Yanyuwa language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yanyuwa |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native to | Australia | |||
| Region | Northern Territory | |||
| Ethnicity | Yanyuwa, Wadiri | |||
| Native speakers | 47 (2021 census) | |||
| Language family |
Pama–Nyungan
|
|||
| AIATSIS | N153 | |||
Yanyuwa is the patch of yellow on the northern coast, between the orange and the green.
|
||||
|
||||
Yanyuwa is the language of the Yanyuwa people. These people live on the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands. This area is in the Gulf of Carpentaria, near Borroloola in the Northern Territory, Australia.
Yanyuwa is a special language. It adds many small parts (like prefixes) to words. This helps to show what the words mean. It also uses a system of 16 different noun classes. These classes help to group words together.
Sadly, Yanyuwa is a critically endangered language. This means very few people still speak it. In 2021, only 47 speakers were recorded.
John Bradley is an anthropologist. He has worked with the Yanyuwa people for over 30 years. He also speaks Yanyuwa himself. He has created a large dictionary and grammar for the language. He also helped make a cultural atlas with the Yanyuwa elders.
Contents
Sounds of Yanyuwa: Phonology
Yanyuwa has some very unusual sounds. It has 7 different places where sounds are made in the mouth. This is called "places of articulation" for stop sounds. For example, English only has 3 such places. Most other Australian languages have 4 to 6.
Another interesting fact is that all Yanyuwa consonants are voiced. This means your vocal cords vibrate when you make these sounds. In English, some sounds are voiced (like 'b') and some are not (like 'p').
Yanyuwa Consonants
| Peripheral | Laminal | Apical | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilabial | Front velar |
Back velar |
Palato- alveolar |
Dental | Alveolar | Retroflex | |
| Nasal | m ⟨m⟩ | ŋ̟ ⟨nyng⟩ | ŋ̠ ⟨ng⟩ | ṉ ⟨ny⟩ | n̪ ⟨nh⟩ | n ⟨n⟩ | ɳ ⟨rn⟩ |
| Prenasalised stop | ᵐb ⟨mb⟩ | ᵑɡ̟ ⟨nyk⟩ | ᵑɡ̠ ⟨ngk⟩ | ⁿḏ ⟨nj⟩ | ⁿd̪ ⟨nth⟩ | ⁿd ⟨nd⟩ | ᶯɖ ⟨rnd⟩ |
| Stop | b ⟨b⟩ | ɡ̟ ⟨yk⟩ | ɡ̠ ⟨k⟩ | ḏ ⟨j⟩ | d̪ ⟨th⟩ | d ⟨d⟩ | ɖ ⟨rd⟩ |
| Lateral | ḻ ⟨ly⟩ | l̪ ⟨lh⟩ | l ⟨l⟩ | ɭ ⟨rl⟩ | |||
| Rhotic | r ⟨rr⟩ | ɻ ⟨r⟩ | |||||
| Semivowel | w ⟨w⟩ | j ⟨y⟩ | |||||
Yanyuwa Vowels
| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| High | i ⟨i⟩ | u ⟨u⟩ |
| Low | a ⟨a⟩ | |
How Words are Built: Morphology
Noun Classes in Yanyuwa
Yanyuwa has 16 different noun classes. These are like groups for words. Words are put into a class based on what they mean. For example, there are classes for female humans, male humans, food, and body parts.
