Anindilyakwa language explained

Anindilyakwa
Also Known As:	Enindhilyakwa, Enindhilyagwa
Nativename:	Amamalya Ayakwa
States:	Australia Northern Territory
Region:	Groote Eylandt, Bickerton Island, Northern Territory, Australia
Ethnicity:	Warnindhilyagwa
Ref:	^[1]
Date:	2021 census
Familycolor:	Australian
Fam1:	Macro-Pama–Nyungan?
Fam2:	Macro-Gunwinyguan?
Fam3:	East Arnhem?
Iso3:	aoi
Aiatsis:	N151
Notice:	IPA
Glotto:	anin1240
Glottorefname:	Anindilyakwa
Script:	Latin
Map:	File:Anindilyakwa.png
Mapcaption:	A map highlighting Groote Eylandt and Bickerton Island where Anindilyakwa is spoken.
Map2:	Lang Status 80-VU.svg

Anindilyakwa (Amamalya Ayakwa) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Anindilyakwa people on Groote Eylandt and Bickerton Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria in the Northern Territory of Australia. Anindilyakwa is a multiple-classifying prefixing language in which all traditional nouns, adjectives, personal and demonstrative pronouns are prefixed for person, number and gender.^[2] According to the 2021 Australian Census, Anindilyakwa was spoken natively by 1,516 people, an increase from 1,283 in 2006.^[3]

Names

The local Anindilyakwa people refer to the language as Amamalya Ayakwa (means 'true' and means 'words'). However, Anindilyakwa is still commonly used.^[4]

Before a standard orthography was established, the name Anindilyakwa had been spelt in multiple ways. These included Andiljangwa, Andilyaugwa, Aninhdhilyagwa, Enindiljaugwa, Enindhilyagwa, Wanindilyaugwaz. The language was also known as Ingura, Yingguru, and Groote Eylandt after its location.

Linguistic classification

Once considered a family level isolate, Van Egmond (2012) has demonstrated Anindilyakwa to be part of the Eastern branch of the Gunwinyguan family, relating it to Nunggubuyu and (more distantly) Ngandi, using correspondences between core vocabulary, verbal morphological forms, phonemes, and verbal inflectional paradigms.^{[5] [6]}

Phonology

Vowels

The analysis of Anindilyakwa's vowels is open to interpretation. Stokes^[7] analyses it as having 4 phonemic vowels, pronounced as //i e a u//. Leeding^[8] analyses it as having just 2, pronounced as //ɨ a// with allophones [i ɪ u ɯ ə o a ] and [a æ aɪ æɪ e eɪ ɒ aʊ ], respectively.

Consonants

	Peripheral			Coronal
	Bilabial	Velar		Laminal		Apical
		rounded	unrounded	Palatal	Dental	Alveolar	Retroflex
Plosive	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Nasal	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Lateral				pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/		(pronounced as /link/)
Rhotic						pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Glide		pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/

Phonotactics

Anindilyakwa words almost always end with a final vowel 'a'. Clusters of up to 3 consonants such as 'ngw' can occur within words.

Grammar

Noun classes

Anindilyakwa has 5 noun classes, or genders, each marked by a prefix:

Male	human	n-
	non-human	y-
Female	human or non-human	d-
Inanimate	neuter	a-
	vegetable	m-

For bound pronouns, instead of "human male" and "non-human male" classes there is a single "male" class.

All traditional Anindilyakwa nouns carry a class prefix, but some loanwords may lack them.

Numerals

The language traditionally had numerals up to 20 but since the introduction of English, English words are now used almost exclusively for numbers above 5.^[9]

Anindilyakwa uses a quinary number system. The numbers are also adjectival and must be qualified with their corresponding noun class. 'One crocodile' becomes, '2 turtles' becomes .

'Nothing' is expressed by, 'not any'. There is no term for '"infinity", but the concept "innumerable" can be expressed by: 'there are too many stars to count.'^[10]

1	Awilyaba	11	Ememberrkwa awilyaba
2	Ambilyuma	12	Ememberrkwa ambilyuma
3	Abiyakarbiya	13	Ememberrkwa abiyakarbiyia
4	Abiyarbuwa	14	Ememberrkwa abiyarbuwa
5	Amangbala	15	Amaburrkwakbala
6	Amangbala awilyaba	16	Amaburrkwakbala awilyaba
7	Amangbala ambilyuma	17	Amaburrkwakbala ambilyuma
8	Amangbala abiyakarbiya	18	Amaburrkwakbala abiyakarbiya
9	Amangbala abiyarbuwa	19	Amaburrkwakbala abiyarbuwa
10	Ememberrkwa	20	Wurrakiriyabulangwa

Adjectives

Size degrees is done in 2 grades the positive and a diminutive (warrngka), although reduplication of this word is possible for an intensifying effect.

