Wardaman language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wardaman |
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| Yangmanic | ||||
| Native to | Australia | |||
| Region | Northern Territory | |||
| Ethnicity | Wardaman, Dagoman, Yangman | |||
| Native speakers | 50 (2016 census) | |||
| Language family |
Yangmanic or language isolate
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| Dialects |
Wardaman
Dagoman
Yangman
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| AIATSIS | N35 Wardaman, N38, N68 | |||
Yangmanic languages (purple), among other non-Pama-Nyungan languages (grey)
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Wardaman is an Aboriginal Australian language. It is spoken by the Wardaman people in the Northern Territory of Australia. Only about 50 people speak Wardaman today.
Wardaman is considered a language isolate. This means it is not clearly related to other languages. Two other languages, Dagoman and Yangman, were once spoken in the same area. They might have been different forms of Wardaman or very close relatives. Together, these languages are sometimes called Yangmanic.
What is Wardaman?
For a while, Wardaman was thought to be part of a larger group called Gunwinyguan languages. However, experts have not found strong proof that Yangmanic languages are truly connected to other languages in that group.
Another language called Wagiman is very similar to Wardaman in how its sentences are built. Even though they sound different and share few words, some experts believe they might be related. This is because they use "verbal particles" (small words that help verbs) in a similar way. This makes them different from other nearby languages.
Sounds of Wardaman
The sounds of a language are called its phonology. Wardaman has a special set of sounds, just like English or any other language.
Consonant Sounds
Here are the main consonant sounds in Wardaman:
| Sounds made at the front or back of the mouth | Sounds made with the middle of the tongue | Sounds made with the tip of the tongue | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lips | Back of mouth | Tip of tongue (front) | Tip of tongue (curled back) | ||
| Stop sounds | b | g | d̠ʲ | d | ɖ |
| Nasal sounds | m | ŋ | n̠ʲ | n | ɳ |
| Side sounds | l̠ʲ | l | ɭ | ||
| Flap sounds | ɾ | ||||
| Glide sounds | β̞ | j | ɹ̠ | ||
Some sounds, like those made with the middle of the tongue, might sound a bit like "yn" or "yl" to English speakers. Wardaman also has two types of "r" sounds.
Vowel Sounds
Wardaman has five main vowel sounds, similar to many other languages:
| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| High | i | u |
| Middle | e | o |
| Low | a | |
Wardaman Words
In 1940, a researcher named Arthur Capell wrote down some basic words from the Wardaman language. Here are a few examples:
| English meaning | Wardaman word |
|---|---|
| man | jibiwan |
| woman | baŋbun |
| head | ibam |
| eye | imum |
| nose | idunj |
| mouth | idjäga |
| tongue | djɛlin |
| stomach | nädjin |
| bone | wuːnɛ |
| blood | guräd |
| kangaroo | gaŋman |
| opossum | balan |
| emu | gumɛrindji |
| crow | wagwag |
| fly | galun |
| sun | ŋurun |
| moon | gandawag |
| fire | wudja |
| smoke | lujuŋgin |
| water | wian |
See also
- In Spanish: Lenguas yangmánicas para niños
