Malak-Malak | |
---|---|
Mullukmulluk | |
Nguluk Wanggarr | |
Region | Northern Territory |
Ethnicity | Mulluk-Mulluk, Ngolokwangga, Djerait |
Native speakers | 10 Malak-Malak (2016 census) [1] 5 Tyeraity (2005) [2] |
Dialects |
|
Latin | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | Either: mpb – Malak-Malak woa – Kuwema (Tyaraity) |
Glottolog | nort1547 |
AIATSIS [2] | N22 Malak Malak, N10 Kuwema (Tyaraity) |
ELP | Malak Malak |
Kuwema [3] | |
![]() Malak Malak is classified as Severely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
Malak-Malak (also spelt Mullukmulluk, Malagmalag), also known as Ngolak-Wonga (Nguluwongga), is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Mulluk-Mulluk people. Malakmalak is nearly extinct, with children growing up speaking Kriol or English instead. The language is spoken in the Daly River area around Woolianna and Nauiyu. The Kuwema or Tyaraity (Tyeraty) variety is distinct.
Malakmalak was formerly classified in a Northern Daly family along with the "Anson Bay" group of Wagaydy (Patjtjamalh, Wadjiginy, Kandjerramalh) and the unattested Giyug. Green concluded that Wagaydy and Malakmalak were two separate language families. [4] Some later classifications have linked them such as Bowern (2011). [5] However, the Wagaydy people are recent arrivals in the area, and their language may only similar due to borrowing. [6] AIATSIS and Glottolog both treat Wagaydy as an isolate and Giyug as unclassifiable.
In contemporary usage, "Northern Daly" (e.g. Harvey 2003, [7] Cahir 2006, [8] Nordlinger 2017 [9] ) most often refers specifically to the group of languages which includes Malakmalak and Tyerraty [10] (also known as Guwema), a variety with which MalakMalak differs significantly in vocabulary (65% according to Tryon's 200 word list), but is very close to morphologically. [11]
Front | Central | Back | |
---|---|---|---|
Close | i | ɨ | ɯ / u |
Mid | ɛ | ɜ | |
Open | ɐ |
Bilabial | Alveolar | Retroflex | Palatal | Velar | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | ||
Stop | voiceless | p | t | c | k | |
voiced | b | d | g | |||
Rhotic | ɾ | ɻ | ||||
Lateral | l | ʎ | ||||
Semivowel | w | j |
Plosives /p t c k/ may be heard as voiced as [b d ɟ ɡ] when intervocalic. [13]
MalakMalak, is an ergative-absolutive language with constituent order mainly determined by information structure and prosody, but syntactically free. Marking of core-cases is optional. The language is mostly dependent-marking (1), but also has no marking (2) and head-marking features (3). [14]
meldaty
trip
ada
1SG.EXCL.go.PST
tjung
stick
yintjerrik
small.M
"I tripped on the little stick"
ngatj
EMPH
yunu
3SG.M.sit.PST
tjinang
stay.give
pak-ma
sit-CONT
nende
thing/person
wag
water
puyunduk-nana
underneath-LOC
"he sits down underneath the water"
MalakMalak's verb phrase uses complex predicates. These consist of an inflecting verb that has properties of person, number and tense. MalakMalak only has six such verbs. In example (4), yuyu and vida are inflecting verbs. Additionally, there are coverbs which have aspectual properties, but do not inflect for number, tense or person. They occur with inflecting verbs. They are unlimited in number and new verbs are also borrowed into this class. In (4), kubuk-karrarr, dat-tyed, and ka are coverbs. They can also form serial verbs (kubuk-karrarr, dat-tyed). [15]
kubuk-karrarr
swim-move.up
dat-tjed
look-stand
yuyu
3SG.M.stand.PST
yanak
one
ka
come
yida=ke
3SG.M.go.PST=FOC
"he crossed the river and looked once, then he came here"
MalakMalak employs all three "classic" types of spatial Frames of Reference: intrinsic, relative and absolute. Additionally, the language uses place names and body-part orientation to talk about space. [16] [17] The intrinsic Frame requires some kind of portioning of the ground object or landmark into named facets from which search domains can be projected. [18] In English this would be, for example, the tree is in front of the man. And in MalakMalak it would be (5).
