Marrngu languages facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marrngu |
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| Geographic distribution: |
Western Australia |
| Linguistic classification: | Pama–Nyungan
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| Subdivisions: |
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 Marrngu languages (green) among other Pama–Nyungan (tan). Marrngu proper is on the coast, Mangarla inland.
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The Marrngu languages are a small group of related languages spoken by Aboriginal people in Western Australia, Australia. They are part of a much larger group of languages called the Pama–Nyungan language family, which covers most of Australia.
There are four main languages in the Marrngu family. All of them started in the area of Western Australia.
- Mangala (also known as Mangarla)
- Marrngu proper (this name refers to the main Marrngu language itself, which includes two dialects):
- Karajarri (also known as Garadjari)
- Nyangumarta (also known as Njangumarta)
Words and Meanings
To understand how these languages are similar and different, we can look at some basic words. A linguist named Arthur Capell studied these languages in 1940 and recorded many words. Here are a few examples that show how words for common things can be alike or different across the Marrngu languages:
| gloss | Njängumada | Garadjeri | Mangala |
|---|---|---|---|
| man | marŋu | marŋo | djiːbi |
| woman | midawa | djando | malar |
| head | djudju | guŋgulu | djida |
| eye | bani | bani | mil |
| nose | milja | milja | milja |
| mouth | rira | djawa | rira |
| tongue | djälin | djälan | djalan |
| stomach | ŋaːlu | ŋaːlu | burma |
| bone | ŋandi | gamari | |
| blood | gunbulu | gunbulu | gunbulu |
| kangaroo | bardjanin | bardjanin | wandjiri |
| opossum | laŋgur | laŋgur | laŋgur |
| emu | galaju | bidjaɖa | ganaŋandja |
| crow | djawari | djawari | waŋgede |
| fly | wɔdei | wanmin | wanmin |
| sun | djandja | baːra | baːra |
| moon | ɖaɖaɖa | ɖaɖaɖa | gilinman |
| fire | wiga | djuŋgu | waɭu |
| smoke | baɳɖi | ŋuɽun | ŋundjir |
| water | ŋaba | ŋaba | ŋaba |
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Marrngu languages Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.