Thalanyji is a Pama Nyungan language in the Kanyara language group, with Bayungu W23, Burduna W24 and Binigura W34. The exact nature of the linguistic relationships between these varieties is not known; there may have been dialects of Bayungu, or the Ganyara varieties may be dialects of an unnamed language (Wangka Maya 2008: 13-14).
Austin (2008) comments that Pinikura (W34) has been classified as a member of the Ngayarda subgroup by von Brandenstein (reported in Oates (1975)) and Wordick (1982) without any supporting data or discussion. Based on his own data, collected in 1978 and 1994, Austin claims Pinikura should probably be classified as belonging to the Kanyara subgroup together with Payungu W23, Purduna W24 and Thalanyji W26 (Austin 2008:34).
Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre. 2008. Bayungu sketch grammar: an introduction to the structure and use of Bayungu. South Hedland, WA: Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre.
On Ashburton River between Mount Price and Kooline; south to Wannery Creek; north to near Mount Amy, Urandy, and the beginning of the uplands of Duck Creek; east to lower headwaters of Hardey River on western boundary of Ashburton Downs (Tindale 1974).
Pinikura territory is roughly correct on Davis's map 1993 (Austin in Sutton 1995:97).
... on the north side of the Ashburton River about Duck Creek (Brown 1912:144, in Austin 2008:31).
Duck Creek, south to Ashburton River; north east to Hamersley Range; headwaters of Robe and Cane Rivers (Capell (following Tindale 1940) 1963, in Austin 2008:31-32).
Duck Creek, south to Ashburton River, north-east to Hammersley Range, headwaters of the Robe and Cane Rivers; Austin (1983) situates the language south of the Ashburton River (Thieberger 1993:131, in Austin 2008:32).
... upper Ashburton from the Henry River junction upstream to about Hardey junction and Mount McGrath (Austin 2008:32).
Search MURA people®
Search MURA language®
Search OZBIB
Search Trove
Search Worldcat
Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura Peoples Aboriginal Corporation Language Program
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).
