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
31 core words in Nhanda
Water
kapi
/kapi/
Fire
warla
/waɻla/
Sun
wurʼa
/wuɾʔa/
Moon
kanyala
/kaɲala/
Star
indiya
/indija/
Mother
ngamaji
/ŋamadʒi/
Father
kuthurra
/kutʰuɻa/
I
ngayi
/ŋaji/
You
nyini
/ɲini/
Name
yini
/jini/
Eye
kuru
/kuɻu/
Hand
mara
/maɻa/
Heart
pulpara
/pulpaɻa/
Love
kanyji
/kaɲdʒi/
Tree
parntany
/paɳʈaɲ/
House
nhurra
/ɳuɻa/
Dog
kuwiyarl
/kuwijaɻl/
Cat
paka
/paka/
Eat
ngarna
/ŋaɻna/
Drink
nyuna
/ɲuna/
One
kuyu
/kuju/
Two
wuthada
/wut̪aɖa/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
walykumarra
/waʎkumaɻa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Pama-Nyungan languages
| Meaning | Nhanda | Warnman | Olkol | Martu Wangka | Pintupi-Luritja | Pitjantjatjara | Warlpiri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kupa /kupa/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | ngapa /ŋapa/ |
| Fire | warla /waɻla/ | waru /waɻu/ | paral /paɻal/ | waru /waɾu/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | warlu /waɭu/ |
| Sun | wurʼa /wuɾʔa/ | tjirntu /cinʈu/ | naŋkari /naŋkaɻi/ | tjirntu /cɪɳʈu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | wanta /wanta/ |
| Moon | kanyala /kaɲala/ | kintirriny /kinʈiriɲ/ | kakal /kakal/ | kayalany /kajalaɲ/ | pira /piɻa/ | pira /piɻa/ | pira /piɻa/ |
| Star | indiya /indija/ | biyi /biji/ | el idnban /el ˈidnban/ | piriny /piriɲ/ | kililpi /kiˈlilpi/ | kililpil /kiˈlilpil/ | wanjirlpirri /waɲɟiɭpiri/ |
| Mother | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | ngama /ŋama/ | ngangi /ŋaŋi/ | yakaji /jakaɟi/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngati /ŋati/ |
| Father | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | kirrki /kiɻki/ | kaba /kaba/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | kirda /kiɖa/ |
| I | ngayi /ŋaji/ | ngayu /ŋaju/ | ay /aj/ | ngayu /ŋaju/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ | ngaju /ŋaɟu/ |
| You | nyini /ɲini/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | inag /inaɡ/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ |
| Name | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | ukal /ukal/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | ini /ini/ | yirdi /jiɖi/ |
| Eye | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | mil /mil/ | kuru /kuɾu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | milpa /milpa/ |
| Hand | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɾa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | rdaka /ɖaka/ |
| Heart | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | kurda /kuɖa/ | piku /piku/ | kurtu /kʊɻʈu/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | wankaru /waŋkaɻu/ |
| Love | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | mukulyu /mukuʎu/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | nyangu /ɲaŋu/ |
| Tree | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | watiya /watija/ | warray /waɾaj/ | watarrka /wataɻka/ | punu /punu/ | punu /punu/ | watiya /watija/ |
| House | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | mariŋ /maɻiŋ/ | ngurra /ŋura/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | ngurra /ŋura/ |
| Dog | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | walyamarra /waʎamaɻa/ | kunpa /kunpa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | jarntu /caɳʈu/ |
| Cat | paka /paka/ | ngarda /ŋaɖa/ | paka /paka/ | — /—/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | mungalpa /muŋalpa/ |
| Eat | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | ngarra /ŋaɻa/ | ngarinya /ŋaɻiɲa/ | ngalku- /ŋalku/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngarni /ŋaɳi/ |
| Drink | nyuna /ɲuna/ | nyaa /ɲaː/ | kupa nyaa /kupa ɲaː/ | tjiki- /cɪki/ | tjikini /cikini/ | tjikini /cikini/ | purrami /purami/ |
| One | kuyu /kuju/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kutjarra-wangu /kucara waŋu/ | kutju /kucu/ | kutju /kucu/ | jinta /cinta/ |
| Two | wuthada /wut̪aɖa/ | kujarra /kuɟara/ | uchir /utʃir/ | kujarra /kucara/ | kutjarra /kucaɾa/ | kutjara /kucaɻa/ | jirrama /ɟiɾama/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | walytjarra /waʎcaɻa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | — /—/ |
| Good | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | ngurrju /ŋurcu/ |
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