Malak-Malak
Mullukmulluk
Nguluk Wanggarr
RegionNorthern Territory
EthnicityMulluk-Mulluk, Ngolokwangga, Djerait
Native speakers
10 Malak-Malak (2016 census)[1]
5 Tyeraity (2005)[2]
Dialects
  • Malak-Malak
  • Djerait (Kuwema)
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3Either:
mpb  Malak-Malak
woa  Kuwema (Tyaraity)
Glottolognort1547
AIATSIS[2]N22 Malak Malak, N10 Kuwema (Tyaraity)
ELPMalak 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.

Classification

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]

Phonology

Vowels[12]

Front Central Back
Close i ɨ ɯ / u
Mid ɛ ɜ
Open ɐ

Consonants[12]

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]

Typological classification

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]

(1)
dependent-marking: possession

Doro-ngayi

name-3SG.F

muyiny

dog

Doro-ngayi muyiny

name-3SG.F dog

"Doro's dog"

(2)
no marking: noun-adjective

meldaty

trip

ada

1SG.EXCL.go.PST

tjung

stick

yintjerrik

small.M

meldaty ada tjung yintjerrik

trip 1SG.EXCL.go.PST stick small.M

"I tripped on the little stick"

(3)
head-marking: noun-adposition

ngatj

EMPH

yunu

3SG.M.sit.PST

tjinang

stay.give

pak-ma

sit-CONT

nende

thing/person

wag

water

puyunduk-nana

underneath-LOC

ngatj yunu tjinang pak-ma nende wag puyunduk-nana

EMPH 3SG.M.sit.PST stay.give sit-CONT thing/person water underneath-LOC

"he sits down underneath the water"

Morphosyntactic properties

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]

(4)
Complex Predicates and Serial Coverbs

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

kubuk-karrarr dat-tjed yuyu yanak ka yida=ke

swim-move.up look-stand 3SG.M.stand.PST one come 3SG.M.go.PST=FOC

"he crossed the river and looked once, then he came here"

Spatial Language

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).

(5)
intrinsic Frame of Reference

tjung

tree

angundu-na

behind-LOC

muyu

3SG.N*.stand.PST

tjung angundu-na muyu

tree behind-LOC 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)

(6)
relative Frame of Reference

yerra

now

tjalmiyiny

right

dek

place

kantjuk

up/upwards

purrat-ma

jump-CONT

wuta

3SG.N.go.PST

yerra tjalmiyiny dek kantjuk purrat-ma wuta

now right place up/upwards jump-CONT 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).

(7a)
absolute Frame of Reference (sun)

miri

sun

tjalk-ma

go.down-CONT

yina,

this

yina

this

miri

sun

paiga-ma

go.up-CONT

miri tjalk-ma yina, yina miri paiga-ma

sun go.down-CONT this this sun go.up-CONT

"this one is west and this one is east"

(7b)
absolute Frame of Reference (wind)

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

Waliwali-nen pudang tjedali yuyu nul-yen pudang tjedali yuyu

Daly.River-DIR face.towards stand.PART 3SG.M.stand.PRS northwesterly-DIR face.towards stand.part 3SG.M.stand.PRS

"one is facing the river and the other one is facing northwest" Unknown glossing abbreviation(s) (help);

(7c)
absolute Frame of Reference (riverbank)

duk

place

puyunduk

underneath

kinangga

north.eastern.bank/this.side

yide

3SG.M.go/be.PRS

chair=we

chair=FOC

duk puyunduk kinangga yide chair=we

place underneath north.eastern.bank/this.side 3SG.M.go/be.PRS chair=FOC

"it is underneath, on the northeastern bank's side, of the chair"

Vocabulary

The following basic vocabulary items of Northern Daly language varieties are from Tryon (1968).[19]

