Data collected by AUSTLANG

Data on the language

Alternatives names: Ngiyambaa, Ngiamba, Ngaiamba, Nyamba, Ngiumba, Gaiamba, Ngemba, Ngeumba

Other names or spellings are used for this language. See Austlang website.

Classification: Pama-Nyungan family, Central NSW group

Main dialects: According to Donaldson (1980) and Wood (2007 p.c.), there are two dialects of Ngiyampaa:

– ‘Wanggay’ (‘no’) or Wanggaybuwan, which is spoken by the people in the south,

– Wayil or Wayilwan, spoken by people in the north.

The grammar of these two varieties is essentially the same.

Donaldson (1980) consists of a description of the Wanggaybuwan dialect. Southern people and northern people pronounce the language name differently; respectively Ngiyampaa and Ngemba.

Aera:

Willandra Creek south of the railway line at Roto, which joins the Lachlan upstream from Hillston, indicates the southern limit of Ngiyemba (Donaldson in Sutton 1985:145).

From Nyngan to Bourke, and on the west of the Bogan River, as well as down to Ivanhole (ALRRC).

Number of speakers:

The National Indigenous Languages Survey 2005 Report estimated 2 speakers of Ngiyampaa.

Vitality & transmission:

Nowadays Ngiyampaa is “no longer fully spoken” (endangerment grade 0), according to AUSTLANG.

Media/Literature/Instruction: Joining The Dreaming Aboriginal Corporation at Broken Hill is developing language kits with posters, workbooks and DVDs (2007).

Sources & bibliography

Donaldson, Tamsin. 1978. Interim dictionary of Ngiyambaa of the Wangaaybuwan.

Donaldson, Tamsin. 1980. Ngiyambaa: the language of the Wangaaybuwan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Donaldson, Tamsin. 1997. Ngiyampaa wordworld 1 : thipingku yuwi, maka ngiya, names of birds & other words, Canberra : Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.

Maps

Austin, Peter. 2008. The Gamilaraay (Kamilaroi) Language, northern New South Wales — A Brief History of Research. In Encountering Aboriginal languages: studies in the history of Australian linguistics, ed. William McGregor, 37-58. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.

Donaldson, Tamsin. 1990. Ngiyambaa, the language of the Wangaaybuwan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Hercus, Luise. 1993. Paakantyi dictionary. Canberra: the author.

Oates, Lynette. 1988. The Muruwari language. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.

Links

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

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