Gudang or Djagaraga (Pantyinamu/Yatay/Gudang/Kartalaiga and other clans) is an Australian Aboriginal language. It is the traditional language of the Gudang people, and is the northernmost language of the Cape York Peninsula.[2] It is closely related to Urradhi (dialects Urradhi, Angkamuthi, Yadhaykenu, Wudhadhi, etc.), its neighbour to the south, and distantly related to its neighbour to the north, the Western-Central Torres Strait Language (Kalaw Lagaw Ya), from which it borrowed quite a few vocabulary items.
Going by the records of the language recorded in MacGillivray and Brierly, as well as comparing these with their Urradhi and WCL counterparts, the phonology of the language appeared to have been as follows:
vowels: i, ii; e, ee; a, aa; u, uu
The high vowels i, ii and u, uu had mid variants, thus [e,eː] and [o,oː]. Some Western-Central Torres Strait Language (WCL; see Kalau Lagau Ya) loans probably retained the WCL vowels unchanged. The vowels e/ ee otherwise appear to have had a similar marginal status as in Urradhi (Crowley 1983:317).
Consonants
Orthographical differences to the IPA transcription is indicated in brackets.
The non-sonorant sounds appear to have had voice contrasts, except after nasals, when both voiced and voiceless allophones occurred, with the voiced allophones seemingly more common. While the lamino-dental and alveolar contrast was not marked by the European recorders, the Urradhi and WCL cognates strongly suggest that it existed.
Differences between Gudang and Urradhi
The main differences in phonology between Gudang and the Urradhi dialects appears to be:
Voiced stops existed where Urradhi has voiced fricatives, in part because of WCL loans, thus Urradhi /β/⟨v⟩, /ð/⟨dh⟩, and /ɣ/⟨g⟩) correspond to Gudang b, dh and g. Note that in ipadha 'father', Gudang p corresponds to Urradhi /β/ (ivadha), both representing Proto-Paman *piipa, proto Gudang-Urradhi *piipata.
Gudang had reflexive rt from Proto Paman *r and *rr
A slightly higher rate of initial dropping (including initial syllables) was evident in Gudang.
Gudang retained final CV syllables where Urradhi has reduced these to C.
Gudang had word final -rra where Urradhi has -l, and stronger retention of rr and l in the clusters rrk and lk (e.g. see ukarra and ralkagamarra).
Gudang had virtually no trace of the utterance final suppletion very evident in Urradhi (e.g. mata > matang, matak), the one exception being anhadhing. However, initial and final vowel elision appeared to have been the norm.
There was a strong tendency in Gudang for u to become i before following palatals (and perhaps elsewhere) (e.g. inyaanha, ikuurra).
The statistics of the comparisons are listed below.
Raw Scores
Cognates
Possible Cognates
Non-Cognate
WCL Loans
Possible WCL Loans
Total
Gudang
76
11
157
41
4
200
Yadhaykenu
76
10
93
11
2
182
Atampaya
58
11
116
7
2
191
Angkamuthi
53
11
157
9
2
178
Percentages
Cognates
Possible Cognates
Non-Cognate
WCL Loans
Possible WCL Loans
Gudang
38%
5.5%
78.5%
20.5%
2.1%
Yadhaykenu
42.5%
5.9%
51%
3.8%
1%
Atampaya
31.4%
5.9%
61%
3.7%
1%
Angkamuthi
33.8%
7%
88%
5%
1%
These figures show that Gudang was a separate language from the Urradhi group.
Gudang and the Western-Central Language of Torres Strait (Kalau Lagau Ya)
Gudang shares about 20% of its words with Kalau Lagau Ya (termed WCL = Western-Central Language here-in) due to loaning between the languages. It is obvious from MacGillivray, Brierly and Ray that there was extensive intermarriage and contacts between the Gudang and the Islanders, particularly but not exclusively with the people of the Muralag group (commonly called the Kowrareg people). The data Brierly and others collected from Barbara Thompson and local people show that where marriage, clan membership and other cultural aspects were concerned, that the Gudang fitted as much into the Islanders' world as in the neighbouring Urradhi world. Also, it appeared that the Gudang were on the whole bilingual in WCL, and this perhaps reflects the fact that so many WCL words were recorded as being Gudang by MacGillivray. We will probably never know how many such recorded words were mistakes on his part, by him or his informants misunderstanding which language was being asked for.
Loans or Possible Loans from the Western-Central Language of Torres Strait (Kala Lagaw Ya)
The following words vary from clear to possible loans from WCL into Gudang and Urradhi. This is shown by the phonology of the words (retention of consonant initials and other phonological 'oddities' from the point of view of Gudang and Urradhi). Most are fairly recent, however, some, such as sara 'tern', are older in that the Urradhi dialects have undergone sound changes similar to those undergone by Paman word stock. Possible loans are marked (?).
WCL aap(a) garden: G (?)ampa ground, soil, cf Y ampimana clearing
WCL aga(thurik) axe: G aga, Y agha
WCL apa- lower, below, down, underneath: G apa lower back
WCL baag(a) jaw: G baaga cheek
WCL bœbath(a) grandparent: G bubaatha grandfather
WCL buru (saw)dust, chips, crumbs: G burruburru ash(es)
WCL daan(a) eye: G daanha
WCL dhumowak(u), dhœmuwak(u) cloth, clothes: G dhumook
WCL (KLY/KulY/KY) dhuyum(a) thunder: Y unhthuymu, At unhthumu, A unhthuymu thunder (The relationship between Urradhi unthuymu and WCL dhuyum(a) is unclear – if there is any. A loan in either direction is possible, though the initial syllable in Urradhi might suggest that the word is a loan from WCL into Urradhi. Compare the Yadhaikenu word angkapahat, from English cap).
