Index compiled with data collected by AUSTLANG

Data on the language

Alternatives names: Ngaluma, Gnalluma, Gnalouma, Ngallooma, Ngaluma

For additional names and alternative spellings, see the AUSTLANG website.

Main dialects:

According to Oates (1975:70), Ngarluma has three dialects:

–          East Ngarluma,

–          West Ngarluma

–          a northern dialect called Jaburarra

Classification: Pama-Nyungan language family, Ngayarta group

Area: Ngarluma is an aboriginal language spoken in Western Australia (WA): according to Tindale (1974), Port Walcott, Roebourne and vicinity, Sherlock River, inland to the foot of the uplands from 40 to 70 miles (65 to 110 km), East to Depuch Island and Balla Balla, West almost to Maitland River (note that Curr’s ‘Markand’ River is a misreading of Maitland); according to Palmer in Sutton (1995:99), Roebourne and South to the ranges.

Number of speakers:

The most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006 Census estimated 32 speakers of Ngarluma.

Vitality & transmission:

According to AUSTLANG, is seemingly extinct (endangerment level 0).

Sources & bibliography

Kohn, Allison. 2001. A morphological description of Ngarluma. South Hedland, WA: Wangka Maya PALC.

Thieberger, Nicholas. c2001. Ngarluma-English dictionary: a compilation of files produced from Ken Hale’s fieldnotes. Port Hedland, WA: Wangka Maya PALC.

Wangka Maya PALC. 2004. Ngarluma-English Dictionary. South Hedland. Wangka Maya PALC.

Maps

Dench, Alan. 1995. Martuthunira, a language of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.

Sharp, Janet and Thieberger, Nick. 2001. Wangka Maya, the Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre. In Forty years on, eds. J Simpson et al, 325-335. Canberra Pacific Linguistics.

Tindale, Norman. 1974. Tribal Boundaries in Aboriginal Australia. Canberra: Division of National Mapping, Department of National Development.

Links

Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre website: http://www.wangkamaya.org.au/

AUSTLANG webpage: http://austlang.aiatsis.gov.au/main.php

Ethnologue webpage: http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=nrl