Ngaanyatjarra dialect

Not to be confused with Nyanganyatjara dialect.

Ngaanyatjarra ([ˈŋɐːn̪ɐt̪ɐrɐ]; also Ngaanyatjara, Ngaanjatjarra) is a dialect of the Western Desert language spoken primarily by the Ngaanyatjarra people.

Ngaanyatjarra
Native to	Australia
Region	Western Australia; Warburton Ranges.
Ethnicity	Ngaanyatjarra
Native speakers	1,051 (2021 census)[1]
Language family	Pama–Nyungan Wati Western Desert Ngaanyatjarra
Language codes
ISO 639-3	ntj
Glottolog	ngaa1240
AIATSIS[2]	A38
ELP	Ngaanyatjarra
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It is very similar to its close neighbour Ngaatjatjarra, with which it is highly mutually intelligible.

Name

The name Ngaanyatjarra derives from the word ngaanya 'this' which, combined with the comitative suffix -tjarra means 'having ngaanya (as the word for 'this')'. This distinguishes it from its near neighbour Ngaatjatjarra, which has ngaatja for 'this'.

Phonology

Orthography is in brackets.

Vowels

	Front	Back
High	i ⟨i⟩ iː ⟨ii⟩	ʊ ⟨u⟩ uː ⟨uu⟩
Low	a ⟨a⟩ aː ⟨aa⟩

• Before alveolar consonants, the two vowels /i, a/ are pronounced as [ɪ, ɐ].
• Before velar consonants, the three vowels /i, a, ʊ/ are pronounced as [ɪ, ɒ, o].
• Vowel sounds are rhotacized when preceding retroflex consonants.

Consonants

	Peripheral		Laminal		Apical
	Labial	Velar	Dental	Palatal	Alveolar	Retroflex
Plosive	p ⟨p⟩	k ⟨k⟩	t̪ ⟨tj⟩	(c ⟨tj⟩)	t ⟨t⟩	ʈ ⟨ṯ⟩
Nasal	m ⟨m⟩	ŋ ⟨ng⟩	n̪ ⟨ny⟩	(ɲ ⟨ny⟩)	n ⟨n⟩	ɳ ⟨ṉ⟩
Lateral			l̪ ⟨ly⟩	(ʎ ⟨ly⟩)	l ⟨l⟩	ɭ ⟨ḻ⟩
Rhotic					ɾ~r ⟨r⟩
Approximant	w ⟨w⟩			j ⟨y⟩		ɻ ⟨ṟ⟩

• Laminal stop sounds tend to vary, across the dialects of Ngaanyatjarra. In the Western dialects, they are always pronounced as dental, and in the Eastern dialects they are pronounced as palatal. Yet they are still orthographically transcribed the same as palatal sounds, as in the other dialects.
• When occurring after nasal sounds, stop consonants become slightly voiced.

Sample text in Ngaanyatjarra

Watilu kurringka watjarru kulkultju kutipitjaku tjutipungka katuma mirrkatju pala tjurra wanti. Nyangka minymali mirrka paarnu tjunu wantirru tjarrpangu wiltjangka kankunarringu. Nyangku tjilku katjarralu pitjangu mirrka mantjirnu katingu ngalungu. Nyangka wataa mungangka pitjangku kurrinku.^[3]