Ngarnji language explained

Ngarnji
Also Known As:Ngarnka
States:Australia
Region:Barkly Tableland, Northern Territory
Ethnicity:Ngarnji/Ngarnka
Extinct:1997–1998
Familycolor:Australian
Fam1:Mirndi
Fam2:Ngurlun
Iso3:none
Iso3comment:included in [nji] Gudanji
Aiatsis:N121
Glotto:ngar1283
Glottorefname:Ngarnka

The Ngarnji (Ngarndji) or Ngarnka (Ngarnga, Ngarnku) language was traditionally spoken by the Ngarnka people of the Barkly Tablelands in the Northern Territory of Australia. The last fluent speaker of the language died between 1997 and 1998.[1] Ngarnka belongs to the Mirndi language family, in the Ngurlun branch.[2] It is closely related to its eastern neighbours Binbinka, Gudanji and Wambaya. It is more distantly related to its western neighbour Jingulu, and three languages of the Victoria River District, Jaminjung, Ngaliwurru and Nungali. There is very little documentation and description of Ngarnka, however there have been several graduate[3] and undergraduate[4] [5] dissertations written on various aspects of Ngarnka morphology, and a sketch grammar and lexicon of Ngarnka is currently in preparation.[6]

Phonology

Ngarnka consonant inventory!!Bilabial!Apico-
alveolar
!Apico-
postalveolar
!Lamino-
palatal
!Dorso-
velar
Stopb pronounced as /link/d pronounced as /link/rd pronounced as /link/j pronounced as /link/k pronounced as /link/
Nasalm pronounced as /link/n pronounced as /link/rn pronounced as /link/ny pronounced as /link/ng pronounced as /link/
Laterall pronounced as /link/rl pronounced as /link/ly pronounced as /link/
Taprr pronounced as /link/
Glidew pronounced as /link/r pronounced as /link/y pronounced as /link/
Ngarnka vowel inventory!!Unrounded!Rounded
Highi pronounced as /link/, iyi pronounced as /link/u pronounced as /link/, uwu pronounced as /link/
Lowa pronounced as /link/, aa pronounced as /link/

Verbal morphology and syntax

Inflecting verbs and uninflecting verbs

Ngarnka possesses two kinds of verb: inflecting verbs and uninflecting verbs. These two word classes are common in many languages of northern Australia.[7] Inflecting verbs are finite, bear bound pronouns, inflect for tense, aspect and mood, and usually occur in second position. Uninflecting verbs bear only minimal tense inflection (distinguishing non-present tense), and are less distributionally restricted than inflecting verbs, although often occurring clause-initially. Inflecting verbs can constitute an independent predicate in a simple verb construction, whereas uninflecting verbs must occur with an inflecting verb in a light verb construction (although they occur independently in non-finite subordinate clauses). There are only three inflecting verbs in Ngarnka: a general 'do' inflecting verb, a centrifugal locomotion inflecting verb 'go', and a centripetal locomotion inflecting verb 'come'. Examples of inflecting verbs and uninflecting verbs are provided below.

Simple verb construction

When expressing motion events, sometimes Ngarnka will use a simple verb construction with one of the two locomotion inflecting verbs. However, in many cases, a light verb construction will be used with the generic locomotion uninflecting verb yakali 'go', as in the above example. Examples of the locomotion inflecting verbs in simple verb constructions are provided below.

Light verb construction

The most common predicate type in Ngarnka is the light verb construction, a structure common in northern Australian languages.[8] The Ngarnka light verb construction involves a finite inflecting verb and a non-finite uninflecting verb. Examples of each of the inflecting verbs in light verb constructions are provided below.

References

NEAR:nearFAR:far

External links

Notes and References

  1. Pensalfini. Robert. 2004. Eulogizing a language: The Ngarnka experience. International Journal of the Sociology of Language. 2004. 168. 141–156. 10.1515/ijsl.2004.029.
  2. Book: Harvey, Mark. Proto Mirndi: A discontinuous language family in Northern Australia. Pacific Linguistics. 2008. 978-0-85883-588-7. PL 593. Canberra.
  3. Book: Chadwick, Neil. The West Barkly languages: Complex morphology. Monash University. 1978. Monash. Unpublished PhD Thesis.
  4. Book: McQuay, Colleen. The structure and inflections of verbs in Ngarnka, an Aboriginal language of the Northern Territory. The University of Queensland. 2005. St Lucia. Unpublished Hons Thesis.
  5. Book: Osgarby, David. Nominal morphology of Ngarnka, Northern Territory (Australia). The University of Queensland. 2014. St Lucia. Unpublished Hons Thesis.
  6. Book: A sketch grammar and lexicon of Ngarnka. Osgarby. David. Pensalfini. Robert. Moerkerken. Colleen.
  7. Book: Schulze-Berndt, Eva. Yearbook of Morphology. limited. Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2003. 978-1-4020-1272-3. Booij. Geert. New York. 145–177. Preverbs as an open word class in northern Australian languages: Synchronic and diachronic correlates. van Marle. Jaap.
  8. Book: Bowern, Claire. The languages and linguistics of Australia: A comprehensive guide. De Gruyter Mouton. 2014. 978-3-11-027969-6. Berlin. 263–294. Complex predicates in Australian languages.