GRAMMATICAL PREFACE
to Vocabulary of the Warlmanpa language
1979 introduction (slightly amended)
David Nash [Linguistics & Philosophy, 20C-128 M.I.T., Cambridge MA 02139, USA —1979]
This vocabulary is based on information collected at Tennant Creek, Banka Banka, Warrabri, and Elliott, especially with the invaluable co-operation of Bunny Napurrula, the late Jessie Cooper Napangarti (d. 1979-80), Donald Graham Jupurrula (d. 1986), Norah Graham Napanangka (d. c1996), and Jimmy Newcastle Japaljarri (d. c1996) and their families, in the periods October 1977 to August 1978, June to August 1979, July to October 1980. It incorporates the data of Kenneth Hale's transcription of two hours recording he made of an interview with Donald Graham in late 1966.
Field work was supported in 1977-78 by a Fellowship in the Department of Linguistics, S.G.S. at the Australian National University, and by equipment and consultation fees provided by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies. Writing up has been supported in part by National Institute for Mental Health grant MH 13390-12 (1978-80), and National Science Foundation grant number BNS-7913950 (1979-81) (Kenneth Hale, Principal Investigator) to the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
apico- apico- lamino- dorso-The vowels are i, a, u. Long vowels are written ii, aa, uu.
bilabial alveolar domal alveolar velar
stops lax p t rt j k
tense pp tt rtt jj kk
nasals m n rn ny ng
laterals l rl ly
flap rr
glides w r y
imperative conjugationParadigms are given in the appendix Warlmanpa Verbs, which also arranges verbs by their root.
-ka (consonant-final stem 1c
(vowel-final stem 2
-ngka (i-final stem 1b
(a,u-final stem 3
-nta 5
-nyja 4
-rra 1d
wangka 1a
Prt particle = synonymous with
cf. compare opp. antonymous to
trans. transitive IMP imperative
ERG ergative case DAT dative case
ngarra- (possibly a longer alternant of nga-) 1. (with potential) 'potential', as in Malikurlu ngarrangu pinya. The dog might bite you.
-nga 1.(with potential verb) 'admonitive', as in: Nyanyangunga. He is liable to see you. 2. (with irrealis) 'past counterfactual', as in: Nyangkarlangunga. He would have seen you. 3. (possibly with future -- see (3) kula- )
nga---nga 1. (with potential verb) 'admonitive', as in: Ngurrakarna pina pana, ngajunga parra purlunyanma. I'll come back lest the sun set on me. 2. (with counterfactual) 'conditional' as in: Karin pirrakujarrarlama, ngarnangunga ngapa yinyjakurla. If you were thirsty, I would give you water.
-Ø- (i.e., phonologically null) 1. (with future, present, past, potential, imperative) 'future, present, past, potential, imperative (respectively)' 2. (with irrealis) 'past counterfactual', 'tried to' 3. (with counterfactual) 'counterfactual' (especially in subordinate clause of conditional).
kari- 1. (with future verb) ''conditional', as in: Yumpanya ngapa karin ngukanmi, murrumurrujamin. If you drink this water, you'll get sick. 2. (with irrealis) 'conditional', as in: Karirna karima pankarla, ngarnanga palapalajarrarla. If I were to go far, I'd get tired.
kula- 'negative', as in: Kularna nyangu. I didn't see him. Kularnanga nyanyi. I won't see him. Kularnangu purtukanya. I can't hear you.
-ka 'relative, main clause object coreferential with subordinate subject', as in: Nyangujun karlika partakurrumanjika. You saw me making a boomerang. Karntarla wanganya ngarrkaku karlika ngartanjaka. The woman is talking to the mean trimming the boomerang. Malikirna purtukangu payimanjika. I heard the dog howling.
-karra 'relative, main clause subject coreferential with subordinate subject', as in: Yinga-ngarninyjakarrarlu karta-pungunya karli. While singing, he is trimming the boomerang. Pakanjakarrarna wanu. While I was chopping it, I fell down. Ngarrka wanganya kanjakarra. The man is talking while sitting.
-rlajinta 'relative, main clause reflexive and subject coreferential with subordinate subject', as in: Nganarlajintankulunyanu pakannya? What are you fighting with yourselves over?
-rla 'sequential', as in: Kuyurna ngarnu manjarla. I took the meat and ate it.
-ku 'purposive', as in: Yamakarna pannya kanjaku. I'm going to sit in the shade. Jawartirna panamirni ngapaku manjaku. Tomorrow I'll come to get water.
-kuma 'admonitive', as in: Pingka panka wanjakuma. Go slowly lest you fall. Kari panka karntakuma. Move away because of the woman.
-kupa 'desiderative', as in: Panangurnujunpala nyanyjakupa. You two came to see me. Kurtu lungunya ngampurlukupa. The child is crying for milk.
-wangu 'negative', as in: Pirtij-wanyjawangu. Don't climb up. Kiyanjawangurlu winyjaka. Leave it, don't throw it.
