Dhangu-Djangu language explained

Dhangu
Also Known As:	Djangu
States:	Australia
Region:	Northern Territory
Ethnicity:	Dhaŋu, Djaŋu
Speakers:	310
Date:	2016 census
Ref:	^[1]
Familycolor:	Australian
Fam1:	Pama–Nyungan
Fam2:	Yolngu Matha
Fam3:	Northern (Dhangu)
Dia1:	Wan.gurri
Dia2:	Lamamirri
Dia3:	Rirratjingu
Dia4:	Gaalpu
Dia5:	Ngayimil
Dia6:	Warramiri
Dia7:	Mandatja
Sign:	Yolŋu Sign Language
Iso3:	dhg
Glotto:	dhan1270
Glottorefname:	Dhangu
Aiatsis:	N192
Aiatsisname:	Dhangu
Aiatsis2:	N202
Aiatsisname2:	Djangu

Dhangu (Dhaŋu, Dangu) and Djangu (Djaŋu) constitute an Australian Aboriginal language of the Yolŋu group, spoken by the Dhaŋu and Djaŋu people in Australia's Northern Territory. The varieties of the two moieties of Dhangu are (a) Wan.gurri, Lamamirri and (b) Rirratjingu, Gaalpu, Ngayimil. There are two other Djangu (Djaŋu) dialects, Warramiri and Mandatja; dhangu and djangu are the words for "this" in the various dialects. Nhangu is a closely related language.^[2]

Phonology

Consonants

		Peripheral		Laminal		Apical		Glottal
		Labial	Velar	Dental	Palatal	Alveolar	Retroflex
Plosive	Fortis	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
	Lenis	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/
Rhotic						pronounced as /link/	(pronounced as /link/)
Lateral						pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Glide		pronounced as /link/			pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/

• /ɖ/ may also be heard as a tap [ɽ] in intervocalic positions.^[3]
• The tap /ɾ/ may also be heard as a trill [r].

Vowels

	Front	Back
High	pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/
Low	pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/

• A long vowel /uː/ may also be heard as [oː].^[4]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Census 2016, Language spoken at home by Sex (SA2+). stat.data.abs.gov.au. en-au. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2017-10-29. 26 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181226044803/http://stat.data.abs.gov.au/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=ABS_C16_T09_SA. dead.
2. Book: Dixon, R. M. W. . R. M. W. Dixon . Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development . Cambridge University Press . 2002 . xxxvi.
3. Book: MacLellan, Marilyn . A study of the Wangurri language . University of Sydney . 1992.
4. Book: McLellan, Marilyn . Djaŋu (Warramirri) Dictionary . Aboriginal Resource and Development Services Inc. . 2014.