Alawa language

Alawa (Galawa) is a moribund Indigenous Australian language spoken by the Alawa people of the Northern Territory. In 1991, there were reportedly 18 remaining speakers and 4 semi-speakers.[3]

This article is about the Australian language. For the Cushitic language, see Alawa language (Tanzania).

Alawa
Native toAustralia
RegionNorthern Territory; Arnhem Land, Roper River.
EthnicityAlawa
Native speakers
4 (2016 census)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3alh
Glottologalaw1244
AIATSIS[2]N92
ELPAlawa

Phonology

Consonants

Alawa has a typical consonant inventory for an Indigenous Australian language, with five contrastive places of articulation, multiple lateral consonants, and no voicing contrast among the stops.[4]

Consonant phonemes
Alveolar Palatal Peripheral
Alveolar Retroflex Alveo-palatal Velar Bilabial
Prenasalised Stop ⁿd ⁿɖ ⁿd̠ʲ ᵑɡ ᵐb
Devoiced Stop t ʈ t̠ʲ k p
Nasals n ɳ n̠ʲ ŋ m
Laterals l ɭ l̠ʲ
Vibrants r
Glide ɹ j w

Note: there are no standardised IPA symbols for alveopalatal stops.

Vowels

The vowel system of Alawa is made up of four vowel phonemes: the high front vowel /i/, the high back vowel /u/, the mid front vowel /e/, and the low central vowel /a/.[4]

Vowel phonemes
FrontCentralBack
High iu
Mid e
Low a

There are no rounding contrasts or length contrasts in this language.[4]

Vocabulary

Capell (1942) lists the following basic vocabulary items:[5]

glossAlawa
manlilmi
womangirija
headguɽuguɽu
eyegulur
nosegujumur
mouthŋaːndal
tonguedjeːjälŋ
stomachgundjäl
bonegalawa
bloodŋulidji
kangaroogirimbọ
opossumgudjaɳi
emudjinaliri
crowwaŋgunaji
flywuɳɖil
sunmarawaɭbaɭ
moonaɖaŋari
firewubu
smokeguŋuŋu
waterŋọgọ

See also
  • Glenn M. Wightman (1991), Alawa ethnobotany: Aboriginal plant use from Minyerri, northern Australia, vol. 11, Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory, Wikidata Q109466390

References
  1. "Census 2016, Language spoken at home by Sex (SA2+)". stat.data.abs.gov.au. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  2. N92 Alawa at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  3. "Ethnologue: Alawa". Ethnologue.
  4. Sharpe, Margaret C (1972). Alawa Phonology and Grammar. Canberra: Australian Institute for Aboriginal Studies.
  5. Capell, Arthur. 1941–1942, 1942–1943. Languages of Arnhem Land, North Australia. Oceania 12: 364–392, 13: 24–51.


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