Pronouns

Personal pronouns

Anindilyakwa features 5 grammatical numbers for pronouns: singular, feminine dual, masculine dual, trial, and plural.

The language has a clusivity distinction common in many Aboriginal Australian languages – ngakwurruwa 'inclusive we' and yirruwa 'exclusive we'. 'Inclusive we' includes explicitly the addressee (that is, 'you and I, and possibly others'). 'Exclusive we' excludes explicitly the addressee (that is, 'he/she/they and I, but not you'), regardless of who else may be involved.

	Singular	Dual		Trial	Plural
male		female
exclusive	ngayuwa	yinuwa	yirringuwa	yirribukwurruwa	yirruwa
inclusive	-|yakuwa |yakuwa |ngarrubukwurruwa |ngakwurruwa |-!colspan=2| 2nd person|nungkuwa |nungkwurnuwa |nungkwurruguwa |nungkwurrubukwurruwa |nungkwurruwa |-!rowspan=2 colspan=2| 3rd person|enuwa |rowspan=2|aburnuwa |rowspan=2|aburrunguwa |rowspan=2|aburrubukwurruwa |rowspan=2|aburruwa |-| |} Possessive pronouns With the exception of my, possessive pronouns in Anindilyakwa replace the -uwa suffix from the singular or plural pronouns with -langwa 'belonging to'. English Anindilyakwa My Nganyangwa Yours (singular) Nungkwa-langwa Yours (plural) Nungkwurra-langwa Ours (exclusive) Yirra-langwa Ours (inclusive) Ngakwurra-langwa Theirs Aburra-langwa His Ena-langwa Hers Ngala-langwa Suffixes!Suffix!Gloss -baba because -dangwa the one that's better or best -manja by (beside), in, at, on, when, with (people) -minjena mother of child -mubaba because (on verbs) -mulangwa about, of, from (on verbs); after -murra from (by means of), with (by means of) -murriya etc., and the rest -langwa belonging to, from, of -langwa-langwa around, along -langwiya along, along and around, over (in the sense of travelling over an area), through -ma in (by means of); only, just (one); with (by means of) -yada for (for the purpose of), so (that), to make, used on time words -wiya all over, still (in sense of being the same), used on time words -wa to For kinship nouns, there are 7 possessive suffixes used that distinguish between first, second and thirds, singular or plural numbers, and third person genders. ! colspan="2" Singular Non-singular Suffix Example Suffix Example 1st person -arrka Nganyanwa nungwarrka 2nd person -ena Nungkwa-langwa nungwena 3rd person Male -enikba Ena-langwa nungenikba -arringba Aburra-langwa nungarringba Female -adukba Ngala-langwa nungadukba Language maintenance Groote Eylandt Language Centre The Groote Eylandt Language Centre (GELC) promotes, maintains, and preserves Anindilyakwa. They are based in Angurugu with offices in Umbakumba and Bickerton Island. It hosts a significant collection of language and cultural resources relating to the Warnindilyakwa people. The Centre undertakes language projects both large and small and offers services such as language recording and resource development, language advice and expertise, and translation.^[11] Previously known as Groote Eylandt Linguistics, Church Mission Society ran the department until 2006. The CMS created the orthography with the Latin script to translate Bible texts into Anindilyakwa. The centre now operates under the "Preserving Culture" department of the Anindilyakwa Land Council.^[12] GELC has compiled and published the Anindilyakwa dictionary Eningerriberra-langwa jurra "The Book about Everything",^[13] as well as producing an online dictionary,^[14] and a web app with the assistance of the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation.^[15] They also run a YouTube channel with an expanding content of videos and resources in Anindilyakwa.^[16] Lexicon Macassan influence Makassar people from the region of Sulawesi (modern-day Indonesia) began visiting the coast of northern Australia sometime around the early to middle 1700s.^[17] This happened yearly until the introduction of the White Australia Policy in 1906.