Ngarla language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ngarla |
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| Native to | Port Hedland area of Western Australia | |||
| Ethnicity | Ngarla | |||
| Extinct | Critically endangered | |||
| Language family |
Pama–Nyungan
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| AIATSIS | A79 | |||
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The Ngarla language is a special language from the coast of Western Australia. It belongs to a large group of Australian Aboriginal languages called Pama–Nyungan. Ngarla is closely related to languages like Panyjima and Martuthunira. Even though they are similar, Ngarla is seen as its own unique language.
Ngarla is part of the Ngayarda branch of the Pama–Nyungan language family. Experts have studied it to understand its place among other languages.
People used to speak Ngarla near Port Hedland. This area is on the coast of Western Australia. There was another language called "Ngarla" spoken near the Ashburton River. However, that was a different language, even if it might have been related.
Sadly, the Ngarla language is no longer spoken every day. It is considered critically endangered. This means very few people know it, and it's at high risk of disappearing completely. However, some community members still remember words and phrases.
Saving the Ngarla Language
Even though Ngarla is not widely spoken, there are efforts to keep it alive. Since 2020, Ngarla has been one of 20 languages chosen for a special project. This project is called the Priority Languages Support Project. It is run by First Languages Australia. The project gets money from the Department of Communications and the Arts.
What the Project Does
The main goal of this project is to find and record languages that are in great danger. These are languages that have little or no information written down. They might not have any recordings, but there are still people who remember how to speak them.
Resources for Ngarla
The Irra Wangga Language Centre has done a lot of research on the Ngarla language. They have created helpful materials to share what they've learned. These resources include "Ngarla Numbers," which teaches how to count in Ngarla. They also made a book called Jamie’s Bush Tucker Trip. These materials help people learn about and connect with the Ngarla language.
