Dalabon | |
---|---|
Ngalkbun | |
Native to | Australia |
Region | Arnhem Land |
Ethnicity | Dangbon = Dalabon |
Native speakers | 3 (2018) [1] |
Arnhem
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | ngk |
Glottolog | ngal1292 |
AIATSIS [2] | N60 |
ELP | Dalabon |
Coordinates: 13°59′S133°56′E / 13.98°S 133.94°E |
Dalabon is a Gunwinyguan language of Arnhem Land, Australia. It is a severely endangered language, [3] with perhaps as few as three fluent speakers remaining as of 2018. [1] Dalabon is also known as Dangbon (the Kune or Mayali name), Ngalkbun (the Jawoyn name), and Buwan (the Rembarrnga name). [2]
Dalabon belongs to the Gunwinyguan languages branch of the Arnhem languages; its nearest relatives are Kunwinjku, Kune, Mayali (varieties often grouped together as Bininj Kunwok), and Kunbarlang. Its next closest relatives are Rembarrnga, and other languages within the Gunwinyguan family, including Jawoyn, Ngalakgan, Ngandi, Wubuy, and Enindhilyakwa.
Dalabon has no official status. Local schools spent years holding sporadic programs teaching Dalabon, but these operations didn't receive enough governmental support. Therefore, the condition of the programs is still vulnerable.
Given the limited number of Dalabon speakers, the study of dialects has become challenging to investigate. Speakers recall a distinction between two different types of speech, dalabon-djurrkdjurrk ("fast." "lively") and dalabon-murduk ("articulate"). However, no significant difference has been found between the two speeches.
There are 22 or 23 phonemic consonants in Dalabon, depending on the phonemic status of /h/. A table containing the consonant phonemes is given below with their orthographic representation (in angle brackets).
Peripheral | Apico- | Lamino- Palatal | Glottal | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Velar | Bilabial | Alveolar | Retroflex | ||||
Stops | Lenis (short) | ⟨k⟩ / k / | ⟨b⟩ / p / | ⟨d⟩ t | ⟨rd⟩ / ʈ / | ⟨dj⟩ / c / | ⟨h⟩ / ʔ / |
Fortis (long) | ⟨kk⟩ / kː / | ⟨bb⟩ / pː / | ⟨dd⟩ / tː / | ⟨rdd⟩ / ʈː / | ⟨djj⟩ / cː / | ||
Nasal | ⟨ng⟩ / ŋ / | ⟨m⟩ / m / | ⟨n⟩ / n / | ⟨rn⟩ / ɳ / | ⟨nj⟩ / ɲ / | ||
Lateral | ⟨l⟩ / l / | ⟨rl⟩ / ɭ / | |||||
Rhotic | ⟨rr⟩ / r / | ⟨r⟩ / ɻ / | |||||
Semi-vowel | ⟨w⟩ / w / | ⟨y⟩ / j / | |||||
Fricatives | ⟨H⟩ (/ h /) | ||||||
There are 6 vowels in Dalabon. A table containing the vowel phonemes is given below with their orthographic representation (in angle brackets).
Front | Central | Back | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
High | ⟨i⟩ / i / | ⟨û⟩ / ɨ / | ⟨u⟩ / u / | |
mid | ⟨e⟩ / e / | ⟨o⟩ / o / | ||
low | ⟨a⟩ / a / | |||
Dalabon restricts the trilled [r] and long stops to only occur word-internally. Constraints regarding the edges of a phonological word also limit the glottal stop [ʔ] from occurring word-initially.
The syllable structure of Dalabon is CV(C)(C)(C), or more specifically:
CV(L)(N)(h) or CV(L)(S)
where:
Such complex codas are not unusual, and all combinations are enumerated as follows (words and translations taken from the dictionary [4] ).
