Wardaman is an Australian Aboriginal
language isolate. It is one of the northern non-Pama–Nyungan languages. Dagoman and Yangman (both extinct) were either dialects or closely related languages; as a family, these are called Yangmanic.
Classification
Though previously classified as
Gunwinyguan, the Yangmanic languages have not been demonstrated to be related to other languages.
[Bowern, Claire. ]
How Many Languages Were Spoken in Australia?
' 2011.
The isolate
Wagiman shares a very similar morphosyntactic profile with the Yangmanic languages, although they share very low cognacy rates (about 10% according to Stephen Wilson). Francesca Merlan supports its grouping together with Yangmanic, citing that both together differ from neighbouring languages (such as the Gunwinyguan language
Jawoyn
The Jawoyn, also written Djauan, are an Australian Aboriginal people living in the Northern Territory of Australia. The Bagala clan are of the Jawoyn people.
Language
Jawoyn, known as Kumertuo, is a non- Pama–Nyungan language that belongs ...
and
Mangarrayi
The Mangarayi, also written Mangarai, were an indigenous Australian people of the Northern Territory.
Language
Mangarayi is thought to be one of the Gunwingguan languages. Francesca Merlan published a grammar of the language in 1982, one that i ...
) while sharing very similar syntax with each other, such as their similar use of '
verbal particles'.
Phonology
The phonological inventory of Wardaman proper:
Consonants
The alveolo-palatals are pronounced with the blade of the tongue; at the end of a syllable they may sound like ''yn'' and ''yl'' to an English ear. Even the ''y'' is said to have lateral spread and to be pronounced with the blade and body of the tongue. There is very little acoustic difference between the two apical series compared to other languages in the area. The alveolars may add a slight retroflex onglide to a following vowel, and the retroflexes may assimilate alveolars in the same word. Nonetheless, they remain phonemically distinct. Francesca describes the ''w'' as bilabial, and notes that there is little or no lip rounding or protrusion (except in assimilation to a following /u/ or /o/). The ''r'' is post-alveolar.
Vowels
Vocabulary
Capell
Capell or Capel is a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Capell
* Arthur Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Hadham (1608–1649), English politician
* Arthur Capell, 1st Earl of Essex (1631–1683), English statesman
* Arthur Capell (1902–1 ...
(1940) lists the following basic vocabulary items for Wadaman (Wardaman):
[Capell, Arthur. 1940]
The Classification of Languages in North and North-West Australia
''Oceania'' 10(3): 241-272, 404-433.
:
Notes
References
*Merlan Francesca. 1983.
A Grammar of Wardaman A Language of the Northern Territory of Australia''. Mouton de Gruyter. 1994.
{{language families
Language isolates of Australia
Endangered indigenous Australian languages in the Northern Territory
Endangered language isolates