Ngangityemerri (N157) was a name used by linguists for the language consisting of Ngan'gikurunggurr N8 and Ngan'giwumirri N17 (Baker, 1996), now known as Ngan'gi.
Reid (1990) identifies Ngan'gimerri N160 as a third dialect of Ngan'gityemerri (N157). Note that Ethnologue uses Nangikurrunggurr, instead of Ngan'gityemerri, as the language name and Ngangi-Tjemerri (N157) as one of the Nangikurrunggurr dialects.
Reid and McTaggart (2008:319) use the term Ngan'gi instead of Ngan'gityemerri in their 2008 dictionary to refer to the closely related Ngan'gikurunggurr N8 and Ngen'giwumirri N17 (i.e. Ngan'gi (N157) which have 90% common vocabulary, identical verbal structure, and are mutually intelligible.
Reid and Taggart report that although linguists would describe them as dialects of the one language, they are described as separate languages to reflect distinct group identities.
Recent research (Green 2003, in Reid 2008:322-3) questions the status of the Daly family (of which Ngan'gityemerri is a member, within the Southern Daly subgroup) as established by Tryon (1974), suggesting that the relationship between the subgroups is unconvincing. Green also claims that Murrinh-patha N3 may be related to Ngan'gityemerri (N157) within the Southern Daly group.
The general associations were to the escarpment and adjacent plain country on the northern side of Wingate Plateau from Allia Creek to the junction of the Moyle River and Tom Turner's Creek. Associations extended 10-20km onto the plains from the escarpment. In the west, upper Chalunyi Creek was associated with Ngan'gityemerri. Lower Chalunyi Creek was associated with Marringarr (Harvey ASEDA 802). [Daly River region of Northern Territory] in the communities of Nauiyu, Peppimenarti, Wudigapildhiyerr, and in a small number of smaller outstations on traditional lands, such as Nganambala and Merrepen.
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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).
Reid, Nick. 1990. Ngan'gityemerri: a language of the Daly River region, Northern Territory of Australia, Australian National University, PhD.
Reid, Nicholas & Patricia Marrfurra McTaggart. 2008. Ngan'gi dictionary. Armidale: Australian Linguistics Press.
Reid, Nick. 1990. Ngan'gityemerri: a language of the Daly River region, Northern Territory of Australia, Australian National University, PhD. Reid, Nicholas & Patricia Marrfurra McTaggart. 2008. Ngan'gi dictionary. Armidale: Australian Linguistics Press.
