to Swan Hill; on Avoca River south to near Quambatook; northeastward to Booroorban and Moulamein, N.S.W.; near Barham; at Lake Boga and Boort, Vic. Stone lists five hordes centered at Towaninnie, Meelool Station, Lake Boga, Gonn, and Bael Bael (Tindale 1974).
Maps
-
Catalogue
Search MURA the AIATSIS catalogue, for items about this language
Search OZBIB
Speakers
Speaker table
Oates 1973 Senate 1984 Schmidt 1990 Census 1996 Census 2001 NILS 2004 2005 estimate Census 2006
- - - - - ? - -
Speaker NILS table
1-19 years 20-39 years 40-59 years 60+
4 4 3 3
NILS endangerment grade
0
Documentation
Document Score: 
9
Documentation table: 
Type Documentation Status Documentation Score
Word list Medium (100-200 pages) 3
Text Collection Less than 20 pages 1
Grammar Sketch grammar (less than 100 pages) 2
Audio-visual More than 10 3
Manuscript Note: 
tape transcription/field note available
Grammar: 
Hercus, Luise. 1986. Outline of the Wembawemba language. In L Hercus, Victorian Languages: a late survey: Pacific Linguistics B77. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
Dictionary: 
Hercus, Luise. 1992. Wembawemba dictionary. Canberra: Department of Linguistics, ANU.
Programs
Activities: 
Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre is digitising Wemba Wemba language posters for the preservation of materials (2007).
People: 
Catherine Ellis, Luise Hercus, Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre
Indigenous organisations: 
-
Classification
Classification table: 
Source Family Group Sub-group Name Relationship
Ethnologue (2005)          
Dixon (2002)   WEST VICTORIAN AREAL GROUP Kulin subgroup* Wemba-Wemba Wemba-Wemba Hercus (1986) further dialects: Baraba-Baraba, Madhi-Madhi, Wadi-Wadi, Ladji-Ladji, Nari-Nari, Wergaya, Djadjala, Wutjabulak, Martijali, Buibatyalli, Nundatyalli, Jab-wurrung, Pirt-Koopen-Noot, Jaja-wurrung
Wurm (1994) Pama-Nyungan Kulinic   Wemba Wemba  
Walsh (1981) Pama-Nyungan Kulinic Kulin Wemba Wemba Wemba Wemba [dialects: Wemba Wemba, Watiwati, Baraparapa, Wotjobaluk (Wergaia), Warkawarka, Latjilatji, Yariyari, Yaadwa, Yaara, Yugapulk]
Oates (1975) Pama-Nyungan Kulinic Kulin Wemba-Wemba  
Wurm (1972) Pama-Nyungan Kulinic Kulin Wembawemba  
O'Grady, Voegelin & Voegelin (1966) Pama-Nyungan Kulinic Kulin Wembawemba