Manyjilyjarra (Manjiljarra, Mandjildjara) is generally considered a dialect of the Western Desert language.
| Manyjilyjarra | |
|---|---|
| Manjiljarra, Mandjildjara | |
| Region | near Jigalong, Western Australia |
| Ethnicity | Mandjildjara |
Native speakers | 311 (2016 census);[1] 65 (2021 census)[2] |
Pama–Nyungan
| |
| Manjiljarra Sign Language | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | mpj – Martu Wangka |
| Glottolog | None |
| AIATSIS[3] | A51.1 |
| ELP | |
It is often classified as a distinct language among the Wati languages of the large Pama–Nyungan family of Australia.[4]
It is one of the components of the Martu Wangka koine.[5]: iii
Sign language
editMost of the peoples of central Australia have (or at one point had) signed forms of their languages. Among the Western Desert peoples, sign language has been reported specifically for Manjiljarra, though it is not clear from records how well developed it was.[6]
Phonology
editVowels
edit| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| High | i iː | u uː |
| Low | a aː | |
- /i/ has allophones [i] or [ɪ] in free variation. Mainly as [ɪ] in stressed syllables, and as [i] in word-final position.
- /u/ has the allophones [u] or [ʊ] in free variation. When following or preceding velar consonants, it may be realized as [o].
- /a/ is typically pronounced as [a] or [ɑ] in free variation. When in unstressed syllables, it can be pronounced as [ʌ]. When following the glide /w/ or a labial or velar consonant, it can be realized as [ɒ]. When following palatal consonants, it can be realized as [æ] or [e]. When preceding glides /w, j/, it may be heard with vowel off-glides as [aᵘ, aⁱ].
- The phoneme sequence /aji/ may be realized as a mid-close front long sound [eː].
Consonants
edit| Peripheral | Laminal | Apical | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilabial | Velar | Palatal | Alveolar | Retroflex | |
| Plosive | p | k | c | t | ʈ |
| Nasal | m | ŋ | ɲ | n | ɳ |
| Lateral | ʎ | l | ɭ | ||
| Trill/Tap | ɾ ~ r | ||||
| Approximant | w | j | ɻ | ||
- Stops /p, t, ʈ, c, k/ have voiced allophones [b, d, ɖ, ɟ, ɡ] when following nasal sounds, or may be heard as voiced in free variation when following approximant sounds. Voiced stop allophones [b, ɟ, ɡ] may alternate with voiced fricative allophones [β, ʝ, ɣ] in intervocalic positions.
- Palatal sounds /c, ɲ/ may alternate with laminal-alveolar sounds [t̻, n̻] when before /a, aː/ in word-initial position.
- When preceding a word-final /u/, most consonant sounds occur as rounded [Cʷ].
- /r/ is typically heard as a trill [r], and is mostly heard as a flap [ɾ] in word-medial or intervocalic positions. In word-final positions, it is commonly heard as a voiceless trill [r̥].[7]
References
edit- ^ A51.1 Manyjilyjarra at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
- ^ "SBS Census Explorer: How diverse is your community?". SBS News. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ A51.1 Manyjilyjarra at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
- ^ Claire Bowern and Quentin Atkinson. 2012. Computational phylogenetics and the internal structure of Pama-Nyungan. Language 88. 817-845. Johns Hopkins University Press.
- ^ Burgman, Albert; Marsh, James; Hansen, Ken; Booth, Joshua (2005). Martu Wangka Dictionary and Topical Finderlist 2005 Draft. South Hedland, Western Australia: WANGKA MAYA Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre. ISBN 1875946152.
- ^ Kendon, A. (1988) Sign Languages of Aboriginal Australia: Cultural, Semiotic and Communicative Perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- ^ Marsh, James L. (1969). Mantjiltjara phonology. Oceanic Linguistics 8(2). pp. 131–152.
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