Ngarluma language facts for kids

Ngarluma and Kariyarra are two closely related languages. They are spoken by Aboriginal people in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. These languages are part of the Ngayarda language group. This group belongs to the larger Pama–Nyungan language family.

Some people believe that an extinct language called Jaburara was also part of this language group. However, the Jaburara people faced very difficult times in the late 1800s. This made it hard to know exactly how their language was related. Some evidence suggests Jaburara might have been a dialect of another language called Martuthunira.

Even though Ngarluma and Kariyarra are very similar, their speakers see them as distinct languages. This is because the Ngarluma and Kariyarra people are different cultural groups. You can think of them as two different versions of the same language, like different types of English spoken in different countries.

Understanding the Languages

In 1967, a language expert named Carl Georg von Brandenstein classified Ngarluma as a "Coastal Ngayarda" language. However, experts today no longer use this way of dividing the Ngayarda languages.

Different Ways of Speaking

Besides the main Ngarluma and Kariyarra languages, there might be smaller differences within Ngarluma itself. The idea of including Jaburara as a sub-dialect of Ngarluma is debated. Some Ngarluma people believe the Jaburara people and their land were a sub-group of Ngarluma.

However, the Jaburara dialect is sometimes seen as its own language. Other times, it's thought to be a dialect of Martuthunira. The word jaburara means "northerners" in the languages of this area. The traditional lands of the Jaburara people, around the Burrup Peninsula, are generally north of the Martuthunira lands. This supports the idea that Jaburara might be closer to Martuthunira.

In the past, a simpler form of Ngarluma, called a pidgin, was used. This was a contact language that helped different groups communicate.

Sounds of the Language

Like all languages, Ngarluma and Kariyarra have their own unique sounds. These sounds are made up of vowels and consonants.

Vowel Sounds

There are three main vowel sounds in these languages: /a/, /i/, and /u/.

Consonant Sounds

The languages use a variety of consonant sounds. These sounds are made by using different parts of the mouth. For example, some sounds use the lips, while others use the tongue against the roof of the mouth.

• The 'r' sound can sometimes be a quick tap, like the 'tt' in "butter" in American English.
• Some sounds are made by combining a nasal sound (like 'n' or 'm') with another consonant.

Where the Languages Were Spoken

Before Europeans settled in Australia, the Kariyarra people lived in an area from the Yule River east to Port Hedland. Their land also stretched south to the Hamersley Range.

The official area recognized as Ngarluma traditional land includes the Jaburara lands. This area goes south from Point Samson, Cossack, Wickham, and Roebourne. It reaches the northern border of Millstream-Chichester National Park. The land also extends from the east side of the Maitland River mouth to the west side of the Peawah River near Whim Creek. This includes the towns of Dampier and Karratha.

However, the exact boundaries of this land are sometimes debated. This is because some areas are also considered traditional land by Martuthunira people. Also, for legal reasons, the official boundary does not always include all the areas that Ngarluma people believe are part of their traditional country.