Gurindji language facts for kids

Gurindji is an Aboriginal language spoken by the Gurindji and Ngarinyman people in the Northern Territory, Australia. It belongs to a large group of languages called Pama-Nyungan.

Sadly, the Gurindji language is in danger of disappearing. Only about 592 people still speak it. Even fewer, around 175 people, fully understand the language. There are also about 60 speakers of the Ngarinyman dialect.

A special language called Gurindji Kriol has also developed. It is a mixed language that combines parts of Gurindji with other languages.

Experts like Patrick McConvell say that traditional Gurindji is mostly used in private talks among older people. Sometimes, it appears in speeches or new songs. He also noted that Gurindji has only been taught in local schools for short times over the last 25 years. It usually doesn't have a big role in school lessons or official community events.

The Gurindji language has taken many words from nearby languages. These include Gajirrabeng, Ngaliwurru, Jaminjung, Jaru, Miriwung, and Wardaman.

Understanding Gurindji Language

The Gurindji language is part of the large Pama-Nyungan language family. This family includes most of the Indigenous languages spoken across Australia. Gurindji is also part of a smaller group within Pama-Nyungan called Ngumpin-Yapa.

The Ngumpin-Yapa group has an "Eastern Ngumpin" branch. Gurindji is part of this branch. These languages are found in the northern parts of Australia. They are close to other Indigenous languages that are not part of the Pama-Nyungan family. The final group Gurindji belongs to is the Victoria River branch.

Where Gurindji is Spoken

About 592 people speak Gurindji. They live in the Northern Territory, Australia. Specifically, they are in the Victoria River District.

Two main places for Gurindji speakers are Dagaragu and Kalkaringi. Dagaragu was the destination of an important historical walk-off by the Gurindji people. Kalkaringi was later built nearby to serve the area. Many Gurindji people moved to Kalkaringi. Today, both towns are home to the Gurindji. Kalkaringi has most of the services like the school and shops. Dagaragu has other facilities like a bakery.

Different Ways of Speaking Gurindji

Gurindji is part of a chain of dialects that stretch westward. This means that different ways of speaking the language blend into each other.

Some of these varieties include:

• Wanjdjirra
• Malngin
• Wurlayi
• Ngarinman
• Bilinarra
• Kartangarurru

Gurindji Kriol: A New Language

A new language called Gurindji Kriol has grown from Gurindji. Experts noticed people switching between Gurindji and other languages in the 1960s and 1980s. This new language likely started when non-Indigenous people set up cattle stations in the area.

Younger Gurindji people, under 35, often speak Gurindji Kriol. They understand traditional Gurindji but usually don't speak it in its original form.

How Gurindji Works

The Gurindji language has its own special rules for sounds and grammar.

Sounds of Gurindji

Gurindji has a typical sound system for a Pama-Nyungan language. It uses sounds made with the lips, tongue, and back of the throat. It has sounds like 'p', 't', 'k', and 'm', 'n'.

It also has three main vowel sounds: 'a', 'i', and 'u'. When certain sounds combine, they can make sounds like diphthongs (vowel blends). Interestingly, Gurindji does not have sounds like 'f' or 'v'. Also, the first part of a word usually gets the stress.

Building Gurindji Sentences

Gurindji has a flexible word order. This means you can often arrange words in a sentence in different ways. The meaning still stays clear. The verb (action word) is very important. It tells you about the time of the action (past, present, future). It also tells you who is doing the action and who it is happening to.

Nouns (names of people, places, things) also change their endings. These endings show their role in the sentence. For example, an ending might show if a noun is the one doing the action or the one receiving the action.

Felicity Meakins, an expert, found that Gurindji uses only suffixes. These are small parts added to the end of words. They help change the word's meaning or role.

Some of these suffixes are for:

• Ergative (shows who is doing the action)
• Dative (shows who benefits or is affected)
• Locative (shows location, like 'at' or 'in')
• Allative (shows movement towards something)
• Ablative (shows movement away from something)

Because word order is flexible, Gurindji is called a non-configurational language. For example, the word for 'rock', wumara, can appear in different places in a sentence.

Here are two ways to say "He throws the rock into the water":

• Wumara waj yuwa-na-na ngawa-ngkurra
• Ngawa-ngkurra waj yuwa-na-na wumara

The order of words often depends on what information is most important.

Unique Gurindji Words

The Gurindji language has many words and phrases that are special. They have deep meanings that are hard to explain in English.

For example, the Gurindji word yumi means 'law'. But it's more than just rules about crime. It also includes how people should behave with their family and the land. This behavior comes from the ancestors and their stories.

Another interesting difference is how Gurindji talks about directions. Gurindji doesn't have words for 'left' or 'right'. Instead, it has 24 different words for each main direction: north, south, east, and west!

Finally, the Gurindji kinship system is very different from English. They have many more words for family relationships than just 'father' or 'sister'. This is because anyone who is important in a person's life for a long time can be included in their kinship system.

Try Some Gurindji Words!

Here are some Gurindji words and sentences for you to try. They come from the Gurindji Multimedia Database:

• jalak yuwanana: to send.
  • Ngayiny-ku jipiniya-wu ngurna-rla jalak yuwarru jarrakap milimili.
  • Meaning: 'I sent a letter to my boyfriend'.
• kalu: to walk.
  • Kalu-ngkurra-warla ngurna-rla jalngak waninya yawarta-la.
  • Meaning: 'I got on the horse while it was walking'.
• malykmalyk manana: to sprinkle with water.
  • Malymalyk mani ngawa-ngku nyila kalnga.
  • Meaning: 'He sprinkled the red ochre with water.'
• walima: how about.
  • Walima-nta ngapaku-wu-ma?
  • Meaning: 'Do any of you want water?'
• yarrpuru: to get better from sickness. Other forms: yarrpu, yarrapuru, yarrpuyarrpu.
  • Yarrapuru-nginyi ngurna wankaj-pa-rningan.
  • Meaning: 'Having recovered, I'm sick again.'