C2 C1 | _k | _b | _ng | _h |
---|---|---|---|---|
l_ | yalkngalk /jalk.ŋalk/ "native bee sp." | kolb /kolp/ "sound of spear slotting into spearthrower" | kalngbuy /kalŋ.buj/ | kolh-no /kolʔ.no/ "liquid, water" |
rl_ | borlkmû /boɭk.mɨ/ "(to) fall out" | borlbmû /boɭp.mɨ/ "(to) be accustomed to" | lurlh(mû) /luɭʔ(.mɨ)/ "hop of a riverine wallaby" | |
rr_ | kerrkban /kerk.ban/ "(to) dodge" | yang-warrbmû /jaŋ.warp.mɨ/ "(to) tell lies" | marrngkidj /marŋ.kic/ "sorcerer, clever man" | bukarrh /bu.karʔ/ "top (of something)" |
r_ | berk /beɻk/ | wirbmang /wiɻp.maŋ/ "(to) pull out from flesh" | kerng-no /keɻŋ.no/ "jaw" | warhdû /waɻʔ.dɨ/ "devil, white person" |
ng_ | wanjingh /wa.ɳiŋʔ/ "one" | |||
m_ | njimhmû /ɳimʔ.mɨ/ "(to) wink" | |||
n_ | kanh /kanʔ/ "this (identified)" | |||
rn_ | nornhnornh /noɳʔ.noɳʔ/ "stone axe" | |||
nj_ | keninjhbi /ke.niɲʔ.bi/ |
C2,C3 C1 | _ngh |
---|---|
l_ | kalngHmû /kalŋhmɨ/ "(to) climb" |
rl_ | njorlnghmû /ɲoɭŋʔmɨ/ "(to) gobble up" |
rr_ | ngarnarrngh /ŋaɳarŋʔ/ |
r_ | modjarngh /mocaɻŋʔ/ |
Dalabon has a pattern of eliding unstressed vowels and unstressed syllables. For example, the word /'cabale/ 'shoulder blade' is often realized as ['cable]. [5]
The location of phrasal stress in Dalabon appears one or two peaks with an initial rise into the first peak at the left edge of the constituent and a final fall at the right edge of the constituent. [6]
Although there is no complete grammatical description of the language, a number of aspects of Dalabon grammar have been described, including its bound pronominal system, [7] polysynthetic word structure, [8] verb conjugations, [9] the use of subordination strategies, [10] nominal subclasses, [11] the demonstrative system, [12] and the use of optional ergativity. [13]
The structure of Dalabon verbs: [14]
-12 | -11 | -10 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Obj pron | Subj pron | SURB | SEQ | CAUS | MISC | BEN/INST | MISC | GIN | BPIN | NUM | COM | STEM | RR | TAM | Case |
The diminutive enclitic =wurd is derived from noun wurd 'woman's child', its reduplication wurdurd means 'child'. wurd can attach to most word classes and functions in 3 ways of meaning: to denote small objects, to add emotional connotations and to serve as pragmatic functions (especially for interactional softening). The examples are shown below. [15]
Bad-dulum-no=wurd
stone-hill-fill=DIM
kanidjah
there
ka-h-di.
3SG-R-stand/be.PRS
'There is a small stone hill there.' Unknown glossing abbreviation(s) (help);
Wa:h
INTERJ
ka-h-rakka-ng=wurd.
3SG-R-fall-PFV=DIM
'Oh, he fell over poor fellow.' Unknown glossing abbreviation(s) (help);
Dalabon is a head-marking language. Dalabon has limited use of subordinate clauses, but it has a distinctive subordination strategy, which is to attach pronominal prefixes to the verb, and marked verbs are used for subordinate clause functions [16]
Pronominal Prefixes | Subordinate1 | Subordinate2 |
---|---|---|
1sg | nga- | ngaye- |
2sg | dja- | djaya- |
3sg | ka- | kaye- |
1dis | nge- | ngey- |
3dis | ke- | key- |
3du | barra- | barre- |
3pl | bala- | bale- |
subordinate1: the unmarked form of prefixes to show subordinate status, used when the status is overt by other means.
subordinate2: used when prefixes are the only way to show subordination.
dis: disharmonic, meaning odd-numbered generations.
