N74: Ndjebbana

AIATSIS Code: 
N74
AIATSIS Reference name: 
Ndjebbana

tab group

Name
ABN Name
Ndjebbana language
ABS Name
Ndjebbana (Gunavidji)
Horton Name
Gunibidji, Gunavidji
Ethnologue name
Djeebbana
ISO 639-3 code
djj
Tindale name
Gunavidji
Thesaurus heading
Ndjebbana / Gunavidji / Gunibidji language (N74) (NT SD53-02)
Tindale (1974)
Gunaviji, Gunawitji, Gunabidji, Gunabwidji, Gunjibidji, Witji.
O'Grady et al (1966)
Gunabidji
Glottocode
djee1236
Other sources
Gunavidji, Kunibidji (a name used by speakers of languages to the west: Kunbarlang, Kunwinjku and Maung), Ndjéya (Nakkara term), Gijiya (Burarra term) [McKay 2000:156] Ndjebbana, Djeebbana, Djeepana, Gunibidji, Kunibidji, Gunavidji, Gunaviji, Gunjibidji, Gunavidgi, Gunabidji [Top End Handbook]
Synonyms
Ndjébbana
Gunavidji
Kunibidji/Gunavidji
Ndeya
Gidjiya
Djeebbana
Gunibidji
Kunibidji
Behribmej
Djapena
Gidjia
Gidjiya
Djeepana
Grunavidji
Gudjia
Gunabidji
Gunabwidji
Gunadidji
Gunaviji
Gunawitji
Gunjibidji
Gurmadja madja
Jibidji
Kulunglutchyi
Witchi
Witji
Ndjéya
Gijiya
Comment
Language comment
Ndjébbana (N74) is a non-Pama Nyungan language from Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. The term 'Gunavidji ~ Kunibidji' is an exonym used by speakers of Kunbarlang N69, Kunwijnku N65 and Maung N64 languages. Nakkara N80 people call Ndjébbana speakers Ndjéya, the Burarra N82 call them Gijiya. Ndjébbana speakers refer to themselves as Ndjébbana njarrangúdjeya 'we who speak Ndjébbana'. Various names are associated with land owning Ndjébbana speakers include Márro people (Kanduwúlka clan), Marlémarla people (Karddúrra, Marlandjárridj and Wúrnal clans) and Mabárnad people (Dukúrrdji and associated clans) (McKay, 2000:155-6). Dixon classifies Ndjebbana in the Maningrida subgroup of the Arnhem Land group (2002: xl). Based on a comparison of verb tense/status suffixes, Green classifies Ndjebbana (N74), Nakkara N80, Burarra N82 and Gurr-goni N75 as a ‘Maningrida subgroup’ of the larger Gunwinjguan language family, (Capell, Voegelin & Voegelin in Green, 1995:4-5).
References

Dixon, R. M. W. 2002. Australian languages: their nature and development: Cambridge Language Surveys. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Green, Rebecca. 1995. A grammar of Gurr-goni (north central Arnhem Land). Australian National University, PhD thesis.https://digitalcollections.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/9278?mode=full
McKay, Graham. 2000. Ndjébbana. Handbook of Australian languages, vol. 5, eds R. M. W. Dixon and Barry J. Blake, 153-354. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Status
Confirmed
Location
State
NT
Location information
Ndjébbana speakers traditionally owned lands on the eastern side of the mouth of the Liverpool River in central Arnhem Land (upstream almost as far as Bat Island), the two islands in the mouth of the river, lands stretching along the coast of the Arafura Sea eastwards from the Liverpool River and some adjacent inland territories in the vicinity of Gudjerama Creek (Karddjirráma), Tomkinson River and Cadell River (McKay 2000:157). Currently speakers live in and around Maningrida McKay (2000:167).
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
exist - - - - - - 241
Speaker NILS table
- - - -
1-19 years 20-39 years 40-59 years 60+
NILS endangerment grade
-
Documentation
Document Score: 
11
Documentation table: 
Type Documentation Status Documentation Score
Word list Less than 20 pages 1
Text Collection Large (more than 200 pages) 4
Grammar Small grammar (100-200 pages) 3
Audio-visual More than 10 3
Manuscript Note: 
tape transcription/field note available
Grammar: 
McKay, Graham. 2000. Ndjébbana. In Handbook of Australian languages, vol. 5, eds. RMW Dixon and B Blake, 153.354. Oxford University Press.
Dictionary: 
-
Programs
Activities: 
-
People: 
Carolyn Coleman, Christine Kilham, Graham McKay, Maningrida Literature Production Centre
Indigenous organisations: 
-
Classification
Classification table: 
Source Family Group Sub-group Name Relationship
Ethnologue (2005) Gunwingguan Burarran   Djeebbana Djebbana [dialects: Not closely related to other languages.]
Dixon (2002)   ARNHEM LAND GROUP Maningrida subgroup* Ndjebbana (or Kunibidji/Gunavidji, or Ndeya, or Gidjiya) Ndjebbana (or Kunibidji/Gunavidji, or Ndeya, or Gidjiya) McKay (2000)
Wurm (1994) Djeebbana     Djeebbana  
Walsh (1981) Djeebbanan     Djeebbana (Gunavidji)  
Oates (1975) Gunabidjian     Gunabidji  
Wurm (1972) Gunavidjian     Gunavidji (or Gidjiya)  
O'Grady, Voegelin & Voegelin (1966) Gunavidjian     Gunavidji