Jingulu language facts for kids

Jingulu, also spelled Djingili, is an Australian Aboriginal language. It is spoken by the Jingili people in the Northern Territory of Australia. Historically, people spoke Jingulu around the town of Elliott. It belongs to the West Barkly language family.

The Jingulu people also have a special signed form of their language.

Discovering the Jingulu Language

Where Jingulu is Spoken

Jingulu is spoken in the Barkly Tableland area of Australia's Northern Territory. The main place where it was historically used is near the town of Elliott.

Other languages in the West Barkly family include Wambaya, Gudanji, Binbinka, and Ngarnka. When the Mudburra people came to the Jingili area, a new cultural group called Kuwarrangu formed. However, the Jingulu and Mudburra cultures still stayed separate. Because they lived close together, the Jingili and other groups have related languages. They share some common words.

Who Speaks Jingulu Today

Jingulu is an endangered language. This means very few people still speak it. In 1997, only about 10 to 15 people spoke it fluently. The youngest speakers were in their fifties. About 20 more people knew some Jingulu words.

However, people did not use Jingulu for daily talks. They mostly spoke English or Kriol. By 2019, only about five elderly people still spoke Jingulu. One of these speakers is Stuart Joel Nuggett, who has even recorded music in Jingulu.

Jingulu Sign Language

The Jingulu people have (or had) a well-developed sign language. This is a way of communicating using hand signs instead of spoken words. It is a unique part of their culture.

How Jingulu Sounds

Vowel Sounds

Jingulu has three main vowel sounds. These are like the 'i' in "sit", the 'a' in "car", and the 'u' in "put". Even though there are only three main sounds, they can change slightly depending on the word.

Jingulu also has long vowel sounds. This means some vowel sounds are held for a longer time. For example, the sound 'a' can become 'aa' (like in b'aaj, meaning 'arrive').

Vowel Harmony

Jingulu has something called vowel harmony. This is when the vowel sounds in a word change to match other sounds. For example, if a word part (called a suffix) is added to a word, it can make the vowel 'a' in the main part of the word change to 'i'. This helps the sounds flow together better.

Consonant Sounds

Jingulu has 18 consonant sounds. These sounds are made in different parts of the mouth. For example, some sounds use both lips (like 'b' or 'm'). Others use the tongue against the roof of the mouth (like 'd' or 'n').

One interesting thing about Jingulu is that it does not have sounds like 'f' or 'v'. Also, it does not have sounds that are repeated, like 'tt' in "butter". This is common in many Australian Aboriginal languages.

Word Structure

The basic building block of a word in Jingulu is a syllable. A common syllable structure is a consonant followed by a vowel (CV), like 'ba'. Words can also have more complex syllables, like CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant), such as 'bat'.

Words in Jingulu usually end with a vowel sound. Also, some sounds, like 'rr' and 'ly', cannot start a word.

Word Stress

In Jingulu, stress usually falls on the second-to-last vowel sound in a word. This means that when you say a word, you put a little more emphasis on that syllable. For example, in a two-syllable word, the first syllable is stressed. In a three-syllable word, the second syllable is usually stressed.

How Jingulu Words are Built

Jingulu uses both prefixes (word parts added to the beginning) and suffixes (word parts added to the end). These parts change the meaning of words. Most words need these extra parts.

Types of Words

Jingulu words can be grouped into three main types:

• Nominals: These are like nouns and pronouns. They name things, people, or ideas.
• Verbal: These are like verbs. They describe actions or states of being.
• Adverbial: These are like adverbs. They describe how, when, or where something happens.

Nominal Examples

Nominals can change their endings to show their role in a sentence.

• winiyiki-rni [nayurni ngarrirnini]
• foreign-F woman 1SG.GEN.F
• 'My wife is a foreigner.'

Verbal Examples

A simple Jingulu sentence needs a verb or an action word.

• ngurru-wa.
• 1PL.INCL-will.go
• 'Let's go.'

Adverbial Examples

Adverbs usually do not change their form. Sometimes, they must be placed right before an action word.

• kardarrukuji biba-marri.
• all.night storm-DIST
• 'There was a storm all night.'

Changing Word Meanings

Jingulu uses special endings to change words from one type to another. This is called derivation.

Making Nouns from Verbs

You can add endings like -ajka or -ajkal to verbs to make them into nouns.

