Gunwinggu

Personal experience and recent publications on Bininj Kunwok description show that Kunwok is one of the rare Australian languages that gains speakers[1]. Kunwok is de-facto the language of communication in Gunbalanya (Oenpelli), in the several outstations of West Arnhem Land (Kabulwarnamyo, Manmoyi, Mamadawerre etc.). While we can observe an increasing number of borrowing from English [2], the language is still spoken by all generations and supported by educational programs in several locations[3]. I believe that Kunwok belongs to the 6a level of the EGIDS scale considering the fact that it responds to all the criteria of sustainable orality.

[1] Marley, A. (2021). “I Speak My Language My Way!”—Young People’s Kunwok. Languages, 6(2), 88.

[2] Marley, A. H. (2020). Kundangkudjikaberrk: Variation and Change in Bininj Kunwok, A Gunwinyguan Language of Northern Australia (Doctoral dissertation, The Australian National University).

[3] https://www.nawarddekenacademy.com/ (consulted the 13/07/2022)