Walmajarri
Pama-Nyungan (Ngumpin-Yapa)
Ngumpin-Yapa (Pama-Nyungan) language of the Great Sandy Desert and Fitzroy Valley. Walmajarri is split-ergative — pronouns pattern nominative-accusative while nouns are ergative-absolutive — and uses a rich system of bound pronominal clitics that attach to the second-position auxiliary, a hallmark of Ngumpin-Yapa.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Walmajarri
Water
ngapa
/ˈŋapa/
Fire
warlu
/ˈwaɭu/
Sun
ngalyarra
/ŋaˈʎara/
Moon
pira
/ˈpira/
Star
wirl
/wiɭ/
Mother
ngamaji
/ŋaˈmaɟi/
Father
kirta
/ˈkiʈa/
I
ngaju
/ŋaɟu/
You
nyuntu
/ɲuntu/
Name
yini
/jini/
Eye
purlka
/ˈpuɭka/
Hand
marnin
/ˈmaɳin/
Heart
kurturlu
/kuɭˈtuɭu/
Love
—
/—/
Tree
watiya
/waˈtija/
House
ngurra
/ˈŋura/
Dog
kunyarr
/kuˈɲar/
Cat
—
/—/
Eat
nga-
/ŋa/
Drink
nga-
/ŋa/
One
kanyjarra
/kaɲˈɟara/
Two
kujarra
/kuɟara/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
ngurnu
/ˈŋuɳu/
Sources
- Hudson, Joyce (1978) The Core of Walmatjari Grammar. AIAS, Canberra.
- Richards, Eirlys & Hudson, Joyce (1990) Walmajarri–English Dictionary. SIL.
- Glottolog: Walmajarri
Words compared
Compared with related Pama-Nyungan (Ngumpin-Yapa) languages
| Meaning | Walmajarri | Warlpiri | Martu Wangka | Dyirbal | Warnman | Makasae | Nhanda |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ngapa /ˈŋapa/ | ngapa /ŋapa/ | kapi /kapi/ | bana /ˈbana/ | kapi /kapi/ | ira /ˈira/ | kapi /kapi/ |
| Fire | warlu /ˈwaɭu/ | warlu /waɭu/ | waru /waɾu/ | buni /ˈbuni/ | waru /waɻu/ | ata /ˈata/ | warla /waɻla/ |
| Sun | ngalyarra /ŋaˈʎara/ | wanta /wanta/ | tjirntu /cɪɳʈu/ | garri /ˈɡari/ | tjirntu /cinʈu/ | watu /ˈwatu/ | wurʼa /wuɾʔa/ |
| Moon | pira /ˈpira/ | pira /piɻa/ | kayalany /kajalaɲ/ | gagara /ɡaˈɡara/ | kintirriny /kinʈiriɲ/ | uru /ˈuru/ | kanyala /kaɲala/ |
| Star | wirl /wiɭ/ | wanjirlpirri /waɲɟiɭpiri/ | piriny /piriɲ/ | gijiny /ɡiɟiɲ/ | biyi /biji/ | ipi /ipi/ | indiya /indija/ |
| Mother | ngamaji /ŋaˈmaɟi/ | ngati /ŋati/ | yakaji /jakaɟi/ | gumbu /ˈɡumbu/ | ngama /ŋama/ | ina /ˈina/ | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ |
| Father | kirta /ˈkiʈa/ | kirda /kiɖa/ | mama /mama/ | ngumi /ˈŋumi/ | kirrki /kiɻki/ | baba /ˈbaba/ | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ |
| I | ngaju /ŋaɟu/ | ngaju /ŋaɟu/ | ngayu /ŋaju/ | ngaja /ŋaɟa/ | ngayu /ŋaju/ | ani /ani/ | ngayi /ŋaji/ |
| You | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nginda /ŋinda/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | ai /ai/ | nyini /ɲini/ |
| Name | yini /jini/ | yirdi /jiɖi/ | yini /jini/ | yidyi /jiɟi/ | yini /jini/ | naran /naran/ | yini /jini/ |
| Eye | purlka /ˈpuɭka/ | milpa /milpa/ | kuru /kuɾu/ | jili /ˈɟili/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | nana /ˈnana/ | kuru /kuɻu/ |
| Hand | marnin /ˈmaɳin/ | rdaka /ɖaka/ | mara /maɾa/ | mala /ˈmala/ | mara /maɻa/ | tana /ˈtana/ | mara /maɻa/ |
| Heart | kurturlu /kuɭˈtuɭu/ | wankaru /waŋkaɻu/ | kurtu /kʊɻʈu/ | mugu /ˈmuɡu/ | kurda /kuɖa/ | — /—/ | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ |
| Love | — /—/ | nyangu /ɲaŋu/ | mukulyu /mukuʎu/ | — /—/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | — /—/ | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ |
| Tree | watiya /waˈtija/ | watiya /watija/ | watarrka /wataɻka/ | yugu /ˈjuɡu/ | watiya /watija/ | ate /ˈate/ | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ |
| House | ngurra /ˈŋura/ | ngurra /ŋura/ | ngurra /ŋura/ | mija /ˈmiɟa/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | oma /ˈoma/ | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ |
| Dog | kunyarr /kuˈɲar/ | jarntu /caɳʈu/ | papa /papa/ | guda /ˈɡuda/ | walyamarra /waʎamaɻa/ | defa /ˈdɛfa/ | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | mungalpa /muŋalpa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | ngarda /ŋaɖa/ | — /—/ | paka /paka/ |
| Eat | nga- /ŋa/ | ngarni /ŋaɳi/ | ngalku- /ŋalku/ | janganyu /ɟaŋˈaɲu/ | ngarra /ŋaɻa/ | nawa /ˈnawa/ | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ |
| Drink | nga- /ŋa/ | purrami /purami/ | tjiki- /cɪki/ | jiwuli /ɟiˈwuli/ | nyaa /ɲaː/ | gehe /ˈɡɛhɛ/ | nyuna /ɲuna/ |
| One | kanyjarra /kaɲˈɟara/ | jinta /cinta/ | kutjarra-wangu /kucara waŋu/ | yara /ˈjara/ | kuyu /kuju/ | u /ʔu/ | kuyu /kuju/ |
| Two | kujarra /kuɟara/ | jirrama /ɟiɾama/ | kujarra /kucara/ | bulgany /bulɡaɲ/ | kujarra /kuɟara/ | lolae /loˈlae/ | wuthada /wut̪aɖa/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | walytjarra /waʎcaɻa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | ngurnu /ˈŋuɳu/ | ngurrju /ŋurcu/ | palya /paʎa/ | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | rau /rau/ | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ |
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