Dhuwal language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dhuwal |
|
|---|---|
| Dhay'yi | |
| Native to | Australia |
| Region | Northern Territory |
| Ethnicity | Daii, Dhuwal, Dhuwala, Makarrwanhalmirr |
| Native speakers | 4,200 (2021 census) |
| Language family |
Pama–Nyungan
|
| Standard forms |
Dhuwaya
|
| Dialects |
Gupapuyngu
Gumatj
Djambarrpuyngu
Djapu
Liyagalawumirr
Guyamirlili
Dhalwangu [Dhay'yi]
Djarrwark [Dhay'yi]
|
| Official status | |
| Official language in | Northern Territory (as lingua franca for Aboriginal people) |
| AIATSIS | N198 Dhuwal, N199, N118 |
Dhuwal (also called Dual or Duala) is an Aboriginal Australian language. It is spoken in the Northern Territory of Australia. Dhuwal is part of a larger group known as the Yolŋu languages.
Even though all Yolŋu languages are somewhat similar, Dhuwal is special. It has eight different ways of speaking, called dialects. These dialects are like different versions of the same language.
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What are Dhuwal Dialects?
Dhuwal isn't just one language; it's a family of related ways of speaking. Experts have studied these different forms.
Main Dhuwal Varieties
A language expert named Robert M. W. Dixon grouped the Dhuwal dialects. He found that some dialects belong to a group called Yirritja. Others belong to a group called Dhuwa. These groups are important in Aboriginal culture.
- Yirritja group includes Gupapuyngu and Gumatj.
- Dhuwa group includes Djambarrpuyngu, Djapu, Liyagalawumirr, and Guyamirlili.
There are also the Dhay'yi dialects, Dhalwangu and Djarrwark. These are also considered part of the Dhuwal language family.
How Many People Speak Dhuwal?
The group Ethnologue also looks at languages. They divide Dhuwal into several languages. Here are some numbers from the 2006 census:
- Dhuwal, Datiwuy, Dhuwaya, Liyagawumirr, Marrangu, and Djapu: about 600 speakers.
- Djampbarrpuyŋu: about 2,760 speakers.
- Gumatj: about 240 speakers.
- Gupapuyngu: about 330 speakers.
- Dhay'yi (Dayi) and Dhalwangu: about 170 speakers.
What is Dhuwaya?
Dhuwaya is a special version of Dhuwal. Younger people often use it when they are talking informally. It is also the form of the language taught in schools today. It became the main version taught in schools around 1990.
How Dhuwal is Written
Most Aboriginal languages, including Dhuwal, are written using the Latin alphabet. This is the same alphabet English uses.
Sometimes, Aboriginal languages have sounds that are not in English. To write these sounds, people use special ways. They might use two letters together, called a digraph. Or they might add a small mark, called a diacritic, to a letter. Sometimes, they even use special symbols from the International Phonetic Alphabet.
For example, in some Yolŋu languages, the sound for 'ng' in "sing" is written with a special letter: ŋ. This helps people know how to say the words correctly.
