D1: Wemba Wemba

AIATSIS code: 
D1
AIATSIS reference name: 
Wemba Wemba

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Name
Thesaurus heading language
Wemba Wemba language D1
Thesaurus heading people
Wemba Wemba people D1
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
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, Kulin
Comment
Comments: 

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), barababaraba D5 and Narinari D9. Hercus (1986, 1992) says that barababaraba 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 / Territory: 
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: 
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PDF icon Oates_D1.pdf
Tindale 1974
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: 

Wiradjuri Condoblin Corporation https://wiradjuricc.com/

Speakers
Year Source Speaker numbers
1975Oates-
1984Senate-
1990Schmidt-
1996Census-
2001Census-
2004NILS1?
2005Estimate-
2006Census-
2011Census-
2014NILS2
2016Census-
2018-2019NILS3

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 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.

Classification
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 and Voegelin (1966) Pama-Nyungan Kulinic Kulin Wembawemba