Wirangu language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wirangu |
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| Native to | Australia | |||
| Region | West coast of South Australia | |||
| Ethnicity | Wirangu people | |||
| Extinct | 2 semi-speakers reported in 2007e18 | |||
| Language family |
Pama–Nyungan
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| AIATSIS | C1 | |||
Tribal boundaries, after Tindale (1974), adapted from Hercus (1999)
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The Wirangu language is an Australian Aboriginal language from the west coast of South Australia. It is also known by names like Wirrongu, Wirrung, Wirrunga, and Wirangga. This language was traditionally spoken by the Wirangu people. Their land stretched from modern Ceduna and Streaky Bay west towards the Great Australian Bight and east to Lake Gairdner. Wirangu is part of the Thura-Yura group of languages. Today, very few people speak Wirangu fluently, making it an endangered language.
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Wirangu's Language Family
The Wirangu language is most closely related to other languages in the Thura–Yura group. These languages are spoken across South Australia, from the west coast to the city of Adelaide. They also reach north to the Flinders Ranges and Lake Eyre.
Relatives of Wirangu
Some of the best-known languages related to Wirangu include Barngarla, Nauo, Nukunu, Adnyamathanha, Narangga, and Kaurna. These languages share similar roots with Wirangu.
How Languages Change
Over time, people from different Aboriginal groups met and lived together. This led to changes in their traditional ways of life and how they spoke. For Wirangu, a big change happened when the Koonibba Mission was started in 1898. At the mission, Wirangu speakers had a lot of contact with people who spoke Kokatha.
Both Wirangu and Kokatha come from a very old language family called Pama–Nyungan. However, Wirangu is a Thura-Yura language, while Kokatha is a Wati language. Languages that are neighbors often borrow words from each other. Because of the close contact at Koonibba, many Kokatha words became part of the Wirangu language.
Learning and Language History
A Kokatha woman named Dylan Coleman wrote about language in 2010. She said that some work on the Wirangu language was based on what two fluent Kokatha speakers said. These speakers were her grandmothers. They had learned Kokatha language and culture from their elders for many generations. This shows how important it is to know who is teaching and sharing language knowledge.
Bringing Wirangu Back to Life
Even though only a few people speak Wirangu fluently now, many Aboriginal people in the Ceduna area remember parts of the language. They are working hard to bring it back.
Language Revitalisation Efforts
Since 2004, there has been a program to bring the Wirangu language back to life. This program is happening in Ceduna and nearby areas. As part of this effort, the last two known full speakers of Wirangu, Gladys and Doreen Miller, were recorded.
With help from language experts at the University of Adelaide, many books have been made. These books are for schools and for the wider community to learn Wirangu. In 2005, the Far West Languages Centre was opened in Ceduna. This center helps and promotes the use of Wirangu. It also supports other local languages that are in danger, like Gugada/Kokatha and Mirning.