^[18] The Macassans visited Groote Eylandt for trade, particularly for highly prized trepang in the South China Sea. The Macassans also brought with them tamarinds, dugout canoes, tobacco and beer . Evan analyses that there are potentially 35 Makassarese words, mostly nouns, that have entered the Anindilyakwa language, including many place names such as Umbakumba (Malay word for 'lapping of waves') and Bartalumba Bay (Macassan word for 'the big rock'). Words with Macassan origin!English!Makassarese!Anindilyakwa!!English!Makassarese!Anindilyakwa lapping of waves the big rock Batalumba Bay alcohol tobacco anchor horse trepang shovel spear fish hook machete tamarind fish bait material/cloth knife dug-out canoe coconut book boss white person lantern gun billycan nail axe boat rudder box mast/sail north-west wind south wind north-east wind 'SE wind' north-east wind east wind 'SE wind' Questions Questions!English!Anindilyakwa!English!Anindilyakwa Where?/Where is it? Angamba? 'Who?' Angkaburra? Where to?/Where are you going? Ngambu-wa? 'Who's that?' Angkaburra wurrangaba? Where from?/Where did you come from? Ngamba-langwa? 'Whose?' Angkaburra-langwa? Where at?/Where are you? Nga-manja? 'Can I sit here?' Ngambarriya-langwa? When? Ngambi-yada? 'How much?/How many?' Ambarrngarna? What is your name? Amiyembena ekirra nungkwa-langwa? 'You good?/How are you?' Ningkeningaba? What? Miyambena? 'What are you doing?' Ningkiyamarrkinama ningkakina? Why? (for what reason?) Miyambena-baba? 'What are you looking at?' Amiyembena ningkirringka nungkuwa? Why? (for what purpose?) Miyambena-yada? What with?/How? (By what means?) Miyambena-ma/Miyambena-murra? What's the time? Mamiyembena mamawura mema? Animals Land Animals !English!Anindilyakwa!English!Anindilyakwa Crocodile Dingarrbiya Wallaby, kangaroo Yiburada Gecko Yibilyibilya Dingo Warnungwenimbaluba Goanna Yaraja Frilled lizard Dukwululuwawa Blue-tongued lizard Yimarndakuwaba Turtle Yimenda Rock wallaby Dilanda Bandicoot Yirukwujilangwa Native-cat Yiniyerruwena Mice, rats Wurrendinda Possum Yukungba Sugar glider Yelyuwarra Echidna Dijinungkwa Snakes Yingarna Introduced animals!English!Anindilyakwa!English!Anindilyakwa Dog Wurrawarda Pig Bikibiki Chicken Jukwajukwa Cat Bujikeda Horse Jarrangwa Cow Bulukwa Deer Bambi Goat Nenukwuda Fish (Akwalya)!English!Anindilyakwa!English!Anindilyakwa Fish Akwalya Turtle Yimenda Shark Mangiyuwanga Stingray Amaduwaya Sawfish Yukwurrirringdangwa Shellfish Adidira Octopus Amilyengmilyengmaka Crab Angwala Dugong Dinungkwulangwa Dolphin Dinginjabena Trepang Yungwula Starfish Miyalkwa Frog Dilyaburnda In popular culture Music Emily Wurramara is an ARIA-nominated Anindilyakwa singer and songwriter from Groote Eylandt. She writes and sings songs in both English and Anindilyakwa.^[19] Yilila is a band from Numbulwar. Lead vocalist Grant Nundhirribala is a master of traditional music and a highly respected song man and dancer. The band performs their music in Wubuy, Anindilyakwa, Maccassan language and English.^[20] Other noteworthy bands include Mambali from Numbulwar, Groote Eylandt Band from Angurugu and Salt Lake Band from Umbakumba. Film and television The Last Wave (released in the USA as Black Rain) is a 1977 Australian mystery drama film directed by Peter Weir where a white lawyer represents a group of Aboriginal men accused of murder.^[21] ^[22] Also starring Yolngu man David Gulpilil, local Anindilyakwa men Nandjiwarra Amagula, Walter, Roy Bara, Cedrick Lalara, and Morris Lalara portray the men on trial. Bakala is a 2017 award-winning short film written and directed by Nikolas Lachajczak and told entirely in the Anindilyakwa language. It follows the story of Anindilyakwa man, Steve 'Bakala' Wurramara, who is afflicted with Machado-Joseph Disease (MJD), a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder that results in a lack of muscle control and coordination of the upper and lower extremities.