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
20 core words in Martu Wangka
Water
kapi
/kapi/
Fire
waru
/waɾu/
Sun
tjirntu
/cɪɳʈu/
Moon
kayalany
/kajalaɲ/
Mother
yakaji
/jakaɟi/
Father
mama
/mama/
Eat
ngalku-
/ŋalku/
Drink
tjiki-
/cɪki/
Love
mukulyu
/mukuʎu/
Heart
kurtu
/kʊɻʈu/
Tree
watarrka
/wataɻka/
House
ngurra
/ŋura/
Dog
papa
/papa/
Cat
—
/—/
Hand
mara
/maɾa/
Eye
kuru
/kuɾu/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
One
kutjarra-wangu
/kucara waŋu/
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 | Pitjantjatjara | Pintupi-Luritja | Warnman | Walmajarri | Warlpiri | Luwian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | ngapa /ˈŋapa/ | ngapa /ŋapa/ | 𔓷𔗬𔖻𔑯 /wadar/ |
| Fire | waru /waɾu/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | warlu /ˈwaɭu/ | warlu /waɭu/ | 𔑭𔖖𔖖𔗬 /paːhːur/ |
| Sun | tjirntu /cɪɳʈu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tjirntu /cinʈu/ | ngalyarra /ŋaˈʎara/ | wanta /wanta/ | 𔖻𔗬𔑯 /tiwad/ |
| Moon | kayalany /kajalaɲ/ | pira /piɻa/ | pira /piɻa/ | kintirriny /kinʈiriɲ/ | pira /ˈpira/ | pira /piɻa/ | 𔓯𔗬 /arma/ |
| Mother | yakaji /jakaɟi/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | ngamaji /ŋaˈmaɟi/ | ngati /ŋati/ | 𔑯𔑯 /anna/ |
| Father | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | kirrki /kiɻki/ | kirta /ˈkiɭa/ | kirda /kiɖa/ | 𔑯𔑯𔗬 /tati/ |
| Eat | ngalku- /ŋalku/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngarra /ŋaɻa/ | nga- /ŋa/ | ngarni /ŋaɳi/ | 𔑯𔗬 /ad/ |
| Drink | tjiki- /cɪki/ | tjikini /cikini/ | tjikini /cikini/ | nyaa /ɲaː/ | nga- /ŋa/ | purrami /purami/ | 𔑯𔓷 /aku/ |
| Love | mukulyu /mukuʎu/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | — /—/ | nyangu /ɲaŋu/ | 𔓷𔗬𔓯 /walaːhi/ |
| Heart | kurtu /kʊɻʈu/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kurda /kuɖa/ | kurturlu /kuɭˈtuɭu/ | wankaru /waŋkaɻu/ | 𔓷𔗬𔖻 /kard/ |
| Tree | watarrka /wataɻka/ | punu /punu/ | punu /punu/ | watiya /watija/ | watiya /waˈtija/ | watiya /watija/ | 𔑯𔓯 /alana/ |
| House | ngurra /ŋura/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | ngurra /ˈŋura/ | ngurra /ŋura/ | 𔑭𔗬𔑯 /parna/ |
| Dog | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | walyamarra /waʎamaɻa/ | kunyarr /kuˈɲar/ | jarntu /caɳʈu/ | 𔖻𔓷𔑯 /zuwana/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | ngarda /ŋaɖa/ | — /—/ | mungalpa /muŋalpa/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | mara /maɾa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | marnin /ˈmaɳin/ | rdaka /ɖaka/ | 𔖻𔑯 /iʃʃa/ |
| Eye | kuru /kuɾu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | purlka /ˈpuɭka/ | milpa /milpa/ | 𔖖𔗬 /hidu/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | walytjarra /waʎcaɻa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | kutjarra-wangu /kucara waŋu/ | kutju /kucu/ | kutju /kucu/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kanyjarra /kaɲˈɟara/ | jinta /cinta/ | 𔑯 /as/ |
| Good | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | ngurnu /ˈŋuɳu/ | ngumarna /ŋumaɳa/ | 𔓷𔓷 /walwa/ |
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