tjung
tree
angundu-na
behind-LOC
muyu
3SG.N*.stand.PST
"the tree was behind (the man)"
The relative Frame of Reference involves mapping from the observer's own axes (front, back, left, right) onto the ground object. [18] An English example is the ball is on the right. In MalakMalak it would be (6)
yerra
now
tjalmiyiny
right
dek
place
kantjuk
up/upwards
purrat-ma
jump-CONT
wuta
3SG.N.go.PST
"now the ball was on the right, jumping up (lit. jumping in an upward place on the right)"
The absolute Frame of Reference requires xed bearings that are instantly available to all members of the community. [18] An English example is the opera is west of here. In MalakMalak, three different types of absolute frames can be used. Those based on the course of the sun (east/west) (7a), on prevailing winds (northwesterly/southeasterly) (7b), and on two sides of the prominent Daly River (northeastern/southwestern bank) (7c).
miri
sun
tjalk-ma
go.down-CONT
yina,
this
yina
this
miri
sun
paiga-ma
go.up-CONT
"this one is west and this one is east"
Waliwali-nen
Daly.River-DIR
pudang
face.towards
tjedali
stand.PART
yuyu
3SG.M.stand.PRS
nul-yen
northwesterly-DIR
pudang
face.towards
tjedali
stand.part
yuyu
3SG.M.stand.PRS
"one is facing the river and the other one is facing northwest" Unknown glossing abbreviation(s) (help);
duk
place
puyunduk
underneath
kinangga
north.eastern.bank/this.side
yide
3SG.M.go/be.PRS
chair=we
chair=FOC
"it is underneath, on the northeastern bank's side, of the chair"
The following basic vocabulary items of Northern Daly language varieties, including Malak-Malak (or Mullukmulluk), are from Tryon (1968). [19]
no. | gloss | Mullukmulluk | Djeraity |
---|---|---|---|
1 | head | pundɔ | pundu |
2 | hair | pundɔmæk | pundumæR |
3 | eyes | numɔrɔ | numɔrɔ |
4 | nose | yinïn | yinun |
5 | ear | čawœr | muninǰawœr |
6 | tooth | dit | diR |
7 | tongue | ŋændɛl | ŋændulk |
8 | shoulder | mœndœl | mændœm |
9 | elbow | pimïle | pimilu |
10 | hand | naɲïl | naɲulk |
11 | breasts | wiyœ | wiŋ |
12 | back | payak | daɲ |
13 | belly | pœɲ | pœɲ |
14 | navel | čœčœt | čœčuruk |
15 | heart | mændulma | mændulma |
16 | urine | wurɔ | wurɔ |
17 | excrete | wœn | wœn |
18 | thigh | čæt | čæR |
19 | leg | wilit | dulk |
20 | knee | pœŋgœl | pœŋgœl |
21 | foot | maǰan | mæl |
22 | skin | ŋæčïdl | karala |
23 | fat | milyœ | laɲ |
24 | blood | dawut | padawɔ |
25 | bone | nœrœt | murɔ |
26 | man | yiɲa | lœlambœr |
27 | woman | alawaR | alœrguR |
28 | father | baŋa | papaŋa |
29 | mother | wiyaŋa | kalaŋa |
30 | grandmother | æǰæŋa | ŋeyæčɔ |
31 | policeman | čæyæčman | čayačdiɲ |
32 | spear | čaŋar | čaŋal |
33 | woomera | yarawa | maduR |
34 | boomerang | čïmbičïmbič | čïmbičïmbič |