^[23] Anija is a 2011 award-winning short film written and directed by David Hansen. It is filmed mainly in the Anindilyakwa language and follows the experiences of one family dealing with the effects of alcohol addiction. The film won Best Indigenous Resource at the Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) Awards in 2011. Anindilyakwa was featured in Spread the Word, an Indigenous Australian languages show on The Disney Channel. The show featured the Anindilyakwa word which translates to 'kicking a tree to get something off of it.' Commemoration In 2019 the Royal Australian Mint issued a 50 cent coin to celebrate the International Year of Indigenous Languages which features 14 different words for 'money' from Australian Indigenous languages including for Anindilyakwa. The coin was designed by Aleksandra Stokic in consultation with Indigenous language custodian groups.^[24] References Book: Leeding, V. J. . 1996 . Body parts and possession in Anindilyakwa . Chappell, H. . McGregor, W. . The grammar of inalienability: a typological perspective on body part terms and the part-whole relation . 193–249 . Berlin . Mounton de Gruyter. External links Anindilyakwa in the Groote Eylandt Language Centre Entries for Enindhilyagwa from Rosetta Project, stored in the Internet Archive State of Indigenous Languages in Australia (2001). Department of the Environment and Heritage. ]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Cultural diversity: Census. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 13 October 2022. 2021.
2. Book: Waddy, Julie. Classification of Plants and Animals from a Groote Eylandt Aboriginal Point of View. Australian National University North Australia Research Unit Monograph. 1988.
3. Web site: 2016.
4. Web site: Our Language - Amamalya Ayakwa (Anindilyakwa).
5. Van Egmond, M-E. (2012). "Enindhilyakwa phonology, morphosyntax and genetic position." Doctoral thesis. University of Sydney. pp. 314–70.
6. Bowern, C. (2017). "Language isolates of Australia." in Campbell, L., ed. Language Isolates. Abingdon: Routledge: 323–43
7. Book: Stokes, J. . 1981 . Anindilyakwa phonology from phoneme to syllable . Waters, B. . Australian phonologies: collected papers . 138–81 . Darwin . Summer Institute of Linguistics, Australian Aborigines Branch.
8. Book: Leeding, V. J. . 1989 . Anindilyakwa phonology and morphology. 38–60 . PhD dissertation . University of Sydney. 2123/1558 .
9. Book: Stokes, J.. Work Papers of SIL-AAB: Language and Culture. Summer Institute of Linguistics, Australian Aborigines Branch. 1982. Hargrave, S.. Darwin. 33–152. A description of the mathematical concepts of Groote Eylandt Aborigines.
10. Web site: Anindilyakwa. 2020-08-11. mpi-lingweb.shh.mpg.de.
11. Web site: Groote Eylandt Language Centre about.
12. Web site: GELC history.
13. Book: Eningerriberra-langwa jurra. 1993. Groote Eylandt Linguistics. 9780869070635.
14. Web site: Ekirra-langwa.
15. Web site: ALNF Anindilykwa Dictionary.
16. Web site: Groote Eylandt Language Centre. YouTube.
17. 2004-03-22. Aboriginal-Makassan interactions in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in northern Australia and contemporary sea rights claims. Australian Aboriginal Studies. Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. 2004. 1. 3(15). 0729-4352. 1 November 2020. 6 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306230858/http://lryb.aiatsis.gov.au/PDFs/aasj04.1_%20makassan.pdf. dead.
18. Bednall. James. Temporal, aspectual and modal expression in Anindilyakwa, the language of the Groote Eylandt Archipelago, Australia. January 2020. en.
19. News: Nally. Alicia. 6 July 2017. Carving her own pathway. Cairns Post.
20. Web site: Yilila.
21. Variety film review; 16 November 1977, p. 21.
22. Web site: The Last Wave. Creative Spirits. 15 April 2013.
23. Web site: Bakala (2017). IMDb.
24. Web site: mhones. 2019-04-08. International Year of Indigenous Languages commemorated with new coins launched by Royal Australian Mint and AIATSIS. 2020-11-02. www.ramint.gov.au. en.