-jila (alternant of -wangu)
-warnu (alternant -ngarnu) 'resultative') used for perfective relatives: Palapalarna karliwarnu pakanjingarnu. I'm tired from chopping a boomerang. Karlikurnarla nyintinyaku wayinnya partakurru-manjingarnuku. I'm looking for the boomerang that you made. (NOTE: Complements may inflect for ergative or dative case if their subject is deleted under identity with a main clause argument bearing that case.)
ngayu first person, 'I', 'we'The clitic pronouns, which occur suffixed to the auxiliary base, are:nyuntu second person, 'you'
| meaning |
subject clitic | object clitic |
| 1 |
rna | ju |
| 11 |
ja | jangu |
| 12 |
li | ngali |
| 2 |
n(ku) | ngu |
| 22 |
npala | ngupala |
| 3 |
Ø |
Ø |
| 33 |
pala | palangu |
| 111 |
rna-lu | nganpa |
| 122 |
lpa(lu) | lpangu |
| 222 |
nku-lu | nyangu |
| 333 |
lu | jana |
| Reflexive/Reciprocal |
nyanu | |
| Dative |
rla |
| abbreviations: | |
| 1 | 1st person singular |
| 12, 122 | 1st person inclusive dual, plural |
| 11, 111 | 1st person exclusive dual, plural |
| 2, 22, 222 | 2nd person singular, dual, plural |
| 3, 33, 333 | 3rd person singular, dual, plural |
1st person - 2nd person - {3rd person, nyanu} - rla
except for 2-3 sequences realised as -jana-n, -nyanu-n, -jana-nkulu, -nyanu-nkulu; also -jana-lu. That is, the sequence of clitics
*-n(ku)-jana
*-n(ku)-nyanu
*-nkulu-jana
*-nkulu-nyanu
which would arise by merely placing the second person clitic befor ethe third person or reflexive marker, are not allowed. Instead, they are converted to the following:
-jana-n
-nyanu-n
-jana-nkulu
-nyanu-nkulu
Also, the -lu of -rna-lu and -lpa-(lu) usually occurs
separately if there is an object clitic, separated from -rna- and -lpa- by the object
enclitic. Thus one usually says:
Ngayu-rna-nyangu-lu nya-nganya.
I-111s-222o see-Present
'We are looking at you (plural).'
rather than:
Ngayu-rna-lu-nyangu nya-nganya.
to render 'We pl exc see you pl'. The sequence -lpa-lu does not occur — if
there is no object clitic, the -lu deletes. The one
possibility not covered by the above template is the sequence of two
non-singular third person clitics, which is:
Thus for example:-jana-lu
Ngayu-rna-jana-lu nya-nganya.
I-111s-333o see-Present
'We are looking at them.'
When a nonsingular subject occurs with a nonsingular object, the
plural clitic is used for both, regardless of the actual number
associated with the nominal with which the clitic is construed; Hale
(1973) dubbed this phenomenon Dual Neutralisation.
It is possible to have a sequence of three clitics — in such cases, the allowable sequence conforms to the pattern:
subject & dative - rla .
The second person subject clitic -n(ku) retains the parenthetic portion only before -rla (and -lu).
The reflexive/reciprocal object is -nyanu. In the first person singular, -ju may be used instead.
In the imperative, the element -n(ku) is deleted from the
second person clitic; that is, only the number portion appears.
| (-jima) -jarra, -ja | 'dual' |
| -panyji, -panyju | 'paucal, lesser plural' (rare) |
| pulkapulka | 'old men' |
| yapayapa | 'children' |
| jarlujarlu | 'old people' |
| japurlajapurla | 'boys' |
| yimpa ~ yumpa | 'this' |
| yarri | 'that' |
| yali | 'that removed' |
| nyanungu | 'the, that aforementioned' |
| nyamu | 'that time, that evocative' |
| kuya | 'thus, like this, like that' |
| murlu | 'this-ERG' |
| muku | 'this-DAT' |
| mukurla | 'this-GEN' |
| muka | 'this-ALL, hither, to here' |
| mirla, mirlayi (also: mirlanga) | 'this-LOC, here' |
| jinta | 'one' |
| jirrima ~ jirrama | 'two, a pair' |
| yukarti | 'a few, several' |
| tartu | ',any' |
| ngana (takes polysyllable alternant of suffixes) | 'who, what' |
| wanyji ~ wanyjila (also: nyaparla) | 'where' |
| nyayanga | 'what ones, how many' |
| nyapa | ''how', 'which, where' |
| nyapa-ja-, nyapa-ma- | 'to do what' |
| nyangurla | 'when' |
| nganaku,
nganawarnu |
'why' |
| yanjarra | 'north' |
| kurlarra | 'south' |
| kakarra |
'east' |
| karlarra | 'west' |
| kankarlarra |
'up', etc |
| kanjarra |
'down', etc |
Directional suffixes are given in the introduction to the list of verbs.
