Adnyamathanha-na yarta
Adnyamathanha
Pama-Nyungan
Adnyamathanha (Adnyamathanha-na yarta, "Adnyamathanha country language", or "Hills People") is a critically endangered Pama-Nyungan Aboriginal language of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. The Adnyamathanha people are deeply tied to the spectacular geology of the Flinders, which features in their Yura Muda (Dreamtime) narratives. The Wilpena Pound (Ikara) and surrounding rangelands are central cultural sites. Adnyamathanha shares Thura-Yura family features with the better-documented Kaurna (Adelaide Plains, also nearly extinct) and Wirangu. The Schebeck 1973 reference grammar made Adnyamathanha accessible to academic linguistics, and the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association supports ongoing revitalization through school programs and Yura Muda recordings.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Adnyamathanha
Water
awi
/awi/
Fire
warlu
/waɻlu/
Sun
yidnu
/jidnu/
Moon
vuyu
/vuju/
Star
vurdli
/ˈvuɖli/
Mother
nyangka
/ɲaŋka/
Father
arndu
/aɳɖu/
I
ngai
/ŋai/
You
nhina
/n̪ina/
Name
mityi
/mici/
Eye
mina
/mina/
Hand
mara
/maɻa/
Heart
kurda
/kuɖa/
Love
mukunha
/mukun̪a/
Tree
urtu
/uʈu/
House
vakali
/vakali/
Dog
vurlpu
/vuɻlpu/
Cat
vunmara
/vunmaɻa/
Eat
ngalkanha
/ŋalkan̪a/
Drink
ulpanha
/ulpan̪a/
One
mukuna
/mukuna/
Two
arlpili
/aɭpili/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
mukunha
/mukun̪a/
Good
ngarrkanha
/ŋaɻkan̪a/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Pama-Nyungan languages
| Meaning | Adnyamathanha | Nhanda | Pintupi-Luritja | Pitjantjatjara | Warnman | Martu Wangka | Olkol |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | awi /awi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kupa /kupa/ |
| Fire | warlu /waɻlu/ | warla /waɻla/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɾu/ | paral /paɻal/ |
| Sun | yidnu /jidnu/ | wurʼa /wuɾʔa/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tjirntu /cinʈu/ | tjirntu /cɪɳʈu/ | naŋkari /naŋkaɻi/ |
| Moon | vuyu /vuju/ | kanyala /kaɲala/ | pira /piɻa/ | pira /piɻa/ | kintirriny /kinʈiriɲ/ | kayalany /kajalaɲ/ | kakal /kakal/ |
| Star | vurdli /ˈvuɖli/ | indiya /indija/ | kililpi /kiˈlilpi/ | kililpil /kiˈlilpil/ | biyi /biji/ | piriny /piriɲ/ | el idnban /el ˈidnban/ |
| Mother | nyangka /ɲaŋka/ | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngama /ŋama/ | yakaji /jakaɟi/ | ngangi /ŋaŋi/ |
| Father | arndu /aɳɖu/ | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | kirrki /kiɻki/ | mama /mama/ | kaba /kaba/ |
| I | ngai /ŋai/ | ngayi /ŋaji/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ | ngayu /ŋaju/ | ngayu /ŋaju/ | ay /aj/ |
| You | nhina /n̪ina/ | nyini /ɲini/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | inag /inaɡ/ |
| Name | mityi /mici/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | ini /ini/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | ukal /ukal/ |
| Eye | mina /mina/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɾu/ | mil /mil/ |
| Hand | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɾa/ | mara /maɻa/ |
| Heart | kurda /kuɖa/ | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kurda /kuɖa/ | kurtu /kʊɻʈu/ | piku /piku/ |
| Love | mukunha /mukun̪a/ | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | mukulyu /mukuʎu/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ |
| Tree | urtu /uʈu/ | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | punu /punu/ | punu /punu/ | watiya /watija/ | watarrka /wataɻka/ | warray /waɾaj/ |
| House | vakali /vakali/ | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | ngurra /ŋura/ | mariŋ /maɻiŋ/ |
| Dog | vurlpu /vuɻlpu/ | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | walyamarra /waʎamaɻa/ | papa /papa/ | kunpa /kunpa/ |
| Cat | vunmara /vunmaɻa/ | paka /paka/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | ngarda /ŋaɖa/ | — /—/ | paka /paka/ |
| Eat | ngalkanha /ŋalkan̪a/ | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngarra /ŋaɻa/ | ngalku- /ŋalku/ | ngarinya /ŋaɻiɲa/ |
| Drink | ulpanha /ulpan̪a/ | nyuna /ɲuna/ | tjikini /cikini/ | tjikini /cikini/ | nyaa /ɲaː/ | tjiki- /cɪki/ | kupa nyaa /kupa ɲaː/ |
| One | mukuna /mukuna/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kutju /kucu/ | kutju /kucu/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kutjarra-wangu /kucara waŋu/ | kuyu /kuju/ |
| Two | arlpili /aɭpili/ | wuthada /wut̪aɖa/ | kutjarra /kucaɾa/ | kutjara /kucaɻa/ | kujarra /kuɟara/ | kujarra /kucara/ | uchir /utʃir/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | mukunha /mukun̪a/ | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | walytjarra /waʎcaɻa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | ngarrkanha /ŋaɻkan̪a/ | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.