Bilinarra language facts for kids

Bilinarra is an Aboriginal language from the Northern Territory of Australia. It is also known as Bilingara. The Bilinarra people speak this language.

Bilinarra is part of a larger group of languages called Pama-Nyungan. It is closely related to Gurindji and Ngarinyman. People who speak these languages can often understand each other.

Some people think Bilinarra is a special kind of Gurindji. It shares many words with Gurindji. However, the people who speak these languages see them as different. The name Bilinarra might come from the word bili, meaning 'rock' or 'hill'.

Sadly, the Bilinarra language is in danger of disappearing. In 2013, only one person spoke it as their main language. Over time, other languages became more common. This happened because of big changes in the area. These changes led to the language becoming less used.

Sounds of Bilinarra

Every language has its own special sounds. These sounds are called phonemes. Bilinarra has a set of sounds that make up its words.

Vowel Sounds

Bilinarra has six different vowel sounds. These are like the 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u' sounds in English. Each vowel can be short or long. Long vowels are held for a bit longer when spoken.

Consonant Sounds

Bilinarra has 23 consonant sounds. These are sounds like 'p', 'b', 'm', 'n', and 'k'. Some of these sounds are made in different parts of the mouth. For example, some sounds use the lips, while others use the tongue.

How Words Are Built

Words in Bilinarra are built from syllables. A syllable is a unit of sound, like "ba" in "banana." The most common way to build a syllable in Bilinarra is with a consonant followed by a vowel (CV). For example, ba-ga means 'prickle'.

Sometimes, a syllable can have a consonant, a vowel, and then another consonant (CVC). For example, jurr-gan means 'forearm'. Less often, a syllable can have a consonant, a vowel, and two consonants (CVCC).

Word Stress

When you say a word, some parts are louder or stronger. This is called stress. In Bilinarra, stress is usually easy to predict.

For short words with two or three syllables, the first syllable is always stressed.

• For two syllables: wardan (meaning 'big')
• For three syllables: janggarni (meaning 'forearm, hand')

For longer words, the first syllable gets the main stress. The third syllable gets a smaller, secondary stress.

• For four syllables: jawulˌwarra (meaning 'king brown snake')

How Words Change

Words in Bilinarra can change their form. This helps to add meaning. This process is called morphology.

Adding Endings to Words

In Bilinarra, new meanings are often added by putting endings onto words. These endings are called suffixes. They can change a verb into a noun or add other details.

For example, the ending -waji can turn a verb into a noun. If you add -waji to the verb 'sit', it becomes 'chair'. So, rurr-waji-la means 'on the chair'.

Sometimes, a word can be a noun or a verb without any change. For instance, ngurra can mean 'to camp' or 'camp'. You know the meaning from how it is used in the sentence.

Describing Nouns

Special endings can be added to nouns to describe them. For example, -gujarra means 'two'. So, jagarr-ngarna-gujarra means 'two blankets'. This ending tells you there are exactly two of something.

Small Word Parts (Clitics)

Clitics are small word parts that attach to other words. They add extra meaning, like showing doubt or emphasis. They are usually placed after other endings.

For example, the clitic =nga shows uncertainty. If you say Nyawa=ma=rna=nga, it means 'I might'. It tells you the speaker is not sure.

Some clitics can attach to almost any word. Others can only attach to certain types of words. For example, =rningan means 'again'. It can attach to nouns or words that describe actions. So, diwu-waji=rningan means 'plane again'.

Repeating Parts of Words

Sometimes, parts of words are repeated. This is called reduplication. It can change the meaning of a word.

• It can show that there is more than one of something (plural).
• It can make an adjective stronger (more intense).
• It can show that many people are doing an action.

Often, the first two syllables of a word are repeated at the beginning. For example, wajja (hurry) becomes wajja-wajja (hurry-REDUP).

How Words Relate to Each Other

In Bilinarra, special endings show how words are connected in a sentence. This is called case. It helps you understand who is doing what.

Who Did What?

The words for the subject of an action (who is doing it) and the object of an action (who it is done to) often do not change. For example, the word for 'crocodile' (warrija) looks the same whether it is the one doing the action or the one being acted upon.

The Doer's Ending

When someone is doing an action, their name or title might get a special ending. This ending shows they are the one performing the action. For example, if Nina is cooking, her name might have an ending like -nggu. So, Nina-nggu means 'Nina (is doing it)'.

How Sentences Are Built

Simple Sentences

Unlike English, Bilinarra does not have a strict word order. This means you can often arrange the words in a sentence in different ways. The meaning still stays clear.

The order of words is often decided by what the speaker wants to emphasize. So, you might see the same sentence with words in a different order. Both ways would be correct.

For example, you could say "Nanagu chopped the bark" or "Chopped the bark Nanagu." Both sentences mean the same thing.

Some Bilinarra Words

Here are a few words from the Bilinarra language:

• jiya (kangaroo)
• jamud (bush turkey)
• girrawa (goanna)
• yinarrwa (barramundi)