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Wikipedia / Worrorran languages

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:

Worrorran

  • the Northern Worrorran group, known as Wunambal and related dialects

  • the Eastern Worrorran group, known as Ngarinyin, Ungarinyin, and related dialects

  • the Western Worrorran group, known as Worrorra, and related dialects

In addition, Gulunggulu is unattested but presumably a Worrorran lect.

Validity

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:

  • Rumsey and McGregor (2009) demonstrate the cohesiveness of the family and its reconstructibility, and;

  • Bowern (2011) accepts the Worroorran languages as a family.

Vocabulary

Capell (1940) lists the following basic vocabulary items for the Worrorran languages:

  1. {| class="wikitable sortable"

! English ! Ungarinyin !! Munumburu !! Woljamidi !! Unggumi !! Worora !! Wunambal (1) !! Wunambal (2) !! Gambre !! Bargu !! Gwiːni |- ! man | , || || || || || || || || || |- ! woman | , || || || || || || || || || |- ! head | || || || || || || || || || |- ! eye | || || || || || || || || || |- ! nose | || || || || || || || || || |- ! mouth | || || || || || || || || || |- ! tongue | || || || || || || || || || |- ! stomach | , || || || || || , || || , || || |- ! bone | || || || || || || || || || |- ! blood | || || || || || || || || || |- ! kangaroo | || || || || || || || || || |- ! opossum | , || || || || || , || , || , || || |- ! emu | || || || || || || || || || |- ! crow | || || || || || || || || || |- ! fly | || || || || || || || || || |- ! sun | || || || || || || || || || |- ! moon | , || || || || || , || || || || |- ! fire | || || || || || || || || || |- ! smoke | || || || || || || || || || |- ! water | || || || || || || || , || || |}

References

Further reading