| Worrorran | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Northern Kimberley region, [1] west of Wyndham |
| Linguistic classification | One of the world's primary language families |
| Subdivisions | |
| Glottolog | worr1236 |
 Map of the Worrorran languages [2] | |
The Worrorran (Wororan) languages are a small family of Australian Aboriginal languages spoken in northern Western Australia.
The Worrorran languages fall into three dialect clusters:
In addition, Gulunggulu is unattested but presumably a Worrorran lect. [3]
There has been debate over whether the Worrorran languages are demonstrably related to one another, or constitute a geographical language group.
Dixon (2002) considers them to be language isolates with no demonstrable relationship other than that of a Sprachbund .
However, more recent literature differs from Dixon:
Capell (1940) lists the following basic vocabulary items for the Worrorran languages: [5]
| English | Ungarinyin | Munumburu | Woljamidi | Unggumi | Worora | Wunambal (1) | Wunambal (2) | Gambre | Bargu | Gwiːni |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| man | aɽi, aɽu | aɽi | aɽi | aɖi | idja | ɛndjin | ɛndjin | bɛndjin | bɛndjin | bɛndjin |
| woman | wɔŋai, wulun | wɔŋai | wulun | wɔŋaiinja | wɔŋaiinja | wɔŋai | wɔŋai | ŋaːli | ŋaːli | ŋaːli |
| head | -alaŋgun | -alaŋgun | buŋguru | -bama | (ar)bri | waːra | baːndi | baːndi | baːndi | baːndi |
| eye | -ambul | aiambul | ambul | jumbul | ombula | wumbul | wumbul | wumbul | wumbul | wumbul |
| nose | -aiil | njindjuru | njindjuru | jininde | (ad)biŋu | windji | windji | windji | windji | windji |
| mouth | mindjäl | mindjäl | mɔga | mindjäl | (ar)djamundu | mindjäl | mindjäl | mindjäl | mɔga | mɔga |
| tongue | anbula | mɔga | almbɽa | wanbulema | anbula | anbulɛ | anbulɛ | mindjäl | mɔga | mɔga |
| stomach | ŋujen, mandu | ŋuje | mandu | duduŋga | (ar)gulum | mɛːwur, mandu | mɛːwur | mala, ŋuju | mala | mala |
| bone | aːnɔr | awur | ɔːnɔr | janaurge | inari | bunar | bunar | awur | bunar | bunar |
| blood | guli | guli | wundäbun | guliːnga | gulu | ŋanda | guli | guli | guli | guli |
| kangaroo | iali | iali | iali | ware | aːrura | amba | amba | amba | amba | amba |
| opossum | andäri, garimba | andäri | guman | gundumanja | burgumba | gaiɛmba, ganari | burgumba, garimba | wuraba, guman | wudɔɖa | guman |
| emu | djebara | djebara | djebara | djebarinja | djebarinja | jiluluŋari | wiɛri | wiɛri | wiɛri | wiɛri |
| crow | wa̱ŋgara | wa̱ŋgara | maɖiwa | wa̱ŋgaranja | wa̱ŋgaranja | waːwanja | waŋguɽa | waŋguɽa | waŋguɽa | |
| fly | ŋanauɛra | wurŋun | wurŋun | wurŋare | ŋanauara | ŋanauara | gaualjɛra | ŋaːwan | gaŋgu | worŋa |
| sun | maɽaŋi | meɽiŋun | maːri | wandinja | maraŋanja | maɽaŋo | maɽaŋi | maɽaŋo | mɔɽɔŋ | mɔɽɔŋ |
| moon | gunjili, gaɳgi | gaɳgi | gaːgiri | ginjila | gunjila | goɽa, gaɳgi | gunjili | girŋal | wamara | gagari |
| fire | windjäŋun | windjäŋu | wurgala | wianga | wianu | windjäŋum | buː | windjäŋun | buː | wunar |
| smoke | bindjän | ŋundjur | ŋundjur | bindjäŋga | bidjugu | bindjän | bindjägun | ŋundjur | ŋundjur | ŋundjur |
| water | ŋabun | ŋawa | jaːwal | jaŋga | agu | jaːwal | jaːwal | ŋawa, jaːwal | ŋawa | ŋawa |
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