Yolŋu languages

Yolŋu Matha (), meaning "the Yolŋu tongue", is a linguistic family that includes the languages of the Yolŋu clans, who are Aboriginal peoples of northeast Arnhem Land in northern Australia.

The family of languages includes the Dhangu-Djangu; Nhangu; Dhuwal; Ritharngu; Djinang; and Djinba languages.

Varieties Yolŋu Matha consists of about six languages, some mutually intelligible, divided into about thirty clan varieties and perhaps twelve different dialects, each with its own Yolŋu name. Put together, in 2002 there were about 4600 speakers of Yolŋu Matha languages. Exogamy has often meant that mothers and fathers speak different languages, so that children traditionally grew up at least bilingual, and in many cases polylingual, meaning that communication was facilitated by mastery of multiple languages and dialects of Yolŋu Matha.

The linguistic situation is very complicated, given that each of the 30 or so clans also has a named language variety. Dixon (2002) distinguishes the following: Dhangu-Djangu language Nhangu language Dhuwal language Ritharngu language Djinang language Djinba language Wan.gurri Gamalaŋga Gupapuyngu Ritharngu Yirritjing Ganhalpuyngu (Ganalbiŋu) Lamamirri Gorryindi Gumatj Wagilak Wurlaki Manjdjalpuyngu (Mandjalpiŋu) Rirratjingu Mäḻarra Djambarrpuyngu Djardiwitjibi Gaalpu Bindarra Djapu Mildjingi Ngayimil Ngurruwulu Liyagalawumirr Balmbi Warramiri Walamangu Guyamirlili Djuwing Mandatja Dhalwangu Marrangu Djarrwark Murrungun Manyarring

Bowern (2011) adds the varieties in parentheses as distinct languages.

Phonology

Consonants

The consonant inventory is basically the same across Yolŋu varieties, although some varieties show minor differences.

Peripheral Apical Laminal Glottal Bilabial Velar Alveolar Dental Retroflex Palatal Plosive Lenis Fortis Nasals Rhotics Laterals Approximants

Yolŋu languages have a fortis–lenis contrast in plosive consonants. Lenis/short plosives have weak contact and intermittent voicing, while fortis/long plosives have full closure, a more powerful release burst, and no voicing.

Vowels FrontCentral Back Close , , Open ,

A three-way vowel distinction is shared between Yolŋu varieties, though not all Yolŋu varieties have a contrast in vowel length. In the varieties that do have a length contrast, long vowels occur only in the initial syllable of words. In historical use The 1963 Yirrkala bark petitions, a significant political statement asserting their rights to land, were written by elders of various Yolngu clans at Yirrkala mission and submitted to the Parliament of Australia, were written in a standardised Yolngu script developed by the missionary Beulah Lowe, based on Yolngu Matha languages, together with an English translation. One source suggests that it was based on the Gupapuyngu language

In popular culture

The films Ten Canoes (2006) and Charlie's Country (2013), both directed by Rolf de Heer and featuring actor David Gulpilil, feature dialogue in Yolŋu Matha. Ten Canoes was the first feature film to be shot entirely in Australian indigenous languages, with the dialogue largely in the Ganalbiŋu variety of Yolŋu Matha.

Dr. G. Yunupingu was a popular Australian singer who sang in the Gumatj dialect of Yolŋu Matha, as did the Aboriginal rock group Yothu Yindi.

Baker Boy, from the community of Milingimbi in North Eastern Arnhem Land, released the song "Cloud 9" in 2017, in which he raps in Yolŋu Matha.ABC News As Young Australian of the Year in 2019, the International Year of Indigenous Languages, and with two of his songs in the 2019 Triple J Hottest 100, he raised the profile of Yolŋu Matha in mainstream media as well as giving people at home pride in their language.

On 17 June 2026, it was announced that five episodes of the animated series Bluey would be dubbed in Yolŋu Matha; the voice actors are from the north-east Arnhem Land area, including Dimathaya Burarrwanga (of the band King Stingray) as Bandit Heeler and Andrew Gurruwiwi as "Grandad" Mort Cattle.

Dictionaries and resources

Dictionaries have been produced by Beulah Lowe, David Zorc and Michael Christie. A free, web-based searchable dictionary created by John Greatorex was launched in February 2015 by Charles Darwin University.

There are also several grammars of Yolŋu languages by Jeffrey Heath, Frances Morphy, Melanie Wilkinson and others.ARDS Language Publications

A graduate certificate in Yolŋu studies is offered at Charles Darwin University, teaching Yolŋu kinship, law and the Gupapuyŋu language variety.

ABC Indigenous News Radio broadcasts a news program in Yolngu Matha and also in Warlpiri on weekdays. The Aboriginal Resource and Development Services (ARDS) broadcast live radio in northeast Arnhem Land, Darwin and Palmerston and provide recordings of past programs on the internet.

Words and expressions

'skill, talent, ability' Bäru 'crocodile' 'with water' (bucket with water), 'watery'.Trudgen, Richard, 2000, 'Thirteen years of wanting to know', Why warriors lie down and die, Aboriginal Resource and Development Services, Inc. Darwin, pp. 97-112 'good, OK' or Yo (pronounced 'yo') 'yes' Yo manymak when used together the expression can be synonymous with either of its two component words and also used as a friendly greeting, the 'o' in yo is usually held for longer when used as part of this expression. 'ghost' 'child' ‘sister’ 'big' denotes the link between two different entities which is characterised as a mother-child relationship.

Austronesian loanwords

Like other languages of the Top End, Yolŋu-Matha contains many loanwords from Austronesian languages due to abundant contact with seafaring peoples from the Indonesian archipelago. Walker and Zorc have identified 179 Yolŋu-Matha words that are clearly of Austronesian origin, and have identified a further 70 possible Austronesian loanwords requiring further study. + Examples of Austronesian loanwords in Yolngu-Matha Yolngu word Austronesian source language Austronesian word Meaning in English balaʔ Makassarese bállaʔ house balala Makassarese balála greedy balaŋu Makassarese balaŋo anchor baluka Makassarese palúkka thief baːwʔ Makassarese or Buginese báuʔ fragrance gaːruŋ Malay karoŋ sack barawu Malay perahu boat

Vocabulary Capell (1942) lists the following basic vocabulary items:Capell, Arthur. 1941–1942, 1942-1943. Languages of Arnhem Land, North Australia. Oceania 12: 364–392, 13: 24-51.

gloss Wan‘guri Warameri Galbu Riraidjango Yanango Golba Gobabwingo Djambarbwingo Dalwongo Ridarngo Gomaidj Manggalili Maṙaṙba Djinba Yandjinang man woman head eye , nose mouth tongue stomach bone blood , , kangaroo possum emu crow fly sun moon , fire smoke diliwur water gudjäɽg References

Yolŋu languages

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