no.glossMullukmullukDjeraity
1headpundɔpundu
2hairpundɔmækpundumæR
3eyesnumɔrɔnumɔrɔ
4noseyinïnyinun
5earčawœrmuninǰawœr
6toothditdiR
7tongueŋændɛlŋændulk
8shouldermœndœlmændœm
9elbowpimïlepimilu
10handnaɲïlnaɲulk
11breastswiyœwiŋ
12backpayakdaɲ
13bellypœɲpœɲ
14navelčœčœtčœčuruk
15heartmændulmamændulma
16urinewurɔwurɔ
17excretewœnwœn
18thighčætčæR
19legwilitdulk
20kneepœŋgœlpœŋgœl
21footmaǰanmæl
22skinŋæčïdlkarala
23fatmilyœlaɲ
24blooddawutpadawɔ
25bonenœrœtmurɔ
26manyiɲalœlambœr
27womanalawaRalœrguR
28fatherbaŋapapaŋa
29motherwiyaŋakalaŋa
30grandmotheræǰæŋaŋeyæčɔ
31policemančæyæčmančayačdiɲ
32spearčaŋarčaŋal
33woomerayarawamaduR
34boomerangčïmbičïmbiččïmbičïmbič
35nullanullawarawaračændæɲ
36hair-beltpudurpurur
37canoewændewændɔ
38axewalyïmbaličpuRp
39dilly bagkarɛrpæmbuR
40firečœŋčuŋɔ
41smokewænwæn
42waterwakwak
43clouddurɔpæRk
44rainbowdæpulɔlɔypulɔlɔy
45barramundi
46seaŋambačŋambač
47riverwakwurɔwurɔ
48stonewadlkwulɔ
49groundpawuRkwœnǰœ
50trackyæreæRɔ
51dustpulɔpulɔ
52sunmïremirɔ
53moonyædlkyœlk
54starnœmœrœlnumurudl
55nightpuwaRpoyædɔ
56tomorrownœyænœnuŋɔyɔ
57todayæmænæɲika
58bigwunædlewudælɔ
59possumwœyœwœyœ
60dogmoyiɲmoweyiɲ
61tailwœmœwumɔ
62meat
63snakeŋunǰulčalala
64red kangaroočæyœtmanduRk
65porcupinemænɛŋɛčmanɛŋɛč
66emučïnburatŋœrœɲ
67crowwaŋgïrwaŋguR
68goannačæriɲčæɲ
69blue tongue lizardkumugutpɛrɛt
70mosquitowænŋɛnwænŋun
71sugar-bagpiǰakŋœčœn
72campdækdæk
73blackeyïkeyïkeyukeyuk
74whitepuŋmatamalma
75redwidmawitma
76oneyanakŋayawunuka
77twowærænawærunuka
78when?amanæleŋædekælædiɲ
79what?nïgidænïgidæ
80who?eyɛnaŋon
81Iŋaŋa
82youwaŋareniɲ
83heyœndœnyœndœn
84grasswænewænœ
85vegetable foodmimiyɔ
86treečœŋčuŋɔ
87leafdæmbælwœR
88pandanusmurɔmurɔnarɔ
89ironwoodpawitæluRk
90ripemoeŋœɲdamberæmæ
91goodyunbayanmunbayɛn
92badyinatmunætɔ
93blindwuɲakwuɲ
94deafɲabɔŋamama
95salivačalïlkčalulk

References

  1. "Census 2016, Language spoken at home by Sex (SA2+)". stat.data.abs.gov.au. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
  2. 1 2 N22 Malak Malak at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies  (see the info box for additional links)
  3. Endangered Languages Project data for Kuwema.
  4. Green, I. "The Genetic Status of Murrinh-patha" in Evans, N., ed. "The Non-Pama-Nyungan Languages of Northern Australia: comparative studies of the continent’s most linguistically complex region". Studies in Language Change, 552. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, 2003.
  5. Bowern, Claire. 2011. "How Many Languages Were Spoken in Australia?", Anggarrgoon: Australian languages on the web, December 23, 2011 (corrected February 6, 2012)
  6. N31 Patjtjamalh at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  7. Harvey, M. (2003). "The evolution of verb systems in the Eastern Daly language family." In N. Evans ed. The Non-Pama Nyungan languages of Northern Australia. Canberra, Pacific Linguistics. pp. 159-184.
  8. Cahir, P. (2006). "Verb functions and Argument Structure in MalakMalak: a Northern daly Language of the Daly River Region, Northern Territory." Honours Thesis. University of Melbourne.
  9. Nordlinger, Rachel (2017). "Chapter 37: The languages of the Daly region (Northern Australia)". In Fortescue, Michael; Mithun, Marianne; Evans, Nicholas (eds.). Oxford Handbook of Polysynthesis. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 782–807.
  10. "The Daly Languages".
  11. Tryon, D. T. (1974). Daly family languages, Australia. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. pp. 24–41.
  12. 1 2 Hoffmann, Dorothea (in prep), MalakMalak Sketch Grammar
  13. Birk (1976).
  14. "Collection Items". wurin.lis.soas.ac.uk. Retrieved 2016-05-10.
  15. Hoffmann, Dorothea. "Dorothea Hoffmann: "Complex Predicates and Serialization in the Daly River Languages (and beyond?)"". www.academia.edu. Retrieved 2016-05-10.
  16. "Dorothea Hoffmann. (MUR). "Mapping Worlds: Frames of Reference in MalakMalak". In Proceedings to the 39th Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistic Society 2013. University of California: Berkeley". www.academia.edu. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
  17. Hoffmann, Dorothea. "Dorothea Hoffmann. (in prep). "Usage Patterns of Spatial Frames of Reference and Orientation: Evidence from three Australian languages"". www.academia.edu. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
  18. 1 2 3 Levinson, Stephen; Wilkins, David (2006). Grammars of Space: Explorations in cognitive diversity. Cambridge University Press. pp. 20–21.
  19. Tryon, Darrell T. "The Daly River Languages: A Survey". In Aguas, E.F. and Tryon, D. editors, Papers in Australian Linguistics No. 3. A-14:21-49. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1968. doi:10.15144/PL-A14.21
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