Yinjibarndi language facts for kids

Yinjibarndi is a language spoken by the Yindjibarndi people. They live in the Pilbara region of north-western Australia. It belongs to a large group of languages called Pama–Nyungan.

Even though Yinjibarndi sounds similar to the Kurrama language, speakers of both languages see them as separate. This means they can understand each other, but they know their languages are different.

What Kind of Language is Yinjibarndi?

Yinjibarndi is part of the Pama–Nyungan language family. This is one of the largest groups of Aboriginal Australian languages. Within this big family, Yinjibarndi is part of a smaller group called the Ngayarda languages.

Sounds of Yinjibarndi

Every language has its own special sounds. Yinjibarndi, like other languages, has different consonant and vowel sounds. These sounds are put together to make words.

• Consonants: These are sounds made by blocking air in your mouth, like 'p', 't', or 'm'. Yinjibarndi has many different consonant sounds.
• Vowels: These are sounds made with an open mouth, like 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u'. Yinjibarndi has a few main vowel sounds, and some of them can be long or short.

How Yinjibarndi Works (Grammar)

Languages have rules for how words are put together. This is called grammar.

Pronouns in Yinjibarndi

Pronouns are words like "I," "you," "he," "she," "we," and "they." In Yinjibarndi, pronouns can tell you interesting things about the people being talked about. For example, some pronouns can show if two people are from different generations in a family.

Words from Yinjibarndi

Sometimes, words from one language become part of another. The English word "yandy" comes from Yinjibarndi.

• Yandy: This word means to separate things like grain or minerals. You do this by shaking them in a special shallow dish.