Warlpiri
Pama-Nyungan (Ngumpin-Yapa)
Warlpiri is one of Australia's largest Indigenous languages with ~3K speakers in the Tanami Desert (Northern Territory). Crucial in linguistic theory: Ken Hale's Warlpiri research established the universal-grammar account of free word order, ergative-absolutive case, and second-position auxiliary clitic placement. The Warlpiri Triangle bilingual education program (Yuendumu/Lajamanu/Willowra/Nyirrpi) has run since 1974. Latin orthography developed by SIL; intergenerational transmission still active despite English pressure.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Warlpiri
Water
ngapa
/ŋapa/
Fire
warlu
/waɭu/
Sun
wanta
/wanta/
Moon
pira
/piɻa/
Star
wanjirlpirri
/waɲɟiɭpiri/
Mother
ngati
/ŋati/
Father
kirda
/kiɖa/
I
ngaju
/ŋaɟu/
You
nyuntu
/ɲuntu/
Name
yirdi
/jiɖi/
Eye
milpa
/milpa/
Hand
rdaka
/ɖaka/
Heart
wankaru
/waŋkaɻu/
Love
nyangu
/ɲaŋu/
Tree
watiya
/watija/
House
ngurra
/ŋura/
Dog
jarntu
/caɳʈu/
Cat
mungalpa
/muŋalpa/
Eat
ngarni
/ŋaɳi/
Drink
purrami
/purami/
One
jinta
/cinta/
Two
jirrama
/ɟiɾama/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
ngurrju
/ŋurcu/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Pama-Nyungan (Ngumpin-Yapa) languages
| Meaning | Warlpiri | Walmajarri | Martu Wangka | Warnman | Nhanda | Pintupi-Luritja | Pitjantjatjara |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ngapa /ŋapa/ | ngapa /ˈŋapa/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ |
| Fire | warlu /waɭu/ | warlu /ˈwaɭu/ | waru /waɾu/ | waru /waɻu/ | warla /waɻla/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ |
| Sun | wanta /wanta/ | ngalyarra /ŋaˈʎara/ | tjirntu /cɪɳʈu/ | tjirntu /cinʈu/ | wurʼa /wuɾʔa/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tjintu /cintu/ |
| Moon | pira /piɻa/ | pira /ˈpira/ | kayalany /kajalaɲ/ | kintirriny /kinʈiriɲ/ | kanyala /kaɲala/ | pira /piɻa/ | pira /piɻa/ |
| Star | wanjirlpirri /waɲɟiɭpiri/ | wirl /wiɭ/ | piriny /piriɲ/ | biyi /biji/ | indiya /indija/ | kililpi /kiˈlilpi/ | kililpil /kiˈlilpil/ |
| Mother | ngati /ŋati/ | ngamaji /ŋaˈmaɟi/ | yakaji /jakaɟi/ | ngama /ŋama/ | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ |
| Father | kirda /kiɖa/ | kirta /ˈkiʈa/ | mama /mama/ | kirrki /kiɻki/ | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ |
| I | ngaju /ŋaɟu/ | ngaju /ŋaɟu/ | ngayu /ŋaju/ | ngayu /ŋaju/ | ngayi /ŋaji/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ |
| You | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyini /ɲini/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ |
| Name | yirdi /jiɖi/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | ini /ini/ |
| Eye | milpa /milpa/ | purlka /ˈpuɭka/ | kuru /kuɾu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ |
| Hand | rdaka /ɖaka/ | marnin /ˈmaɳin/ | mara /maɾa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ |
| Heart | wankaru /waŋkaɻu/ | kurturlu /kuɭˈtuɭu/ | kurtu /kʊɻʈu/ | kurda /kuɖa/ | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ |
| Love | nyangu /ɲaŋu/ | — /—/ | mukulyu /mukuʎu/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ |
| Tree | watiya /watija/ | watiya /waˈtija/ | watarrka /wataɻka/ | watiya /watija/ | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | punu /punu/ | punu /punu/ |
| House | ngurra /ŋura/ | ngurra /ˈŋura/ | ngurra /ŋura/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ |
| Dog | jarntu /caɳʈu/ | kunyarr /kuˈɲar/ | papa /papa/ | walyamarra /waʎamaɻa/ | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ |
| Cat | mungalpa /muŋalpa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | ngarda /ŋaɖa/ | paka /paka/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Eat | ngarni /ŋaɳi/ | nga- /ŋa/ | ngalku- /ŋalku/ | ngarra /ŋaɻa/ | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ |
| Drink | purrami /purami/ | nga- /ŋa/ | tjiki- /cɪki/ | nyaa /ɲaː/ | nyuna /ɲuna/ | tjikini /cikini/ | tjikini /cikini/ |
| One | jinta /cinta/ | kanyjarra /kaɲˈɟara/ | kutjarra-wangu /kucara waŋu/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kutju /kucu/ | kutju /kucu/ |
| Two | jirrama /ɟiɾama/ | kujarra /kuɟara/ | kujarra /kucara/ | kujarra /kuɟara/ | wuthada /wut̪aɖa/ | kutjarra /kucaɾa/ | kutjara /kucaɻa/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | walytjarra /waʎcaɻa/ | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ |
| Good | ngurrju /ŋurcu/ | ngurnu /ˈŋuɳu/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ |
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