Examples are shown below:
bala-buh-ngong+boyenj-ni-nj
3pl-because-mob+big-be-PST.PFV
mahkih
because
‘..because there were so many of them.’
yila-h-yang-wona-wona-n
1pl/3-REAL-voice-REDUP-hear-PRES
yale-yu-yu.
1pl.SUBORD-REDUP-sleep.PRES
‘we heard his(dingo's) voice as we were sleeping.’
karrkkany
hawk.sp.
ka-h-ngun
3/3l-REAL-eat.PRES
kaye-do-n.
3.SUBORD-die-PRES
‘the hawk eats animals that die.’
Dalabon | Gloss | Dalabon | Gloss | Dalabon | Gloss |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
bim | "picture" | kolh-no | "liquid" | wadda | "home, house, camp" |
biyi | "man(men)" | kung | "honey" | wah | "water" |
bonj | "O.K." | kunj | "kangaroo" | walu-no | "the absolute law" |
boyenj | "big" | labbarl | "waterhole" | wirridjih | "taboo(s)" |
burrama | "good, healthy" | langu | "hand/finger" | wokan | "speak, talk, tell, name, evoke, communicate" |
dabarngh | "yesterday" | mah | "also" | wol | "flame" |
dengu-no | "foot/toe" | mambard | "billycan" | wurdurd | "child(children)" |
djihkun | "spoon" | marrumbu | "lover | wurrhwurrungu | "the elders" |
dulum | "hill" | men-no | "conscience, the thoughts of a living creature" | yabok | "sister" |
kardu | "maybe" | mey | "(veget.) food" | yang | "language, speech, what one says" |
kakkak-no | "grandkin" | murduk | "hard/strong" | yidjnja | "have" |
kenbo | "later" | nayunghyungki | "mythical ancestors" | ||
kinikun | "different" | ngalyurr | "thunder" | ||
kirdikird | "woman(women)" | ngarrk | "ache" | ||
kirribruk | "true, real, honest, fair, generous" | Ngurrurdu | "emu" |
Rapa Nui or Rapanui, also known as Pascuan or Pascuense, is an Eastern Polynesian language of the Austronesian language family. It is spoken on Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui.
The Nafsan language, also known as South Efate or Erakor, is a Southern Oceanic language spoken on the island of Efate in central Vanuatu. As of 2005, there are approximately 6,000 speakers who live in coastal villages from Pango to Eton. The language's grammar has been studied by Nick Thieberger, who has produced a book of stories and a dictionary of the language.
Ngalakan (Ngalakgan) is an Australian Aboriginal language of the Ngalakgan people. It has not been fully acquired by children since the 1930s. It is one of the Northern Non-Pama–Nyungan languages formerly spoken in the Roper river region of the Northern Territory. It is most closely related to Rembarrnga.
Macro-Pama-Nyungan is an umbrella term used to refer to a proposed Indigenous Australian language family. It was coined by the Australian linguist Nicholas Evans in his 1996 book Archaeology and linguistics: Aboriginal Australia in global perspective, co-authored by Patrick McConvell. The term arose from Evans' theory suggesting that two of the largest Indigenous Australian language families share a common origin, and should therefore be classified as a singular language family under "Macro-Pama-Nyungan".
The Gunwinyguan languages, also core Gunwinyguan or Gunwinyguan proper, are a possible branch of a large language family of Australian Aboriginal languages in Arnhem Land, northern Australia. The most populous language is Kunwinjku, with some 1500 speakers.
Tamambo, or Malo, is an Oceanic language spoken by 4,000 people on Malo and nearby islands in Vanuatu. It is one of the most conservative Southern Oceanic languages.
