E67: Gathang^ | AIATSIS Collection

AIATSIS code:

E67

AIATSIS reference name:

Gathang^

tabs_horizontal

Name

Thesaurus heading language	Gathang language E67
Thesaurus heading people	Gathang people E67
ABN name	Kattang language
ABS name	-
Horton name	-
Ethnologue name	Worimi (Kattang)
ISO 639-3 code	-
Tindale name	Worimi (Kattang)
Tindale (1974)	Warrimee, Warramie, Gadang, Kattang (language name), Kutthung, Guttahn, Cottong, Wattung, Watthungk, Kutthack, Gingai, Gringai (a name nominated by Howitt), Gooreenggai, Port Stephens tribe, Pt. Stevens [sic] tribe, Molo (? horde), Bahree (? horde), Karrapath (? horde), Carapath, Warrangine (? horde at Maitland), Wannungine.
O'Grady et al (1966)
Glottocode	-
Other sources	Kattang (Kutthung, Gatang) [Holmer 1966] Kutthung [ALRRC] Kattang (Enright), Kut'-thung (Enright), Gadang (Laves) [Lissarrague 2010:9] 'the Lower North Coast language', LNC [Wafer & Lissarrague 2010]
Synonyms	Gadjang, Kattang, Worimi, Gadhang, Gadang, Molo, Bahree, Karrapath, Carapath, Warrangine, Wannungine, Birrbay, Warrimay

Comment

Comments:

Walsh (1981) uses the term Gadang (E67) as both a dialect and a language name. He lists Warimi E2, Birbay E3, Awabakal S66 and Gadang (E67) as dialects of Gadang.

Tindale treats Worimi E2 as a group name whose language is Kattang (E67) (1974:201-2). Holmer describes Kattang (E67) and Thangatti E6 as closely related and quotes language collaborators who consider them dialects of one language, and that 'Kattang country extended ... from Telegraph Point ... to Hawkesbury River, almost as far as Sydney' (1966:1-2).

Wafer and Lissarrague (2008:168-169) and also Lissarrague (2010:9-11) provide a summary of different usage of the term Gadhang (E67). Wafer and Lissarrague treat Gadhang (Taree dialect) (E67), Warrimay E2, Guringay (Gringai) E95, and Birrbay E3 as dialects of one language, which they call 'Lower North Coast Language' (2008:167-168). Lissarrague uses the word 'Gathang' (E67) as the name of the language spoken by Birrbay E3, Guringay E95 and Warrimay E2 peoples (2010:1), a practice also used by the online dictionary: http://www.firstvoices.com/fr/GathangGathang: 'We, the Birrbay, Guringay and Warrimay people are connecting with our language, our culture and and our history in reclaiming Gathang, the language of our Ancestors'.

Arposio (2008:10) describes Awabakal as a dialect within a larger language group including Gadhang / Kattang E67 to the north and extending southwards from Newcastle down the coast to the northern shores of Botany Bay, reflecting Fraser's (1892) 'Kuringgai' group. Wafer and Lissarrague (2008, 2010) disambiguate the different uses of the term 'Kuringgai', the same as Ku-ring-gai, the north Sydney place name, and similar to Guringay E95. They also address the confusion over the relationship between the 'Hunter River - Lake Macquarie language' (Awabakal S66, Wanarruwa S63, Kuringgai S62 and Kayawaykal E1) and the 'Lower North Coast language' (i.e. Gathang, Birrpay E3, Warrimay E2 and Guringay E95) indicating these are two distinct languages. Dhanggati is described as a separate language (Wafer and Lissarrague, 2008:194).

