Ritharngu

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The Ritharngu, also known as the Diakui, are an indigenous Australian people of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.

Arnhem Land Region in the Northern Territory, Australia

Arnhem Land is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km (310 mi) from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km2 (37,000 sq mi), which also covers the area of Kakadu National Park, and a population of 16,230. In 1623, Dutch East India Company captain William van Colster sailed into the Gulf of Carpentaria and Cape Arnhem is named after his ship, the Arnhem, which itself was named after the city of Arnhem in the Netherlands.

Northern Territory federal territory of Australia

The Northern Territory is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. It shares borders with Western Australia to the west, South Australia to the south, and Queensland to the east. To the north, the territory looks out to the Timor Sea, the Arafura Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria, including Western New Guinea and other Indonesian islands. The NT covers 1,349,129 square kilometres (520,902 sq mi), making it the third-largest Australian federal division, and the 11th-largest country subdivision in the world. It is sparsely populated, with a population of only 246,700, making it the least-populous of Australia's eight states and major territories, with fewer than half as many people as Tasmania.

Contents

Language

Ritharngu is a Yolŋu Matha language. In modern times Ritharngu has been observed to be undergoing significant structural changes away from Yolgnu, with innovations in its morphosyntaxis through assimilation of features characteristic of Nunggubuyu and Ngandi. [1]

Ritharrŋu is an Australian Aboriginal Yolŋu language, spoken in Australia's Northern Territory.

Nunggubuyu or Wubuy is an Australian Aboriginal language, the traditional language of the Nunggubuyu people. It is the primary traditional language spoken in the community of Numbulwar in the Northern Territory. The language is classified as severely endangered by UNESCO, with only 272 speakers according to the 2016 census. Most children in Numbulwar can understand Nunggubuyu when spoken to, but cannot speak it themselves, having to reply in Kriol. To counter this, starting in 1990, the community has been embarking on a revitalisation programme for the language by bringing in elders to teach it to children at the local school.

Ngandi is a moribund Australian Aboriginal language of the Wilton River, Northern Territory. It is closely related to Nunggubuyu.

Country

The Ritharngu are estimated to have landed estates extending over approximately 2,200 square miles (5,700 km2) east and south of the Arafura Swamp. They also inhabit the area east of the Goyder River, whose tributaries' headwaters form their southernmost frontier. They also inhabit the area around the Mitchell Ranges and the Koolatong River headwaters. [2]

The Arafura Swamp is a large inland freshwater wetland in Arnhem Land, in the Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is a near pristine floodplain with an area of 700 square kilometres (270 sq mi) that may expand to 1,300 km2 (500 sq mi) by the end of the wet season, making it the largest wooded swamp in the Northern Territory and, possibly, in Australia. It has a strong seasonal variation in depth of water. The area is of great cultural significance to the Yolngu people, in particular the Ramingining community. It was the filming location for the film Ten Canoes.

Goyder River River in Australia

The Goyder River is a river in the Northern Territory, Australia.

Mitchell Ranges are a mountain range in Arnhem Land located approximately 510 kilometres (317 mi) east of Darwin in the Northern Territory, of Australia.

Social organization

The Ritharngu are organized into three clans, two pertaining to the Dua Moiety (kinship)moiety and one to the Yirritja moiety. [2]

Dua moieties.

Yirritja moiety.

Alternative names

Notes

    Citations

    1. ↑ Heine & Kuteva 2005, pp. 166–167.
    2. 1 2 3 4 Tindale 1974, p. 223.

    Sources

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