L4: Nukunu | AIATSIS Collection

AIATSIS code:

AIATSIS reference name:

Nukunu

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Name

Thesaurus heading language	Nukunu language L4
Thesaurus heading people	Nukunu people L4
ABN name	Nukunu language
ABS name	Other Australian Indigenous Languages, nec (Nukunu)
Horton name	Nukunu
Ethnologue name	Nugunu
ISO 639-3 code	nnv
Tindale name	Nukunu
Tindale (1974)	Wongaidja (valid alternative), Nukuna, Nukunnu, Nugunu, Nookoona, Nukunna, Noocoona, Nokunna, Nu-guna, Pukunna (misprint), Wongaidja, Wongaidya, Tura (['tura] = man), Tyura, Doora, Eura (general term for several tribes), Warra (name of language), Barutadura (men of Baroota).
O'Grady et al (1966)	Nukunu, Nuguna, Nukunnu, Nookoona, Noocoona, Nokunna, Pukunna, Wongaidya, Tyura, Doora, Warra
Glottocode	nugu1241
Other sources
Synonyms	Other Australian Indigenous Languages, Nugunu, Barutadura, Doora, Eura, Njuguna, Nokunna, Noocoona, Nookoona, Nuguna, Nukana, Nukuna, Nukunna, Nukunnu, Pukunna, Tjura, Tura, Tyra, Tyura, Warra, Wongaidja, Wongaidya, Nu guna

Comment

Comments:

Nukunu is a member of the Thura-Yura L63 sub-group of Pama-Nyungan. Other members include Kaurna L3; Ngadjuri L5; Narangga L1; Barngala L6; Adnyamathanha L10; Kuyani L9; Nauo L2 and Wirangu C1, which exhibits some differences with the Thura-Yura languages. One particular cultural-linguistic feature uniquely Thura-Yura is the use of ten birth-order names. Another are the regular pronoun forms unique to the sub-group (Simpson & Hercus 2004:179).

References:

Hercus, Luise Anna. 1992. A Nukunu dictionary. Canberra: Department of Linguistics, The Faculties, Australian National University.
Simpson, J & L Hercus. 2004. Thura-Yura as a subgroup, in (Bowern & Koch eds) Australian Languages : classification and the comparative method. Amsterdam/Philadelphia : John Benjamins.
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.

Status:

Confirmed

Location

State / Territory:

Location information:

Eastern side of Spencer Gulf from a little north of the mouth of the Broughton River and vicinity of Crystal Brook northward to Port Augusta; east to Melrose, Mount Remarkable, Gladstone, and Quorn; at Baroota (Tindale 1974).

Maps:

Links

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Programs

Activities:

People:

Catherine Ellis, Luise Hercus, Hale & O'Grady

Indigenous organisations:

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
2016	Census	-
2018-2019	NILS3	11-50

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	None	0
Grammar	None	0
Audio-visual	1-10	2

Manuscript note:

Check Nekes MF4

Grammar:

Dictionary:

Hercus, Luise. 1992. A Nukunu dictionary. Canberra: AIAS.

Classification

Source	Family	Group	Sub-group	Name	Relationship
Ethnologue (2005)	Pama-Nyungan	South-West	Yura	Nugunu
Dixon (2002)		SPENCER GULF BASIN AREAL GROUP		Nukunu	Kadli Teichelmann and Schürmann (1840) dialects: Kaurna, Nantuwara, Ngadjuri, Narangka, Nukunu
Wurm (1994)	Pama-Nyungan	South-West		Nugunu
Walsh (1981)	Pama-Nyungan	South-West	Yura	Nugunu
Oates (1975)	Pama-Nyungan	Southern Western Desert Type	Yura	Nugunu
Wurm (1972)	Pama-Nyungan	Southwest (or Nyungic)	Yura	Nukuna
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966)	Pama-Nyungan	Southwest	Yura	Nukuna