References:

Arposio, Alex. 2008. A grammar for the Awabakal language. Cardiff, N.S.W. : Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association.
Capell, Arthur. 1970. Aboriginal languages in the south central coast, New South Wales: fresh discoveries. Oceania 41(1), 20-27.
Fraser, John ed. 1892. An Australian language as spoken by the Awabakal, the people of Awaba or Lake Macquarie. Sydney: Charles Potter, Government Printer.
Holmer, Nils Magnus. 1966. An attempt towards a comparative grammar of two Australian languages: Australian Aboriginal Studies 5, Linguistics Series 3, part 1. Canberra: AIAS.
Lissarrague, Amanda. 2010. A grammar and dictionary of Gathang: the language of the Birrbay, Guringay and Warrimay. Nambucca Heads: Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative.
Kohen, James. 1993. The Darug and their neighbours: the traditional Aboriginal owners of the Sydney region. Blacktown: Darug Link in association with Blacktown and District Historical Society.
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.
Walsh, Michael. 1981. Maps of Australia and Tasmania. In Language atlas of the Pacific area Pt 1, eds S. A. Wurm and Shirô Hattori. Canberra: Australian Academy of the Humanities.

Status:

Confirmed

Location

State / Territory:

NSW

Location information:

Taree (Wafer &Lissarrague 2008:168). (In AUSTLANG, Kattang is mapped on the basis of this information but not descriptions given below.)

... once spoken on the east coast of NSW, approximately between the Hunter and the Hastings rivers.

... According to one informant, the Kattang country extended at one time from Telegraph Point or Port Macquarie, in the north, to the Hawkesbury River in the south, or almost as far as Sydney (Holmer 1966:1). (This includes area occupied by dialects related to Kattang.)

... from the east coast of NSW, approximately between the Hunter and the Hastings rivers (ALRRC).

... spoken from the Wilson River (between Port Macquarie and Kempsey) in the north to the region around Gloucester in the west and Port Stephens in the south (Lissarrague 2010:1).

Maps:

Links

Search MURA people®

Search MURA language®

Awaye! Word Up: Rhonda Radley

Programs

Activities:

Many Rivers Aboriginal Language Centre is running the Kattang Language Revitalisation program and is currently producing 'A Learner's Guide to Kattang' (2007).

People:

Many Rivers Aboriginal Language Centre, Nils Holmer, W.J. Enright, Gerhardt Laves, Amanda Lissarrague

Indigenous organisations:

Muurrbay Aboriginal Language & Culture Cooperative

Speakers

Year	Source	Speaker numbers
1975	Oates	-
1984	Senate	-
1990	Schmidt	-
1996	Census	-
2001	Census	-
2004	NILS1	-
2005	Estimate	-
2006	Census	-
2011	Census	-
2014	NILS2	40
2016	Census	-
2018-2019	NILS3	>1000

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	Small (20-100 pages)	2
Grammar	Small grammar (100-200 pages)	3
Audio-visual	None	0

Manuscript note:

Grammar:

Holmer, Nils. 1966. An attempt towards a comparative grammar of two Australian languages. Canberra: AIAS.

Lissarrague, Amanda. 2010. A grammar and dictionary of Gathang: the language of the Birrbay, Guringay and Warrimay. Nambucca Heads: Muurrbay Aboriginal Language & Culture Cooperative.

Dictionary:

Holmer, Nils. 1966. An attempt towards a comparative grammar of two Australian languages. Canberra: AIAS. Lissarrague, Amanda. 2010. A grammar and dictionary of Gathang: the language of the Birrbay, Guringay and Warrimay. Nambucca Heads: Muurrbay Aboriginal Language & Culture Cooperative.

Classification

Source	Family	Group	Sub-group	Name	Relationship
Ethnologue (2005)	Pama-Nyungan	Worimi		Worimi (Kattang)
Dixon (2002)		CENTRAL NEW SOUTH WALES GROUP	Awabagal/Gadjang subgroup*	Gadjang (Kattang)	Gadjang (Kattang) Holmer (1966) further dialects: Warimi, Birbay
Wurm (1994)	Pama-Nyungan	Yuin-Kuric		Gadang
Walsh (1981)	Pama-Nyungan	Yuin-Kuric	Kuri	Gadang	Gadang [dialects: Gadang, Awabakal, Birbay, Warrimi]
Oates (1975)	Pama-Nyungan	Yuin-Kuric	Kuri	Gadhang (E2)
Wurm (1972)	Pama-Nyungan	Yuin-Kuric	Kuri	Kattang (Gadhang)
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966)