Ngarinyman

Print

Primary tabs

A language of Australia

ISO 639-3
nbj
Alternate Names
Airiman, Hainman, Ngaiman, Ngarinman, Ngrarmun
User Population

50 (2005 AUSTLANG). Only one L1 speaker of Bilinarra left (Meakins and Nordlinger 2014).

Location

Northern Territory: Victoria river, Pigeon Hole.

Language Maps
Language Status

8a (Moribund).

Classification
Australian, Pama-Nyungan, South-West, Ngumbin
Dialects

Bilinara (Bilinarra, Pilinara). Ngarinman is mutually intelligible with Gurindji Kriol [gjr] (Meakins and Nordlinger 2014).

Typology

No dominant word order; case-marking (10 cases); split ergative language; inflecting verbs and coverbs; tense; 17 consonants and 3 vowels; stress on first syllable; alienable/inalienable possession.

Language Use

Middle-aged speakers generally code-switch between Bilinarra and Kriol [rop] (Meakins and Nordlinger 2014). Shifted to English [eng]. Also use Kriol [rop]. Used as L2 by Djamindjung [djd].

Language Development

Dictionary. Grammar. Texts.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Ngarinyman