Data collected by AUSTLANG

Data on the language

Alternatives names: Pinigura, Binigura

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

Classification: Pama-Nyungan language family, Kanyara group

Area: Pinikura is an aboriginal language spoken in Western Australia (WA): along Ashburton River between Mount Price and Kooline; South to Wannery Creek; North to near Mount Amy, Urandy, and the beginning of the uplands of Duck Creek; East to lower headwaters of Hardey River on Western boundary of Ashburton Downs (Tindale 1974).

Pinikura territory is roughly correct on Davis’s map 1993 (Austin in Sutton 1995:97).

Number of speakers:

The last known estimation of the number of Pinikura speakers was given by Lynette Oates: in 1973, she estimated the number of speakers at under 10.

Vitality & transmission:

Presently, Pinikura is considered extinct (endangerment level 0), according to AUSTLANG.

Sources & bibliography

Austin, Peter K. 2008 The classification of Pinikura, Western Australia. In Claire Bowern, Bethwyn Evans and Luisa Micelli (eds.) Morphology and Language History: In honour of Harold Koch, 31-41. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Maps

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.

Davis, Stephen. 1993. Australias extant and imputed traditional Aboriginal territories. Carlton, VIC: Melbourne University Press.

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

Douglas, Wilfrid. 1981. Watjarri. In Handbook of Australian languages Vol. 2, eds. Dixon RMW and B Blake, 196-272. Canberra: ANU Press.

Wordick, F. 1982. The Yindjibarndi language. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.

Links

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

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

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