N19: Ngaliwurru

AIATSIS code: 
N19
AIATSIS reference name: 
Ngaliwurru

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Name
Thesaurus heading language
Ngaliwurru language N19
Thesaurus heading people
Ngaliwurru people N19
ABN name
Ngaliwuru language
ABS name
Ngaliwurru
Horton name
Ngaliwuru
Ethnologue name
Djamindjung [Ngaliwuru]
ISO 639-3 code
-
Tindale name
Ngaliwuru
Tindale (1974)
Ngaliwerun
O'Grady et al (1966)
Glottocode
-
Other sources
Ngaliwurru [Top End Handbook, Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre] Ngaliwuru [Top End Handbook]
Synonyms
DjamindjungINgaliwuru, Djamindjung, Ngaliwuru, Ngaliwerun
Comment
Comments: 

Ngaliwurru (N19) is non-Pama Nyungan language from the Barkly Tableland in the Northern Territory and classified as a member of the Western Mirndi group.

Harvey says Ngaliwurru is extremely endangered (2008:4).

The Mirndi languages are spread across two geographically non-contiguous areas: Western Mirndi with 'Jaminjungan' (Jaminjung, Ngaliwurru N19) and Nungali N28. Eastern Mirndi with Jingulu C22, Ngarnka N121 and 'Wambayan' (see Binbinka N138, Gudanji C26, Wambaya C19) (Harvey 2008:1-3).

Nordlinger describes the first group located in the geographic west: Jaminjung N18, Naliwuru N19 and Nungali N28, and in the geographic east the 'West Barkly' set consisting of Jingili C22 and the 'Eastern Group' of Ngarnga N121 and the McArthur language (aka 'Wambayan') (1998:4). See also Yilngali N2.

 

 

References: 
  • Harvey, Mark. 2008. Proto Mirndi: a discontinuous language family in northern Australia. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics
  • Harvey, Mark. 2008. Non-Pama-Nyungan Languages: land-language associations at colonisation. AILEC 0802.
  • Nordlinger, Rachel. 1998. A grammar of Wambaya, Northern Territory (Australia): Pacific Linguistics C-140. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics
  • Schultze-Berndt, Eva. 2000. Simple and complex verbs in Jaminjung: a study of event categorisation in an Australian language, Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen: PhD.
Status: 
Confirmed
Location
State / Territory: 
NT
Location information: 

Murranginy (One Mile), Myatt (Five Mile), Gilwi (Eleven Mile) and Fitzroy Station (Shultze-Berndt 2000).

The general associations were to the upland country on the southern side of the Victoria from Stokes Range to Newcastle Range and south to the boundary with the Humbert River drainage. The Humbert River drainage was associated with Ngarinyman. The following areas and sites were associated with Ngaliwurru: Kidman Springs, Jasper Gorge, Stokes Range, Bardia Yard, Dodger Spring Yard, Bullita, the drainage of the East Baines upstream from the Newcastle Range (Harvey AILEC 0802).

 

Maps: 
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PDF icon Oates_N19.pdf
Tindale 1974
Programs
Activities: 
-
People: 
Janet Bolt, Neil Chadwick, William Hoddinott, Francesca Merlan, Eva Schultze-Berndt, Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre, Mirima Dawang Woorlabgerring Language Centre
Indigenous organisations: 

Diwurruwurru-jaru Katherine Regional Language Centre

Speakers
Year Source Speaker numbers
1975Oates230-330
1984Senate-
1990Schmidt100
1996Census-
2001Census-
2004NILS112
2005Estimate12
2006Census117
2011Census-
2014NILS2
2016Census29
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 Small (20-100 pages) 2
Text Collection Less than 20 pages 1
Grammar Large grammar (more than 200 pages) 4
Audio-visual None 0
Manuscript note: 
tape transcription/field note available
Grammar: 

Bolt, Janet. 1971. An elementary grammar of the Ngaliwuru language of the Northern Territory, ms.

Dictionary: 

Hoddinott, William. Ngaliwuru and Nungali word lists, ms.

Classification
Source Family Group Sub-group Name Relationship
Ethnologue (2005) Djamindjungan     Djamindjung [Ngaliwuru]  
Dixon (2002)   MINDI SUBGROUP West Mindi subgroup* DjamindjungINgaliwuru Djamindjung/Ngaliwuru Cleverly (1968), Bolt, Hoddinott and Kofod (1971a), Schultze-Berndt (2000).
Wurm (1994) Djamindjungan     Ngaliwuru  
Walsh (1981) Daly Djamindjungan   Ngaliwuru  
Oates (1975) Djamindjungan     Ngaliwuru  
Wurm (1972) Djamindjungan     Ngaliwuru  
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966) Djamindjungan     Ngaliwuru