Kurrama language explained

Kurrama
States:Australia
Region:Pilbara region of Western Australia, particularly around the Fortescue valley east of Millstream and south of the Fortescue River to Rocklea Station.
Ethnicity:Kurrama, Jadira
Speakers:10
Date:2005
Ref:aiatsis
Familycolor:Australian
Fam1:Pama–Nyungan
Fam2:Ngayarda
Fam3:Yinjibarndi
Dia1:Yinyjiwarnti
Dia2:Yarnarri
Dia3:Mijarranypa
Dia4:Marntartka
Dia5:Ngamangamara
Iso3:vku
Glotto:kurr1243
Glottorefname:Kurrama
Aiatsis:W36

Kurrama is an Australian Aboriginal language. It is a dialect of Yindjibarndi, one of the Ngayarda languages of the large Pama–Nyungan family, with almost identical vocabulary and grammar, but speakers consider it to be a distinct language.

The language name has also previously been written as: Kurama, Gurrama, Gurama (amongst others). While there is no official orthography for Kurrama the Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre uses the spelling "Kurrama" in all its publications.

A number of linguists have carried out work on Kurrama however there is not yet a comprehensive grammatical description of the language. The Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre has an ongoing program of documentation of Pilbara languages, including Kurrama.

The Kurrama people associated with the language are an indigenous Australian group whose traditional lands are centred on the higher plateau regions of the Hamersley Ranges.

Phonology

Consonants

PeripheralLaminalApical
BilabialVelarPalatalDentalAlveolarRetroflex
Plosivepronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Nasalpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Rhoticpronounced as /link/ ~ pronounced as /link/
Lateralpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Approximantpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/

Vowels

FrontCentralBack
Highpronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/
Lowpronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/
[1]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Hill, Peter M. . Morphology and Sentence Construction in Kurrama: A language of the Pilbara Region of Western Australia . University of Western Australia . 2011.