E5: Ngambaa

AIATSIS code: 
E5
AIATSIS reference name: 
Ngambaa

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Name
Thesaurus heading language
Ngambaa language E5
Thesaurus heading people
Ngambaa people E5
ABN name
-
ABS name
-
Horton name
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Ethnologue name
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ISO 639-3 code
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Tindale name
Ngamba
Tindale (1974)
Ngambar, Ngeunbah.
O'Grady et al (1966)
Glottocode
-
Other sources
Ngambarr [Wafer and Lissarrague 2008:196]
Synonyms
Ngaku, Niungacko, Ngamba, Ngambarr, Ngambar, Ngeunbah
Comment
Comments: 

Eades writes that Ngamba: (E5) is similar to Gumbaynggir E7 but its status as a Gumbaynggir dialect or a separate language is not known (1979:251).

Laves describes Ngambar (E5) as 'different from daŋati' E6, but the difference is not specified (in Wafer & Lissarrague, 2008:196-197).

Morelli refers to Ngambaa as the 'Worrell Creek tribe' inferring a group or clan name (2008:100). Wafer and Lissarrague leave unresolved the linguistic affiliations of Ngambarr (E5) with respect to Dhanggati E6 and Gumbaynggirr E7 (2008:197).

There is an association with a similar word, 'Ngamba', and country further south. Tindale places this between the Manning River and Port Macquarie, including the vicinity of Rollands Plains (1974:197).

 

References: 
  • Capell, Arthur. 1963. Linguistic survey of Australia. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.
  • Eades, Diana. 1979. Gumbaynggir. In Handbook of Australian languages vol. 1, eds R. M. W. Dixon and B. J. Blake, 244-361. Canberra: ANU Press.
  • Laves, Gerhardt. Papers of Gerhardt Laves, ms. (MS 2189).
  • Morelli, Steve. 2008. Gumbaynggirr dictionary & learner's grammar = Gumbaynggirr bijaarr jandaygam, ngaawa gugaarrigam. Nambucca Heads: Muurrbay Aboriginal Language & Culture Co-operative.
  • Radcliffe-Brown, Alfred. R. 1929. Notes on totemism in eastern Australia. In Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. 59 (1929), pp. 399-415.
  • 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.
  • Wafer, Jim, and Amanda Lissarrague. 2008. A handbook of Aboriginal languages of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Nambucca Heads: Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative.
Status: 
Potential data
Location
State / Territory: 
NSW
Location information: 

Macksville town (Laves 1929:1131 - as quoted in Lissarrague 2000).

Tindale 1974 locates Ngambaa south of Ngaku, which contradicts the location shown on the map by Eades 1979.

Ngambar occupied the Nambucca River (Radcliffe-Brown (1929:400).

Ngambaa - Warrell Creek tribe (Morelli, 2008:100).

 

Maps: 
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PDF icon Oates_E5.pdf
Tindale 1974
Programs
Activities: 
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People: 
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Indigenous organisations: 
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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   1 (unclear status)
Text Collection None 0
Grammar None 0
Audio-visual None 0
Manuscript note: 
tape transcription/field note available - unclear status
Grammar: 
-
Dictionary: 
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Classification
Source Family Group Sub-group Name Relationship
Ethnologue (2005)          
Dixon (2002)   CENTRAL EAST COAST GROUP Gumbaynggirr/Yaygirr subgroup Ngambaa Gumbaynggirr* Smythe (1948/9), Eades (1979) further dialects: Baanbay, Gambalamam; possibly also Ngambaa
Wurm (1994) Pama-Nyungan Yuin-Kuric   Ngambaa  
Walsh (1981) Pama-Nyungan Yuin-Kuric Kuri Ngambaa  
Oates (1975) Pama-Nyungan Yuin-Kuric Kuri Ngamba  
Wurm (1972) Pama-Nyungan Yuin-Kuric Kuri Ngamba  
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966) Pama-Nyungan Yuin-Kuric Kuri Ngamba