35 | nullanulla | warawara | čændæɲ |
36 | hair-belt | pudur | purur |
37 | canoe | wænde | wændɔ |
38 | axe | walyïmba | ličpuRp |
39 | dilly bag | karɛr | pæmbuR |
40 | fire | čœŋ | čuŋɔ |
41 | smoke | wæn | wæn |
42 | water | wak | wak |
43 | cloud | durɔ | pæRk |
44 | rainbow | dæpulɔlɔy | pulɔlɔy |
45 | barramundi | wɔ | wɔ |
46 | sea | ŋambač | ŋambač |
47 | river | wakwurɔ | wurɔ |
48 | stone | wadlk | wulɔ |
49 | ground | pawuRk | wœnǰœ |
50 | track | yære | æRɔ |
51 | dust | pulɔ | pulɔ |
52 | sun | mïre | mirɔ |
53 | moon | yædlk | yœlk |
54 | star | nœmœrœl | numurudl |
55 | night | puwaR | poyædɔ |
56 | tomorrow | nœyænœ | nuŋɔyɔ |
57 | today | æmæn | æɲika |
58 | big | wunædle | wudælɔ |
59 | possum | wœyœ | wœyœ |
60 | dog | moyiɲ | moweyiɲ |
61 | tail | wœmœ | wumɔ |
62 | meat | dæ | dæ |
63 | snake | ŋunǰul | čalala |
64 | red kangaroo | čæyœt | manduRk |
65 | porcupine | mænɛŋɛč | manɛŋɛč |
66 | emu | čïnburat | ŋœrœɲ |
67 | crow | waŋgïr | waŋguR |
68 | goanna | čæriɲ | čæɲ |
69 | blue tongue lizard | kumugut | pɛrɛt |
70 | mosquito | wænŋɛn | wænŋun |
71 | sugar-bag | piǰak | ŋœčœn |
72 | camp | dæk | dæk |
73 | black | eyïkeyïk | eyukeyuk |
74 | white | puŋma | tamalma |
75 | red | widma | witma |
76 | one | yanakŋa | yawunuka |
77 | two | wæræna | wærunuka |
78 | when? | amanæle | ŋædekælædiɲ |
79 | what? | nïgidæ | nïgidæ |
80 | who? | eyɛn | aŋon |
81 | I | ŋa | ŋa |
82 | you | waŋare | niɲ |
83 | he | yœndœn | yœndœn |
84 | grass | wæne | wænœ |
85 | vegetable food | mi | miyɔ |
86 | tree | čœŋ | čuŋɔ |
87 | leaf | dæmbæl | wœR |
88 | pandanus | murɔmurɔ | narɔ |
89 | ironwood | pawit | æluRk |
90 | ripe | moeŋœɲ | damberæmæ |
91 | good | yunbayan | munbayɛn |
92 | bad | yinat | munætɔ |
93 | blind | wuɲak | wuɲ |
94 | deaf | ɲabɔ | ŋamama |
95 | saliva | čalïlk | čalulk |
Below is a basic vocabulary list from Blake (1981). [20]
English | Malak-Malak |
---|---|
man | yinya |
woman | alawar |
mother | wiyanga |
father | panga |
head | puntu |
eye | numuru |
nose | yinin |
ear | tyewör |
mouth | ari |
tongue | ngentilk |
tooth | tit |
hand | nenyilk |
breast | wiyi |
stomach | pöny |
urine | wuru |
faeces | wön |
thigh | tyat |
foot | matyan |
bone | mörröt |
blood | tawut |
dog | muyiny |
snake | te nguntyul |
kangaroo | tyeyöt |
possum | wöyö |
mosquito | wenngin |
emu | tyinpurrat |
eaglehawk | waruk |
crow | wangkirr |
sun | mirri |
moon | yelk |
star | nömöröl |
stone | walk |
water | wak |
camp | tek |
fire | työng |
smoke | wen |
food | mi |
meat | te |
stand | wurrma |
sit | pak |
see | tat |
go | pi |
get | tap |
hit | taty |
I | nga |
you | wangarri |
one | yanaknga |
two | werrena |
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