Gurindji Kriol is a mixed language which is spoken by Gurindji people in the Victoria River District of the Northern Territory (Australia). It is mostly spoken at Kalkaringi and Daguragu which are Aboriginal communities located on the traditional lands of the Gurindji. Related mixed varieties are spoken to the north by Ngarinyman and Bilinarra people at Yarralin and Pigeon Hole. These varieties are similar to Gurindji Kriol, but draw on Ngarinyman and Bilinarra which are closely related to Gurindji.
Wagiman, also spelt Wageman, Wakiman, Wogeman, and other variants, is a near-extinct Aboriginal Australian language spoken by a small number of Wagiman people in and around Pine Creek, in the Katherine Region of the Northern Territory.
Hoava is an Oceanic language spoken by 1000–1500 people on New Georgia Island, Solomon Islands. Speakers of Hoava are multilingual and usually also speak Roviana, Marovo, Solomon Islands Pijin, English.
Abui is a non-Austronesian language of the Alor Archipelago. It is spoken in the central part of Alor Island in Eastern Indonesia, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province by the Abui people. The native name in the Takalelang dialect is Abui tanga which literally translates as 'mountain language'.
Gunbarlang, or Kunbarlang, is an Australian Aboriginal language in northern Australia with multiple dialects. Other names are Gungalang and Warlang. Speakers are multilingual in Kunwinjku and Mawng. Most of the Gunbarlang people now speak Kunwinjku.
Medumba is a Bamileke language of Cameroon. The people who speak it originate from the Nde division of the West Region of the country, with their main settlements in Bangangté, Bakong, Bangoulap, Bahouoc, Bagnoun and Tonga. It is a major Bamileke language, and is located in an area where sacred kingship played a pivotal role in government, justice, and diplomacy. The modern history of the Bamileke area, which was a German colony placed under French trusteeship by the League of Nations in 1919, is closely associated with the nationalist movement of the Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC), which developed primarily in the coastal hinterland (Bassa) and the western highlands (Bamileke). From 1956 to the late 1960s, this area of Cameroon experienced a period of unrest; this episode continues to shape Bamileke political culture, and has an impact on language identity and the linguistic landscape.
Mekeo is a language spoken in Papua New Guinea and had 19,000 speakers in 2003. It is an Oceanic language of the Papuan Tip Linkage. The two major villages that the language is spoken in are located in the Central Province of Papua New Guinea. These are named Ongofoina and Inauaisa. The language is also broken up into four dialects: East Mekeo; North West Mekeo; West Mekeo and North Mekeo. The standard dialect is East Mekeo. This main dialect is addressed throughout the article. In addition, there are at least two Mekeo-based pidgins.
Tamashek or Tamasheq is a variety of Tuareg, a Berber macro-language widely spoken by nomadic tribes across North Africa in Algeria, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Tamasheq is one of the three main varieties of Tuareg, the others being Tamajaq and Tamahaq.
The Macro-Gunwinyguan languages, also called Arnhem or Gunwinyguan, are a family of Australian Aboriginal languages spoken across eastern Arnhem Land in northern Australia. Their relationship has been demonstrated through shared morphology in their verbal inflections.
Toʼabaita, also known as Toqabaqita, Toʼambaita, Malu and Maluʼu, is a language spoken by the people living at the north-western tip of Malaita Island, of South Eastern Solomon Islands. Toʼabaita is an Austronesian language.
Baluan-Pam is an Oceanic language of Manus Province, Papua New Guinea. It is spoken on Baluan Island and on nearby Pam Island. The number of speakers, according to the latest estimate based on the 2000 Census, is 2,000. Speakers on Baluan Island prefer to refer to their language with its native name Paluai.
Lengo or informally known as doku is a Southeast Solomonic language of Guadalcanal and is closely related to Gela language.
Neverver (Nevwervwer), also known as Lingarak, is an Oceanic language. Neverver is spoken in Malampa Province, in central Malekula, Vanuatu. The names of the villages on Malekula Island where Neverver is spoken are Lingarakh and Limap.
The Dalabon or Dangbon are an Australian Aboriginal people of the Northern Territory.