Description:

Aboriginal Australia holds some of the world’s most endangered languages. Many languages in the south and east of this Hotspot have been lost already, and more will soon follow. Aboriginal groups are small and scattered because of a history of conflict between white settlers and aboriginal groups. Many aboriginal groups did not survive this contact, while many others only barely survived and struggle to maintain language and culture.

Read about our 2007 Australia expedition on our expedition page.

Click here to download formula pdf

Endangered languages include:

• Dayi (< 200 speakers, Yolngu)
• Garig-Ilgar (< 10 speakers, Yiwaidjan)
• Gooniyandi (< 100 speakers, Bunaban)
• Gudanji (< 5 speakers, West Barkly)
• Jaru (< 300 speakers, Ngumbin)
• Kwini (< 50 speakers, Wororan)
• Madngele (around 20 speakers, Daly)
• Mati Ke (< 10 speakers, Bringen-Waygady)
• Meriam (< 400 speakers, Trans-New Guinea)
• Nyikina (< 50 speakers, Nyulnyulan)
• Ritharngu (< 300 speakers, Pama-Nyungan Yuulngu)

Revitalization efforts include:

• Australia: http://www.fatsil.org/index.htm, http://austlang.aiatsis.gov.au/disclaimer.php
• Victoria: http://www.vaclang.org.au/
• Katherine: http://www.kathlangcentre.org.au/index.htm
• Western Australia: http://acl.arts.usyd.edu.au/projects/wangkamaya/index.php
• Gumbaynggirr: http://www.muurrbay.org.au/

Some features of languages in hotspot include:

• Elaborate case systems
• Lots of lateral sounds, but few fricatives
• Complex verbal morphology
• Widespread multilingualism
• Word-initial ng-
• Special Speech styles

Trivia:

• Barrkmulbardme means 'hopping male Black Wallaroo' in Kune (1,511 speakers)

• Kalq-ngart means a 'barb for a spear made from a stingray spine' in Yir-Yoront (15 speakers)

• Minh-pirri means 'a deceased cousin's sibling on one's mother's side' in Yir-Yoront (15 speakers)

• Thurrm means 'a fence of brush across a wallaby's path' in Yir-Yoront (15 speakers)

• Arrerneakwelelheme means 'she is supposedly sitting down' in Eastern Arrente (2,000 speakers), and is a combination of the verb arrern (to place), suffixes elh (an action done to oneself) and eme (present tense), and the word akwele (supposedly).

Media:

Click here for a recording of Magati Ke, a language of Australia.

Neil MacKenzie, Yawuru tribal member and expert in traditional knowledge, demonstrates medicinal plants.

David Harrison and Greg Anderson with Charlie Mangulda, the last known speaker of Amurdag. Photo by Chris Rainier.

Charlie Mangulda, the last known speaker of Amurdag. Photo by Chris Rainier.

Doris Edgar, tribal elder and one of a reported 3 remaining speakers of Yawuru, conducts a language lesson for local schoolchildren using plants.

Language map of Australia. Click to download as a pdf. From Wurm, S. A. 1972. Languages of Australia and Tasmania. The Hague: Mouton.

Sources:

Hercus, L., F. Hodges and J. Simpson, eds. 2002. The Land is a Map: Placenames of Indigenous Origin in Australia. Canberra: Pandanus Books.

National Indigenous Languages Directory: http://www.fatsil.org/links/nild.htm

Torres Strait Languages: http://www.fatsil.org/LOTM/nov01.htm

Alpher, Barry. 1991. Yir-Yoront Lexicon: Sketch & Dictionary of an Australian Language. Mouton de Gruyter.