Yarli (Yardli) was a dialect cluster of
Australian Aboriginal languages
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 ...
spoken in northwestern
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
and into Northeastern
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
individually
Malyangapa (Maljangapa),
Yardliyawara, and
Wadikali (Wardikali, Wadigali). Bowern (2002) notes
Karenggapa as part of the area, but there is little data.
Tindale (1940) groups Wanjiwalku & Karenggapa together with Wadikali & Maljangapa as the only languages in NSW that are behind the 'Rite of Circumcision' border - which suggests Wanjiwalku to also be part of the Yarli area.
Classification
The three varieties are very close. Hercus & Austin (2004) classify them as the Yarli branch of the
Pama–Nyungan family. Dixon (2002) regards the three as
dialect
A dialect is a Variety (linguistics), variety of language spoken by a particular group of people. This may include dominant and standard language, standardized varieties as well as Vernacular language, vernacular, unwritten, or non-standardize ...
s of a single language. Bowern (2002) excludes them from the
Karnic languages
The Karnic languages are a group of languages of the Pama–Nyungan family. According to Dixon (2002), these are three separate families, but Bowern (2001) establishes regular paradigmatic connections among many of the languages, demonstrating ...
, where they had sometimes been classified.
References
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Pama–Nyungan languages
Extinct languages of New South Wales
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