Djambarrpuyŋu
Djambarrpuyngu
Pama-Nyungan (Yolŋu, Dhuwal)
Djambarrpuyŋu is a Yolŋu Matha variety of the Dhuwal group, spoken across north-east Arnhem Land in Australia's Northern Territory and centred on Galiwin'ku (Elcho Island). It is the most widely spoken Aboriginal language of the region and works as a lingua franca between Yolŋu clans, which is why the 2021 census counted about 3,800 speakers — more than for almost any other traditional Australian language. Grammatically it is Pama-Nyungan: heavily case-marking, with very free word order and a pronoun system distinguishing singular, dual and plural as well as inclusive and exclusive 'we'. Its lexicon carries a distinctive layer of Macassan loans from centuries of trepang trade with Sulawesi — walu 'sun, day' is traced to Makasar allo. Unusually for an Australian language it is still acquired by children as a first language, and it has a complete New Testament (2008) as well as a large dictionary and reference grammar.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Djambarrpuyngu
Water
gapu
/ɡapu/
Fire
gurtha
/ɡuɻt̪a/
Sun
walu
/walu/
Moon
ŋaḻindi
/ŋaɭindi/
Star
ganyu
/ɡaɲu/
Mother
ŋäṉḏi
/ŋaːɳɖi/
Father
bäpa
/baːpa/
I
ŋarra
/ŋara/
You
nhe
/n̪e/
Name
yäku
/jaːku/
Eye
mel
/mel/
Hand
goŋ
/ɡoŋ/
Heart
ḏoṯurrk
/ɖoʈurk/
Love
djäl
/ɟaːl/
Tree
dharpa
/d̪aɻpa/
House
buṉbu
/buɳbu/
Dog
wuŋgan
/wuŋɡan/
Cat
butjikit
/bucikit/
Eat
ḻuka
/ɭuka/
Drink
ḻuka
/ɭuka/
One
waŋgany
/waŋɡaɲ/
Two
märrma'
/maːrmaʔ/
Hello
Nhämirri nhe?
/n̪aːmiri n̪e/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
manymak
/maɲmak/
Words compared
Compared with related Pama-Nyungan (Yolŋu, Dhuwal) languages
| Meaning | Djambarrpuyngu | Warlpiri | Martu Wangka | Nhanda | Olkol | Ngunnawal | Noongar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | gapu /ɡapu/ | ngapa /ŋapa/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kupa /kupa/ | kungal /kuŋal/ | kep /kep/ |
| Fire | gurtha /ɡuɻt̪a/ | warlu /waɭu/ | waru /waɾu/ | warla /waɻla/ | paral /paɻal/ | warba /waɻba/ | kaarl /kaːɻl/ |
| Sun | walu /walu/ | wanta /wanta/ | tjirntu /cɪɳʈu/ | wurʼa /wuɾʔa/ | naŋkari /naŋkaɻi/ | guma /ɡuma/ | ngangk /ŋaŋk/ |
| Moon | ŋaḻindi /ŋaɭindi/ | pira /piɻa/ | kayalany /kajalaɲ/ | kanyala /kaɲala/ | kakal /kakal/ | birrang /biɻaŋ/ | miyak /mijak/ |
| Star | ganyu /ɡaɲu/ | wanjirlpirri /waɲɟiɭpiri/ | piriny /piriɲ/ | indiya /indija/ | el idnban /el ˈidnban/ | dyurra /ɟura/ | djinda /ɟinda/ |
| Mother | ŋäṉḏi /ŋaːɳɖi/ | ngati /ŋati/ | yakaji /jakaɟi/ | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | ngangi /ŋaŋi/ | guni /ɡuni/ | ngangk /ŋaŋk/ |
| Father | bäpa /baːpa/ | kirda /kiɖa/ | mama /mama/ | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | kaba /kaba/ | pumba /pumba/ | maam /maːm/ |
| I | ŋarra /ŋara/ | ngaju /ŋaɟu/ | ngayu /ŋaju/ | ngayi /ŋaji/ | ay /aj/ | ngaya /ŋaja/ | ngany /ŋaɲ/ |
| You | nhe /n̪e/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyini /ɲini/ | inag /inaɡ/ | ngindu /ŋindu/ | noonook /nunuk/ |
| Name | yäku /jaːku/ | yirdi /jiɖi/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | ukal /ukal/ | yini /jini/ | kwerl /kwɛɻl/ |
| Eye | mel /mel/ | milpa /milpa/ | kuru /kuɾu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | mil /mil/ | mil /mil/ | mel /mel/ |
| Hand | goŋ /ɡoŋ/ | rdaka /ɖaka/ | mara /maɾa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mar /maɻ/ |
| Heart | ḏoṯurrk /ɖoʈurk/ | wankaru /waŋkaɻu/ | kurtu /kʊɻʈu/ | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | piku /piku/ | gauar /ɡauar/ | kortang /koɻtaŋ/ |
| Love | djäl /ɟaːl/ | nyangu /ɲaŋu/ | mukulyu /mukuʎu/ | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | marmit /maɻmit/ | djaadjam /dʒaːdʒam/ |
| Tree | dharpa /d̪aɻpa/ | watiya /watija/ | watarrka /wataɻka/ | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | warray /waɾaj/ | warabi /waɻabi/ | boorn /boːɻn/ |
| House | buṉbu /buɳbu/ | ngurra /ŋura/ | ngurra /ŋura/ | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | mariŋ /maɻiŋ/ | kuni /kuni/ | mia /maja/ |
| Dog | wuŋgan /wuŋɡan/ | jarntu /caɳʈu/ | papa /papa/ | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | kunpa /kunpa/ | mirri /miɻi/ | dwert /dweɻt/ |
| Cat | butjikit /bucikit/ | mungalpa /muŋalpa/ | — /—/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | poosi /puːsi/ | nguni /ŋuni/ |
| Eat | ḻuka /ɭuka/ | ngarni /ŋaɳi/ | ngalku- /ŋalku/ | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | ngarinya /ŋaɻiɲa/ | daring /daɻiŋ/ | ngarn /ŋaɻn/ |
| Drink | ḻuka /ɭuka/ | purrami /purami/ | tjiki- /cɪki/ | nyuna /ɲuna/ | kupa nyaa /kupa ɲaː/ | nyu /ɲu/ | ngarn /ŋaɻn/ |
| One | waŋgany /waŋɡaɲ/ | jinta /cinta/ | kutjarra-wangu /kucara waŋu/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kuyu /kuju/ | guma /ɡuma/ | keny /keɲ/ |
| Two | märrma' /maːrmaʔ/ | jirrama /ɟiɾama/ | kujarra /kucara/ | wuthada /wut̪aɖa/ | uchir /utʃir/ | bula /bula/ | koodjal /kuɟal/ |
| Hello | Nhämirri nhe? /n̪aːmiri n̪e/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | yumalundi /jumalundi/ | kaya /kaja/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | miyamala /mijamala/ | boordawan /boːɻdawan/ |
| Good | manymak /maɲmak/ | ngurrju /ŋurcu/ | palya /paʎa/ | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | palya /paʎa/ | walunga /waluŋa/ | kwobidak /kwobidak/ |
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