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Wandarang

Wandarang was a Mangarrayi-Maran language once spoken in Australia.

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Wandarang · 14.3°S 135.7°E

Warndarrang (waɳʈaraŋ), also spelt Warndarang, Wanderang, Wandaran, and other variants is an extinct Aboriginal Australian language in the Arnhem family, formerly spoken by the Warndarrang people in southern Arnhem Land, along the Gulf of Carpentaria. The last speaker was Isaac Joshua, who died in 1974, while working with the linguist Jeffrey Heath.

Warndarrang is characterised by an unusually simplified nominal case system but highly intricate pronominal and demonstrative systems. It is a primarily prefixing language with agglutinating verbal complexes and relatively straightforward syntax.

Warndarrang is closely related to Mara, which was traditionally spoken to the south of Warndarang and today has a handful of speakers. The languages Alawa and Yugul, spoken to the west of Warndarrang and both apparently extinct, are also related.

From Wikipedia · Warndarrang language · CC BY-SA 4.0

Words in Wandarang

MeaningWordRomanization
personwariyi*
nameniyin*
eyeNaralba*
earyulu*
noseyul*
toothraba*
tongue5iyilN*
handmuri*
bloodNulityi*
boneNayigan*
skinnadin*
kneeNaranara*
liverwaduwadu*
waterNalmi*
fireNambur*
sunwarNiwarNi*
stargamiri5i*
stoneligar*
treeyulba*
leafmbilal*
nightnamiri*
dogwuNgan*
fishtyaw*
onewaNgin*
twomudNuy*
INina*
you5i5u*
weNala*
drinkgul*
seewar*

* in the simplified ASJP transcription

Most similar languages

Vocabulary

  • MarraMangarrayi-Maran32% alike
  • AlawaMangarrayi-Maran15% alike
  • SetaNuclear Torricelli14% alike
  • DhurgaPama-Nyungan12% alike
  • NgarlaPama-Nyungan11% alike
  • WanyiGarrwan10% alike

Vocabulary compares 40 basic words (ASJP); grammar compares 195 features (Grambank). Similar is not always related.

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Elsewhere

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Glottolog · wand1263 · Wikipedia (English) · Ethnologue · wnd