G6: Pitta Pitta

AIATSIS code: 
G6
AIATSIS reference name: 
Pitta Pitta

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Name
Thesaurus heading language
Pitta Pitta language G6
Thesaurus heading people
Pitta Pitta people G6
ABN name
Pitta-Pitta language
ABS name
-
Horton name
Pitta-Pitta
Ethnologue name
Pitta Pitta
ISO 639-3 code
pit
Tindale name
Pitapita
Tindale (1974)
Pittapitta, Bitta Bitta, Wangkapit:a, Wangkahicho, Wangkahichs (typographical error).
O'Grady et al (1966)
Pitapita, Bitta Bitta
Glottocode
pitt1247
Other sources
Bitta Bitta, Pitapita, Bidha-Bidha [Blake 1979:183] Pittapitta (Roth), BittaBitta (Curr), Pitapita (Tindale), Pita-Pita (Elkin), Bidabida (Capell), and Pitta-Pitta [Blake and Breen 1971:170] Pitha Pitha and Pitha-Pitha [Alpher 2006. p.c.]
Synonyms
Pitha Pitha, Karanja, Kungkalenja, Pitapita, Rakkaia, Ringaringa, Bida Bida, Bidabida, Bitta Bitta, Bittha Bittha, Narrinyeri, Paruru, PittaPitta, Pittapitta, Ramindjerar, Ramindjeri, Ramingara, Raminjeri, Raminyeri, Ramong, Rormear, Tarbanawalun, Wangkahicho, Wangkahichs, Wangkapit:a, Wirramu mejo, Bidha Bidha, Bidhabidha
Comment
Comments: 

Pitta-Pitta, Ringu-Ringu G7, Mayawarli L40, Kunkalanya G3, Ngulupulu G40, Karanya L32, and Rakaya G4 are dialects of a language for which there is no obvious name (Blake, 1979:183). Pitta-Pitta forms part of the Karnic language group (Hercus, 1994: 10).

 

References: 
  • Blake, Barry. 1979. Pitta-Pitta. In Dixon, R M W & Blake, Barry (eds.). Handbook of Australian languages vol. 1. 182-242. Canberra/ANU Press.
  • Hercus, Luise Anna. 1994. A grammar of the Arabana-Wangkangurru language, Lake Eyre Basin, South Australia: Pacific Linguistics C-128. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
  • 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 / Territory: 
QLD
Location information: 

Boulia district and 50 miles to south and west; north to about Fort William (Tindale 1974).

 

Maps: 
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PDF icon Oates_G6.pdf
Tindale 1974
OLAC
SIL
Sourcebook for Central Australian Languages (1981): 

Tyitiyamba (A42 ) in Sourcebook for Central Australian Languages (1981).

Pitta-Pitta

Names of the language and different spellings that have been used:
Bida-Bida (AC, AIAS), Bidha-Bidha (AIAS 1973), Bitta Bitta (C), Pitapita (T), Pitha-Pitha (APE,GB), Pitta-Pitta (Blake & Breen), Pittapitta (Roth)
Related languages: Wangka-Yutjuru (Breen -- hundreds of pages of notes)
Classification of the language:
Pama-Nyungan Family, Karnic (orig. Pittapittic) Group, Palku subgroup
Identification codes:
Oates '73: 71a
AIAS: G.006
Capell: C3
Present number and distribution of speakers:
Around Boulia, western Queensland. A couple of speakers. Black, 1979 -- virtually extinct
People who have worked intensively on the language:
Barry Blake, Monash University, and Gavan Breen continue analysis.
Practical orthography:
None.
Tentative practical orthography used in wordlist.
Word lists:
Blake, 1979.
Grammar or sketch grammar:
Blake, 1979.
Material available on the language:
See also references in Blake, 1979.
Blake, Barry J. 1966. Report (to AIAS) on field trip Jul-Aug 1966. 2p. (Doc 66/430) (data on languages and informants of Pitta-Pitta, Ringa Ringa, Wangamana, Jalanga, Wagaja, Wanji,
Kalkatung).
---------- 1979. Pitta-Pitta, pp.182-242 in Handbook of Australian Languages [Vol. 1], ed. by R.M.W. Dixon and Barry J. Blake. Canberra: A.N.U. Press; Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
---------- & J.G. Breen. 1971. The Pitta-Pitta dialects. Linguistic Communications 4:1-182. map. (incorporates 1971 ts. 53p. with same title; superseded by Blake, 1979)
Breen, J. Gavan. 1969. Pittapitta fieldnotes and transcriptions. (hundreds of pages) (Ms 1084) AIAS.
---------- [1972?]. Aboriginal languages of western Queensland. Linguistic Communications 5:1-88.
Capell, A. 1937. The structure of Australian languages. Oceania 8.1:27-61. map. (many examples taken from Pitta Pitta)
Eglinton, E. 1886. On the Hamilton River, and near Boulia: the Bitta Bitta tribe, pp.364-5 in Volume 2 of The Australian Race, ed. by E.M. Curr. (vocabulary of 150 words)
May, Sydney. 1963. Pitta Pitta dialect. 38-39, 58-59. (f 14368, AIAS)
Ray, Sydney H. 1925. Aboriginal languages, pp. 2-15 in Volume 11 of Illustrated Australian Encyclopaedia. (includes Pitta Pitta).
Literacy material:
None.

Kathy Menning (comp.) and David Nash (ed.) 1981. © IAD Press

AIATSIS gratefully acknowledges IAD Press for permission to use this material in AUSTLANG.

Programs
Activities: 

0

People: 
Barry Blake, Gavan Breen
Indigenous organisations: 
-
Speakers
Year Source Speaker numbers
1975Oates-
1984Senate-
1990Schmidt-
1996Census-
2001Census-
2004NILS1-
2005Estimate-
2006Census-
2011Census-
2014NILS2
2016Census-
2018-2019NILS31-10

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).

Documentation
Type Documentation Status Documentation Score
Word list Less than 20 pages 1
Text Collection None 0
Grammar Sketch grammar (less than 100 pages) 2
Audio-visual More than 10 3
Manuscript note: 
tape transcription/field note available
Grammar: 

Blake, Barry. 1979. Pitta-Pitta In Handbook of Australian languages, vol. 1, eds. RMW Dixon and B Blake, 182-242. Canberra: ANU Press.

Dictionary: 

Blake, Barry. 1979. Pitta-Pitta In Handbook of Australian languages, vol. 1, eds. RMW Dixon and B Blake, 182-242. Canberra: ANU Press.

Classification
Source Family Group Sub-group Name Relationship
Ethnologue (2005) Pama-Nyungan Karnic Palku Pitta Pitta Pitta Pitta [dialects: Related to Gangalanya, Garanya, Lhanima, Ngurlubulu, Ragaya, Rangwa, Yurlayurlanya, which may be extinct, and Wanggamala.]
Dixon (2002)   LAKE EYRE BASIN AREAL GROUP North and west Lake Eyre Basin group Blake and Breen (1971) Pitta-Pitta (Pitha-Pitha) Pitta-Pitta (Pitha-Pitha)* Blake (1979b) further dialects: Ringu-Ringu, Rakaya, Ngulupulu, Karanja, Kunkalanja, Mayawarli
Wurm (1994) Pama-Nyungan Karnic   Bidhabidha  
Walsh (1981) Pama-Nyungan Karnic Palku Bidhabidha (Pitta-Pitta)  
Oates (1975) Pama-Nyungan Karnic Palku Bidha-Bidha  
Wurm (1972) Pama-Nyungan Pittapittic   Pittapitta (Bidabida)  
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966) Pama-Nyungan Pittapittic   Pittapitta