Ritharrngu language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ritharnggu |
|
|---|---|
| Ritarungo, Ritharrŋu, etc. | |
| Native to | Australia |
| Region | Northern Territory |
| Ethnicity | Ritharrngu |
| Native speakers | 32 (2006 census)aiatsis |
| Language family |
Pama–Nyungan
|
| Dialects |
Ritharnggu
Wagilak
|
| AIATSIS | N104 |
The Ritharnggu language is an Aboriginal language from Australia. It is spoken in the Northern Territory. You might also see it called Ritharrŋu, Ritharngu, or Ritarungo.
This language belongs to the Yolŋu language group. These languages are spoken by the Yolngu peoples.
Speaking the Ritharnggu Language
The Ritharnggu language has different ways of speaking, like dialects. These dialects are connected to the two main family groups, called kinship moieties, of the Ritharrngu people.
One main way of speaking is called Ritharnggu. This is used by the Yirritja moiety group. The other main way is the Wagilak language. This is used by the Dua moiety group.
Some people from the Manggurra clan, who are also part of the Dua group, now speak Ritharnggu. They used to speak a different language called Nunggubuyu.
Helping the Language Survive
As of As of 2020[update], Wägilak/Ritharrŋu is one of 20 languages getting special help. This help comes from the Priority Languages Support Project. First Languages Australia runs this project, with money from the Department of Communications and the Arts.
The project's goal is to find and record languages that are in danger of disappearing. These are languages that have not been written down much, or recorded before. The project focuses on languages that still have people who speak them.
