Ngaanyatjarra dialect facts for kids

Ngaanyatjarra is an important Aboriginal language spoken in Western Australia. It belongs to a larger group of languages called Pama-Nyungan. It is also part of the Wati languages family.

Ngaanyatjarra is a dialect of the Western Desert Language. This means it is very similar to other languages in the area. For example, it is quite like Ngaatjatjarra. Speakers of Ngaanyatjarra and Ngaatjatjarra can usually understand each other well.

About the Ngaanyatjarra Language

Ngaanyatjarra is one of the many unique languages of Australia's First Peoples. It helps keep the culture and stories of the Ngaanyatjarra people alive. Learning about languages like Ngaanyatjarra helps us understand the rich history of Australia.

Where Ngaanyatjarra People Live

Most people who speak Ngaanyatjarra live in specific communities. These communities are mainly in Western Australia. Some of the main places include:

• Warburton
• Warakurna
• Tjukurla
• Papulankutja (also known as Blackstone)
• Mantamaru (also known as Jameson)
• Kaltukatjara (Docker River)

Some Ngaanyatjarra speakers have also moved to other areas. These include Cosmo Newbery and Laverton. These towns are located in the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia.

What's in a Name?

The name Ngaanyatjarra has a special meaning. It comes from two parts of the language itself.

• The first part is the word ngaanya. This word means 'this'.
• The second part is a suffix, -tjarra. This suffix means 'having'.

So, when you put them together, Ngaanyatjarra means 'having ngaanya (as the word for 'this')'. This helps tell it apart from the Ngaatjatjarra language. Ngaatjatjarra uses a different word, ngaatja, for 'this'.