N74: Ndjébbana

AIATSIS code: 
N74
AIATSIS reference name: 
Ndjébbana

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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 language
Ndjebbana language N74
Thesaurus heading (old)
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
Comments: 
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 and 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 / Territory: 
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: 
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Catalogue

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PDF icon Oates_N74.pdf
Tindale 1974
OLAC
SIL
Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages
Iltyem-iltyem : Maningrida Action Project
Maningrida Action Project
Programs
Activities: 
-
People: 
Carolyn Coleman, Christine Kilham, Graham McKay, Maningrida Literature Production Centre
Indigenous organisations: 
-
Speakers
Year Source Speaker numbers
1975Oatesexist
1984Senate-
1990Schmidt-
1996Census-
2001Census-
2004NILS-
2005Estimate-
2006Census241
2011Census335
2016Census177

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 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: 
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Classification
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 and Voegelin (1966) Gunavidjian Gunavidji