WCL dœnasam(u) eyelash (OKY also samudaana): G caamudaanha
WCL gii knife (OKY giri): G giiri, Y ghiri, At kiri, A kiri
WCL iibu chin: G iibu
WCL kab(a) (OKY kœraba) paddle: G karaaba
WCL kat(a) frog, underjaw part of jaw; neck (in compounds), Bœigu sub-dialect kœteko, kœteku frog: G kartakarta green frog (recorded as kartakatta), Y akarrakarra
WCL katham(a) (plural kathamal) banana (fruit): G katamarra, Y katamarra, A katamarra
WCL kausar(a) inland pandanus, bœruwa young kausar: G burwa, kwacherra pandanus
WCL kayadh grandmother: G kayadha grandmother
WCL kùn(a) stern (kona/cona was recorded for OKY by Brierly and MacGillivray): G koona or kuuna
WCL (KLY/KulY/KY) kùpai, (KLY) kùpa, OKY kùpar birth cord, (KLY/KulY/KY) maithakùpai, (KLY) maithakùp, OKY maithakùpar navel [maitha belly, stomach); cf. kùp(a) bottom, base: G kupara
WCL mabar(a) small mangrove conch with spikes: G mabarr, At mavarra k.o. shell
WCL makas(a) mouse, rat; wœsar(a) kangaroo, wallaby: G maakacha, Y (?)wacharra, At (?)acharra, (?)acharraki, A (?)wacharra mouse
WCL met(a) dugong flipper, arm: G merta fin
WCL mœrap(i), (KLY) mœraapi bamboo: G marraapi, Y marrapi, At marrapi, A marrapi
WCL mùdh(a) shelter, hut, back-yard, haven, place/spot protected from the wind: G mudha
WCL muugu ant/termite hill/nest [generic term], white ant, termite: G muungku, Y mungka, At mungka, A mungka (red) anthill
WCL ngaga bird/stingray wing: G ngaaga wing
WCL paad(a) hill, tip, top, height: G pada hill, paada head
WCL patha- cut, chop: A ipaata cut, chop
WCL puuy(i), (OKY) puuri (variant upœri) magic charm/gear/medecine (i.e. the material and language used in magic, but not the magic itself, which is maidh): G upiirri medecine, Y upirri, At upirri, A upirri sore, painful; witchcraft
WCL puuy(i), OKY puuri tree, plant, post, pole, log: G puri tree
WCL saan(a) dugong tail: G canha fish tail
WCL sara tern: G carra tern, Y charra, At iyarra seagull
WCL sayima (OKY sarima) outrigger: G carima
WCL sœguba tobacco: G cuuka, cooka, Y/At/A (The Gudang forms are perhaps an early loan from Malay coki, otherwise is an abbreviated form of an unrecorded cukuba)
WCL sœka lungs (of turtle and dugong)): G caaka lungs
WCL tete animal/bird leg, cf. MM teter lower leg, upper foot: G tetarr finger/toe nail
WCl thawal coast, shore, shoreline: G thawarr seaweed (the WCL word suggests a miscommunication between MacGillivray and his informant(s), mistaking seaweed for coast, shore, shoreline)
WCL thœyap(u) wrist, OKY thœrapu: G theraapi wrist, forearm
WCL thuugu outrigger pole: G thuugu
WCL uru / wœru rope, sisaluru type of rope: G cicalurru
WCL urui creature, bird: G wurruy creature
WCL uur / wur / wœr water: G (?) uurru boil
WCL waapi fish: G waapi
WCL waaru turtle, green turtle: G waarru, Y iwurru, A waru
WCL wagel(a) after, behind: G wagel thunder (as thunder always follows lightning, wagel may have been recorded by MacGillivray through a misunderstanding)
WCL wapadha cotton tree: G waapadha, Y wapadha, At wapara, A wapadha
WCL walap(a) hat: G walaapa, At walapan, A walapan
WCL warup(a) hour-glass-shaped drum: G warrupa, Y arupa, At arupa, A arupa drum
WCL wœnawa shell turtle: G wanawa, At wanawa turtle shell
WCL wœrab(a), wurab(a), urab(a) coconut; G warraaba, At warrava
WCL (KKY/KY/KLY) yatha, (KulY) yetha beard: G yetha
WCL (KLY,KulY,KY) yathai, (KLY) yatha, (OKY) yathar spider shell: Y yathal, A yathaa nail, spider shell
WCL yœuth(a) long house, hall, church: Y yutha, A yutha hut, house, church
R.M.W. Dixon and Barry J. Blake (eds), 1983, Uradhi; in the Handbook of Australian Languages, VOL. 3:306-428. Canberra: The Australian National University Press.
MacGILLIVRAY, J., 1852, Narrative of the Voyage of HMS Rattlesnake. London: T.W. Boone.
Mitchell, Rod (1995). Linguistic Archaeology in Torres Strait: The Western-Central Torres Strait Language. Townsville: James Cook University (Masters Thesis).
MOORE, David R., 1979, Islanders and Aborigines at Cape York: An ethnographic reconstruction based on the 1848-1850 'Rattlesnake' Journals of O.W. Brierly and information he obtained from Barbara Thompson. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
RAY, Sidney H., Linguistics, vol 3, Reports of the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press (Johnson Reprint Corporation, London, 1971)
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