• -ajka changes a verb into the person or thing that receives the action.

* darr-akja.' (eat.NOM(P)) means 'that which is eaten'.

• -ajkal changes a verb into the person or thing that performs the action.

* BNgany-ajkal-irni (sing-NOM(A)-F) means 'that which is singing' or 'singer'.

Making Adverbs from Words

You can add endings like -kaji or -nama to words to make them into adverbs.

• -kaji means 'really' or 'completely'.

* mujiya-kaji' (forget-through) means 'completely forgotten'.

• -nama can mean 'still', 'already', or 'in the time of...'. It shows something happening over time.

* Jaburra-nama' (before-time) means 'already went'.

Nominal Features

Jingulu words also change to show things like gender, number, and their role in a sentence.

Gender

All nouns in Jingulu belong to one of four groups: masculine, feminine, neuter, or vegetable.

• Vegetable class: Often ends in -imi or -ibi. Includes long, thin, or sharp objects, some body parts, and weather words. Example: kingmi ('rainbow').
• Feminine class: Often ends in -ini, -irni, -idi, or -irdi. Includes female living things, axes, the sun, and some birds. Example: lirrikbirni ('cockatoo').
• Masculine class: Often ends in -a or a consonant. Includes male living things and some flat or round objects. Example: jambilija ('male body').
• Neuter class: Often ends in -u. Includes words for ideas and things that don't fit other groups. Example: karala ('ground').

Number

Jingulu shows if something is singular (one), dual (two), or plural (more than two).

• The ending -bila is used for two things.

* Ngarri-ni-bila bardarda-yila means 'My two younger brothers'.

• The ending -bala is used for many things.

* bayin-bala' means 'people' (plural).

Case

Case shows the job of a noun in a sentence. Jingulu uses different endings for this.

• Ergative case: Shows who or what is doing the action.

* kardayi-rni' (cat-ERG) means 'the cat' (who scratched).

• Dative case: Shows who or what benefits from the action or is the goal.

* Ngangi-rna' (meat-DAT) means 'for meat'.

• Instrumental case: Shows what tool is used for an action.

* Makirdi-warndi' (gun-INS) means 'with a gun'.

Reduplication

Sometimes, Jingulu repeats part of a word to change its meaning. This is called reduplication. For example, repeating the first part of a word can make it plural or change its meaning slightly.

• mardilyi ('lame') can become mardardilyi ('lame folks').
• imikirni ('old woman') can become imimikirni ('old women').

How Jingulu Sentences Work

Flexible Word Order

Jingulu has a very flexible word order. This means you can arrange the words in a sentence in many different ways, and it will still make sense. For example, in English, we usually say "Subject-Verb-Object" (like "The sun burns the ground"). In Jingulu, you can say it in many orders, and it means the same thing.

Here are some ways to say "The sun is burning the ground":

• Uliyijanga ngunjaju karalu. (Sun burning ground)
• Uliyijanga karalu ngunjaju. (Sun ground burning)
• Ngunjaju uliyijanga karalu. (Burning sun ground)

Sentences Without Verbs

Sometimes, Jingulu sentences don't have a verb. Instead, two nouns or descriptive words act like the subject and the action.

• Miringmi bardakurrumi.
• gum good(v)
• 'Gum is good.'

Adverb Placement

Adverbs (words that describe verbs) usually have a preferred spot in a sentence.

• Adverbs of time often come at the beginning of a sentence.
• Adverbs of place can be at the beginning or end.
• Adverbs of manner (how something is done) are usually placed before the verb.

Complex Sentences

Jingulu can also form complex sentences with more than one idea. These can be:

• Coordinate structures: Two ideas that happen at the same time or are related but not dependent on each other.

* Mankiya-nu dibij-kaji ya-rruku. * sit-did outside-through 3SG-went * 'She sat here and he went outside.'

• Subordinate structures: One idea depends on another.

* Jinjku maja-mi jiminiki buba ngirrmi-mindi-yi jalurruka umbumi-mindi-yi. * woodchip get-IRR this(N) fire make-1DU.INCL-FUT tea cook-1DU.INCL-FUT * 'Get some woodchips so we can build this fire and make some tea.'

Jingulu Text Example

Here is a short story in Jingulu and its English translation.