The class of a word is shown by a small part added to the beginning of the word. This is called a prefix. Sometimes, men and women use different prefixes for the same class.
| Prefix | Class | Example(s) | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| rra-/a- | female (human centred) | rra-bardibardi | "old lady" |
| nya- ∅- | male (human centred) | nya-malbu malbu | "old man" |
| rra-/a- | feminine | a-karnkarnka | "white bellied sea eagle" |
| ∅- | masculine | nangurrbuwala | "hill kangaroo" |
| ma- | food (non-meat) | ma-ngakuya | "cycad fruit" |
| na- | arboreal | na-wabija | "digging stick" |
| narnu- | abstract | narnu-wardi | "badness" |
| possessive pronominal prefixes | body parts | nanda-wulaya | "her head" |
| niwa-wulaya na-wulaya | "his head" | ||
| ∅- | familiar kinship | kajaja | "father, dad" |
| various pronominal prefixes | formal kinship for close kin | angatharra-wangu | "my wife" |
| various pronominal prefixes | formal kinship-grandparent level | karna-marrini | "my daughter's child" |
| various pronominal prefixes/suffixes | formal kinship-avoidance | rra-kayibanthayindalu | "your daughter in law" |
| rri- (dual) and li- (plural) | human group | li-maramaranja | "dugong hunters of excellence" |
| rra-/a-, nya- ∅- | personal names | rra-Marrngawi, nya-Lajumba Lajumba | |
| rra-/a- / ∅- | ceremony names | rra-Kunabibi, Yilayi, rra-Milkathatha | |
| ∅- | place names | Kandanbarrawujbi, Burrulula, Wathangka |
Male and Female Ways of Speaking
Yanyuwa is very special because men and women speak slightly different versions of the language. This difference is in how they build words. Men only use the women's way of speaking if they are quoting a woman. The same is true for women quoting men.
Here is an example:
- (w) nya-buyi nya-ardu kiwa-wingka waykaliya wulangindu kanyilu-kala nyikunya-baba.
- (m) buyi ardu ka-wingka waykaliya wulangindu kila-kala nyiku-baba.
Both sentences mean: "The little boy went down to the river and saw his brother."
In 2018, the BBC reported that only 3 women were still fluent speakers of Yanyuwa.
Different Ways to Speak Yanyuwa
In Yanyuwa, some words have different versions. These versions are used in special cultural situations.
Avoidance Speech
Avoidance speech is a special way of talking. You use it when you are speaking to or near certain relatives. These include siblings and cousins of the opposite sex. It also includes in-laws (like your brother-in-law or mother-in-law). You also use it for nieces and nephews if their parent (your sibling) has passed away.
Sometimes, avoidance speech uses different word endings. But usually, it means using completely different words for the same thing.
For example, a digging stick is usually called na-wabija. But in avoidance speech, you would say na-wulungkayangu.
Here is an example sentence:
- Avoidance: Ja-wuynykurninji ki-bujibujilu runungkawu ma-wulyarri.
- Normal: Ja-wingkayi ki-buyukalu wubanthawu ma-ngarra.
Both sentences mean: "He is going to the fire to cook food."
Ritual Speech
Another set of words is used during ceremonies and other important cultural events. Many of these ritual words are sacred. They are kept secret from outsiders.
For example, a dingo is usually called wardali. But during rituals, the word used is yarrarriwira. This is one of the ritual terms that many people know. Some other terms for plants and animals are also publicly known.
Island Speech
When people are on the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands, they might use a different set of words. These words replace the terms used on the mainland. People are more flexible about using island speech compared to other speech styles.
For instance, on the mainland, fishing is called wardjangkayarra. But on the islands, the word used is akarimantharra.
Yanyuwa's Place in Language Families
A language expert named Dixon (in 2002) believed that Yanyuwa is clearly related to the Warluwara language. It is also related to other languages that are similar to Warluwara.
Yanyuwa Culture
Films in Yanyuwa
Yanyuwa speakers have been very active in making films. They have also started a project to animate important stories and songs. Here are three important films with Yanyuwa language and subtitles:
- Kanymarda Yuwa – Two Laws
- Buwarrala Akarriya – Journey East
- Ka-wayawayama – Aeroplane Dance
Music in Yanyuwa
The singer Shellie Morris released an album in May 2013. It was called Ngambala Wiji Li-Wunungu – Together We are Strong. This album featured songs sung in the Yanyuwa language.
See also
In Spanish: Idioma yanyuwa para niños
