The Noongar Boodjar Waangkiny Language Centre notes that 'sometimes people use clan names for dialect names to ensure readers know the country and the people their stories belong to'. The centre's web site describes three main dialects: Djiraly – Northern; Kongal-marawar – South-western; and Kongal-boyal – South-eastern, and notes that 'the dialect regions are an approximation of how the original 14 recognised Noongar Clans have been drawn into 3 main dialects.'
Dixon (2002) describes Nyungar (W41) as a cover term for Wutjari W8, Koreng W5, Minang W2, Pipalman W1, Wartanti W3, Pindjarup W6, Whadjuk W9, Kaneang W4, Wilmen W7 and Njaki Njaki A1.
Theiberger describes Baladung W10, Bibbulman W1, Binjarub W6, Goreng W5, Kaniyang W4, Minang W2, Wajuk W9, Wardandi W3, Wiilman W7, Wudjaarri W8 and Yuwat W11 as language varieties "... known as 'Nyungar', the word for 'human being' in these languages, now used to refer to Aboriginal people of this region" (1993: 32).
O'Grady et al (1966: 130) describe Nyunga (W41) as a cover term for a group of related language varieties including Wadjuk W9, Balardong W10, Wardandi W3, Minang W2 'and numerous other named dialects'.
The map in Rooney represents 'major towns and rivers connected with the distribution of regional language stles in Nyoongar territory'. This map includes Jurien in the north west, with an arc travelling south east including Moora. New Norcia, Merredin and Esperance on the southern coast (2011:15).
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The Wirlomin Noongar Language and Stories Project Incorporated Noongar Language Centre http://noongarboodjar.com.au
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).
Douglas, Wilfrid. 1968. The Aboriginal languages of the south-west of Australia. Canberra: AIAS.
Bindon, Peter. 1992. A Nyoongar wordlist from the south west of Western Australia. Perth, WA: Anthropology Dept. Western Australian Museum.
von Brandenstein, Carl. 1988. Nyungar anew: phonology, text samples and etymological and historical 1500 word vocabulary of an artificially re-created Aboriginal language in the southwest of Australia. Canberra: Dept. of Linguistics, Research School of Pacific Studies.
Rooney, Bernard. 2011. Nyoongar dictionary: a list of Nyoongar words of the south-west of Western Australia with special emphasis on the mode of langugae commonly used in the north-western (Yued/Yuat) area. Batchelor, NT: Batchelor Press for the Benedictine Community New Norcia Inc.
