Arabana or Arabuna is an
Australian Aboriginal language
The Indigenous languages of Australia number in the hundreds, the precise number being quite uncertain, although there is a range of estimates from a minimum of around 250 (using the technical definition of 'language' as non-mutually intellig ...
of the
Pama–Nyungan family, spoken by the
Wongkanguru and
Arabana people.
The language is in steep decline, with an estimated 250 speakers according to 2004 NILS, to just 21 speakers found in the 2006 census.
Geographic distribution
Arabana is spoken at Neales River on the west side of Lake Eyre
Lake Eyre ( ), officially known as Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, is an endorheic lake in the east-central part of the Far North (South Australia), Far North region of South Australia, some 700 km (435 mi) north of Adelaide. It is the larg ...
west to the Stuart Range
The Stuart Range is a mountain range in central Washington (state), Washington, United States. The range lies within the eastern extent of the Cascade Range immediately southwest of Leavenworth, Washington, Leavenworth and runs east–west. ...
; Macumba Creek south to Coward Springs; at Oodnadatta
Oodnadatta is a small, remote outback town and locality in the Australian state of South Australia, located north-north-west of the state capital of Adelaide city centre, Adelaide by road or direct, at an altitude of . The unsealed Oodnadatta ...
, Lora Creek, Lake Cadibarrawirracanna, and The Peake. Their boundary with the Kokatha People to their west is marked by the margin of the scarp of the western tableland near Coober Pedy.[
]
Dialects
Arabana has three dialects: Piltapalta, which Hercus refers to as "Arabana Proper", Wangkakupa, and Midhaliri.[ Wangganguru was also considered a dialect.
]
Phonology
Most of the nasals and laterals are allophonically prestopped.[Jeff Mielke, 2008. ''The emergence of distinctive features'', p 135]
Arabana has three phonemic vowel sounds as is typical in other Australian languages.
Bibliography
# Hercus, Luise. 1994. A grammar of the Arabana-Wangkangurru language Lake Eyre Basin, South Australia: Pacific Linguistics C128. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
References
External links
Arabana Aboriginal Corporation
representing traditional owners
Native title is the set of rights, recognised by Australian law, held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups or individuals to land that derive from their maintenance of their traditional laws and customs. These Aboriginal title rig ...
of Arabana country
* Bibliographies o
publishedrare
o
special
materials on Arabana language and people, at the
Karnic languages
Critically endangered languages
Endangered indigenous Australian languages in South Australia
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