Anindilyakwa language

The analysis of Anindilyakwa's vowels is open to interpretation. Stokes[7] analyses it as having four phonemic vowels, /i e a u/. Leeding[8] analyses it as having just two, /ɨ a/.

All Anindilyakwa words end in a vowel. Clusters of up to three consonants can occur within words.

Anindilyakwa has five noun classes, or genders, each marked by a prefix:

• Human male
• Non-human male
• Female (human or non-human)
• Inanimate "lustrous", with the prefix a-.
• Inanimate "non-lustrous", with the prefix mwa-.

For bound pronouns, instead of "human male" and "non-human male" classes there is a single "male" class.

All native nouns carry a class prefix, but some loanwords may lack them.

The language traditionally had numerals up to twenty but since the introduction of English, English words are now used almost exclusively for numbers above five.[9]

Anindilyakwa uses a quinary number system. They are also adjectival and therefore must be qualified with their corresponding noun class. "One crocodile" becomes "dawilyaba dingarrbiya". "Two turtles" becomes "yambilyuma yimenda".

"Nothing" is expressed by nara ebina "not any". There is no term for '"infinity", but the concept "innumerable" can be expressed by: yinguwurramur.dinama dakwulyingarrijanga "there are too many stars to count."[10]

Size degrees is done in two grades the positive and a diminutive (warrngka), although reduplication of this word is possible for an intensifying effect.[8]

Anindilyakwa features five grammatical numbers for pronouns singular, feminine dual, masculine dual, trial and plural.

The language has a clusivity distinction common in many Indigenous Australian languages - inclusive "we" and exclusive "we". Inclusive "we" specifically includes the addressee (that is, one of the words for "we" means "you and I and possibly others"), while exclusive "we" specifically excludes the addressee (that is, another word for "we" means "he/she/they and I, but not you"), regardless of who else may be involved.

With the exception of my, possessive pronouns in Anindilyakwa replace the -uwa suffix from the singular or plural pronouns with -langwa "belonging to".

The Groote Eylandt Language Centre (GELC) works to promote, maintain and preserve Anindilyakwa. They are based in Angurugu with offices in Umbakumba and Bickerton Island. It hosts a significant collection of language and cultural resources relating to the Warnindilyakwa people. The Centre undertakes language projects both large and small, and offers services such as language recording and resource development, language advice and expertise, and translation.[11]

Previously known as Groote Eylandt Linguistics, they were run by Church Mission Society until 2006. The CMS created the orthography with the Latin script to translate Bible texts into Anindilyakwa. The centre now operates under the "Preserving Culture" department of the Anindilyakwa Land Council.[12]

GELC have compiled and published the Anindilyakwa dictionary Eningerriberra-langwa jurra "The Book about Everything",[13] as well as producing an online dictionary,[14] and a web app with the assistance of the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation.[15] They also run a YouTube channel with an expanding content of videos and resources in Anindilyakwa.[16]

Makassar people from the region of Sulawesi (modern-day Indonesia) began visiting the coast of northern Australia sometime around the early to middle 1700s.[17] This happened yearly until the introduction of the White Australia Policy in 1906.[18] The Macassans visited Groote Eylandt for trade, particularly for trepang which was high prized in the South China Sea. The Macassans also brought with them tamarinds (jamba), dugout canoes (malamukwa), tobacco (dambakwa) and beer (anija). Evan analyses that there are potentially 35 Macassan words, mostly nouns, that have entered the Anindilyakwa language, including many place names such as Umbakumba (Malay word ombak-ombak for ‘lapping of waves’) and Bartalumba Bay (Macassan word batu lompoa for ‘the big rock’).[5]

• Emily Wurramara is an ARIA nominated Warnindilyakwa singer and songwriter from Groote Eylandt. She writes and sings songs in both English and Anindilyakwa.[19]
• Yilila are a band from Numbulwar. Lead vocalist Grant Nundhirribala is a master of traditional music and a highly respected song man and dancer. The band performs their music in Wubuy, Anindilyakwa, Maccassan language and English.[20]
• Other noteworthy bands include Mambali from Numbulwar, Groote Eylandt Band from Angurugu and Salt Lake Band from Umbakumba.

• Bakala is a 2017 award-winning short film written and directed by Nikolas Lachajczak and told entirely in the Anindilyakwa language. It follows the story of Anindilyakwa man, Steve 'Bakala' Wurramara, who is afflicted with Machado-Joseph Disease (MJD), a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder which results in a lack of muscle control and coordination of the upper and lower extremities.[21]
• Anija is a 2011 award-winning short film written and directed by David Hansen. It is filmed mostly in the Anindilyakwa language and follows the experiences of one family dealing with the effects of alcohol addiction. The film won Best Indigenous Resource at the Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) Awards in 2011.
• Anindilyakwa was featured in "Spread the Word", an Indigenous Australian languages show on the Australian pay television channel The Disney Channel. The show featured the Anindilyakwa word "Ngarrarndirrarjena" which translate to "kicking a tree to get something off of it."

• In 2019 the Royal Australian Mint issued a 50 cent coin to celebrate the International Year of Indigenous Languages which features 14 different words for “money” from Australian Indigenous languages including "awarnda" for Anindilyakwa. The coin was designed by Aleksandra Stokic in consultation with Indigenous language custodian groups.[22]