Nhanda
Pama-Nyungan
Nhanda (also Nanda or Nhanta) is a critically endangered Pama-Nyungan Aboriginal language of the Murchison-Gascoyne mid-coast of Western Australia, near Geraldton and Kalbarri. The language has ~30 fluent elderly speakers plus ~60 partial speakers among the broader ~750 ethnic Nhanda population. Nhanda preserves classical Pama-Nyungan features including ergative-absolutive alignment, suffixing nominal morphology, and rich kinship terminology. The Blevins 2001 reference grammar (Nhanda Aboriginal Language) made the language accessible to academic linguistics, and the community-led Nhanda Aboriginal Language Centre supports ongoing revitalization through school programs, oral history projects, and the Wajarri-Nhanda Cultural Centre.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Nhanda
Water
kapi
/kapi/
Fire
warla
/waɻla/
Sun
ngama
/ŋama/
Moon
kanyala
/kaɲala/
Mother
ngamaji
/ŋamadʒi/
Father
kuthurra
/kutʰuɻa/
Eat
ngarna
/ŋaɻna/
Drink
nyuna
/ɲuna/
Love
kanyji
/kaɲdʒi/
Heart
pulpara
/pulpaɻa/
Tree
parntany
/paɳʈaɲ/
House
nhurra
/ɳuɻa/
Dog
kuwiyarl
/kuwijaɻl/
Cat
paka
/paka/
Hand
mara
/maɻa/
Eye
kuru
/kuɻu/
Hello
palya
/paʎa/
Thank you
marlu
/maɻlu/
One
kuyu
/kuju/
Good
walykumarra
/waʎkumaɻa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Pama-Nyungan languages
| Meaning | Nhanda | Warnman | Olkol | Pitjantjatjara | Pintupi-Luritja | Ngunnawal | Adnyamathanha |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kupa /kupa/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kungal /kuŋal/ | awi /awi/ |
| Fire | warla /waɻla/ | waru /waɻu/ | paral /paɻal/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | warba /waɻba/ | warlu /waɻlu/ |
| Sun | ngama /ŋama/ | tjirntu /cinʈu/ | naŋkari /naŋkaɻi/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | guma /ɡuma/ | yidnu /jidnu/ |
| Moon | kanyala /kaɲala/ | kintirriny /kinʈiriɲ/ | kakal /kakal/ | pira /piɻa/ | pira /piɻa/ | birrang /biɻaŋ/ | vuyu /vuju/ |
| Mother | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | ngangi /ŋaŋi/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | guni /ɡuni/ | nyangka /ɲaŋka/ |
| Father | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | kirrki /kiɻki/ | kaba /kaba/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | pumba /pumba/ | arndu /aɳɖu/ |
| Eat | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | ngarra /ŋaɻa/ | ngarinya /ŋaɻiɲa/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | daring /daɻiŋ/ | ngalkanha /ŋalkan̪a/ |
| Drink | nyuna /ɲuna/ | nyaa /ɲaː/ | kupa nyaa /kupa ɲaː/ | tjikini /cikini/ | tjikini /cikini/ | nyu /ɲu/ | ulpanha /ulpan̪a/ |
| Love | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | marmit /maɻmit/ | mukunha /mukun̪a/ |
| Heart | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | kurda /kuɖa/ | piku /piku/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | mara /maɻa/ | kurda /kuɖa/ |
| Tree | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | watiya /watija/ | warray /waɾaj/ | punu /punu/ | punu /punu/ | warabi /waɻabi/ | urtu /uʈu/ |
| House | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | mariŋ /maɻiŋ/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | kuni /kuni/ | vakali /vakali/ |
| Dog | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | walyamarra /waʎamaɻa/ | kunpa /kunpa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | mirri /miɻi/ | vurlpu /vuɻlpu/ |
| Cat | paka /paka/ | ngarda /ŋaɖa/ | paka /paka/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | poosi /puːsi/ | vunmara /vunmaɻa/ |
| Hand | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ |
| Eye | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | mil /mil/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | mil /mil/ | mina /mina/ |
| Hello | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | yumalundi /jumalundi/ | palya /paʎa/ |
| Thank you | marlu /maɻlu/ | walytjarra /waʎcaɻa/ | marlu /maɻlu/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | miyamala /mijamala/ | mukunha /mukun̪a/ |
| One | kuyu /kuju/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kutju /kucu/ | kutju /kucu/ | guma /ɡuma/ | mukuna /mukuna/ |
| Good | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | walunga /waluŋa/ | ngarrkanha /ŋaɻkan̪a/ |
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