Martu Wangka
Pama-Nyungan (Wati / Western Desert)
Martu Wangka ("people's speech") is a Western Desert koiné spoken across the Pilbara and Gibson Desert by Manyjilyjarra, Kartujarra, Warnman and Putijarra communities centred on Jigalong. Typical of Wati languages, it is suffixing-agglutinative with ergative-absolutive case marking, free word order, and a four-vowel system (a, i, u, plus length).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Martu Wangka
Water
kapi
/kapi/
Fire
waru
/waɾu/
Sun
tjirntu
/cɪɳʈu/
Moon
kayalany
/kajalaɲ/
Star
piriny
/piriɲ/
Mother
yakaji
/jakaɟi/
Father
mama
/mama/
I
ngayu
/ŋaju/
You
nyuntu
/ɲuntu/
Name
yini
/jini/
Eye
kuru
/kuɾu/
Hand
mara
/maɾa/
Heart
kurtu
/kʊɻʈu/
Love
mukulyu
/mukuʎu/
Tree
watarrka
/wataɻka/
House
ngurra
/ŋura/
Dog
papa
/papa/
Cat
—
/—/
Eat
ngalku-
/ŋalku/
Drink
tjiki-
/cɪki/
One
kutjarra-wangu
/kucara waŋu/
Two
kujarra
/kucara/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
palya
/paʎa/
Sources
- Marsh, James (1976) The Grammar of Mantjiltjara. MA thesis, Arizona State University.
- Burgman, Albert (2010) Martu Wangka to English Dictionary. Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre, South Hedland.
- Glottolog: Martu Wangka
- AUSTLANG A51 Martu Wangka
Words compared
Compared with related Pama-Nyungan (Wati / Western Desert) languages
| Meaning | Martu Wangka | Pintupi-Luritja | Pitjantjatjara | Warnman | Walmajarri | Nhanda | Warlpiri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | ngapa /ˈŋapa/ | kapi /kapi/ | ngapa /ŋapa/ |
| Fire | waru /waɾu/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | warlu /ˈwaɭu/ | warla /waɻla/ | warlu /waɭu/ |
| Sun | tjirntu /cɪɳʈu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tjirntu /cinʈu/ | ngalyarra /ŋaˈʎara/ | wurʼa /wuɾʔa/ | wanta /wanta/ |
| Moon | kayalany /kajalaɲ/ | pira /piɻa/ | pira /piɻa/ | kintirriny /kinʈiriɲ/ | pira /ˈpira/ | kanyala /kaɲala/ | pira /piɻa/ |
| Star | piriny /piriɲ/ | kililpi /kiˈlilpi/ | kililpil /kiˈlilpil/ | biyi /biji/ | wirl /wiɭ/ | indiya /indija/ | wanjirlpirri /waɲɟiɭpiri/ |
| Mother | yakaji /jakaɟi/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngama /ŋama/ | ngamaji /ŋaˈmaɟi/ | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | ngati /ŋati/ |
| Father | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | kirrki /kiɻki/ | kirta /ˈkiʈa/ | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | kirda /kiɖa/ |
| I | ngayu /ŋaju/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ | ngayu /ŋaju/ | ngaju /ŋaɟu/ | ngayi /ŋaji/ | ngaju /ŋaɟu/ |
| You | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyini /ɲini/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ |
| Name | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | ini /ini/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | yirdi /jiɖi/ |
| Eye | kuru /kuɾu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | purlka /ˈpuɭka/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | milpa /milpa/ |
| Hand | mara /maɾa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | marnin /ˈmaɳin/ | mara /maɻa/ | rdaka /ɖaka/ |
| Heart | kurtu /kʊɻʈu/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kurda /kuɖa/ | kurturlu /kuɭˈtuɭu/ | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | wankaru /waŋkaɻu/ |
| Love | mukulyu /mukuʎu/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | — /—/ | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | nyangu /ɲaŋu/ |
| Tree | watarrka /wataɻka/ | punu /punu/ | punu /punu/ | watiya /watija/ | watiya /waˈtija/ | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | watiya /watija/ |
| House | ngurra /ŋura/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | ngurra /ˈŋura/ | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | ngurra /ŋura/ |
| Dog | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | walyamarra /waʎamaɻa/ | kunyarr /kuˈɲar/ | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | jarntu /caɳʈu/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | ngarda /ŋaɖa/ | — /—/ | paka /paka/ | mungalpa /muŋalpa/ |
| Eat | ngalku- /ŋalku/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngarra /ŋaɻa/ | nga- /ŋa/ | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | ngarni /ŋaɳi/ |
| Drink | tjiki- /cɪki/ | tjikini /cikini/ | tjikini /cikini/ | nyaa /ɲaː/ | nga- /ŋa/ | nyuna /ɲuna/ | purrami /purami/ |
| One | kutjarra-wangu /kucara waŋu/ | kutju /kucu/ | kutju /kucu/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kanyjarra /kaɲˈɟara/ | kuyu /kuju/ | jinta /cinta/ |
| Two | kujarra /kucara/ | kutjarra /kucaɾa/ | kutjara /kucaɻa/ | kujarra /kuɟara/ | kujarra /kuɟara/ | wuthada /wut̪aɖa/ | jirrama /ɟiɾama/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | walytjarra /waʎcaɻa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | ngurnu /ˈŋuɳu/ | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | ngurrju /ŋurcu/ |
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