-ngu (with disyllables) ~ -rlu (with polysyllables) 'ergative: subject of a transitive clause; instrumental', as in: Ngarrkangu karli ngartarnu. The man trimmed the boomerang. Malikurluju pungu. The dog bit me. Nganarnangu manmi murlu pamarrparlu? What shall I get you with this money?
-ku 'dative, indirect object, purposive', as in: Wayikarla lanngariku Jungarrayiku. Look for a ghost gum for Jungarrayi. Ngayurna pannya wirlinyi wawirriku. I'm going hunting for kangaroo.
-nga (with disyllables) ~ -rla (with polysyllables) 'locative — at, on, in', as in: Karli yulunga kanya. The boomerang is on the ground. Yiwirtirla kantungurlu kanya. He's under the tree.
-ka 'allative, directional — to, toward, into, onto', as in: Kiyarnurna yamaka. I threw it into the shade. Yalikarna panama. I'll go there. Wanyjikan yarnu? Where did you put it? Papuluka purlunyanta. Enter the house.
-ngurlu 'elative — from', as in: Yiwirtingurlu wanu. He fell out of the tree. Malikingurluju ngannya. He's scolding me over his dog.
-warnu 'resultative', as in: Jirrmirinyparna parrawarnu. I'm sweating from the heat.
-kuma 'aversative, for fear of, to avoid', as in: Kari panka karntakuma. Move away because of women. (See also the examples under -nyanu in §10.)
N-kurla 'genitive, having', as in: Maliki yarrinya, Jakamakurla. That dog is Jakama's. Ngarnangu yiwirtirlu kartapinyi ngayinyakurlarlu kirtanakurlarlu. I'll spear you with my father's spear.
-nya 'genitive' forms the possessive of a pronoun, with the final vowel of the pronoun changing to i, so: ngayinya 'my, our', nyuntinya (~ nyintinya) 'your', and also nyaninya 'his, hers, its, theirs'.
N-nyarrirni (? ~ nyayirni) 'very N', as in: partakurrunyarrirni 'very good'
N-wartingi 'native of' (with place names and habitats)
N-nganarra 'denizen of' (with habitats)
N-parna 'having, bearing'
N-kanyanu 'another', as in: Karlikujurla yapakanyanurlu wayinnya. Someone else is looking for a bommerang for me.
NOMIC 'agentive' (introduction to the list of verbs)
N-jila 'lacking, without', as in: Pamarrpajilarna. I don't have any money.
N-nganyja 'like, similar to', as in: Papulanyinganyjarnalu kanya. We are like whitefellas. (also: -piya) Note: kiyanginyja 'like this'.
N-palka 'associated with', as in: Kuyupalka. Hunter. Kilipalka. Cheeky.
-na 'my, our', as
in: Ngamirninarluju karli
yungu.
My mother's brother gave me a boomerang. Kalyartina My karlyarti (friend).
-jupu 'your', as in
Jukajupu. Your first
cross
cousin.
-nyanu 'his
(anaphoric)', as in: Ngarrkangunyanu
kurntangu mannya ngalapinyanukuma. The man is shamed of his son.
-nginta, -rlangu 'reciprocal pair',
as in: Jajanginta.
Mother's mother and daughter's child.
The subsection terms are as follows:
| adult |
child |
|||
| code | man | woman |
boy |
girl |
| A | Japaja | Napaja | Japalyi |
Ngalyirri, Napalya |
| A | Jungurra | Namurlpa | Jukartayi |
Napita |
| B | Japanangka | Napanangka | Janama |
Namana |
| B | Japangarti | Napangarti | Japayarti | Ngampayarti |
| C | Jampijinpa | Nampijinpa | Jampilka |
Nampija |
| C | Jangala | Nangala | Jangkali |
Ngang(k)ala |
| D | Jakama | Nakama | Jakarra |
Wajala |
| D | Jupula | Napula | Jula(ma) |
Nampula |
Note: Nganan puntu?
What's your skin (subsection)
These days the Warlpiri subsection terminology is often used instead.
The possessor of a kinsman in the same generation is marked by -ku-pirtanga, and in an
ascending generation by -ku-palangu.
The usual genitive is used otherwise.
See also a historical note on Warlmanpa
kinship
terms and subsections.
N-ma- (forms V5) 'causative, to cause to become N'
INCEPTIVE (forms V5, retaining transitivity of root; irregular IMP) (see introduction to appendix on verbs) 'to go and V'.
-ma (phonological extension, use dto lengthen a word for stylistic euphony; also with a focussing function), as in: Nganama yimpa? What's this?
-lku 'now, then, and then'
-wiyi 'first, before', as in: Ngularna witta=wiyi kangurra, Warlmanparna wanganyurra. When I was small, I used to talk Warlmanpa.
-yijala 'also', as in: Ngarrkangu ngulaju pakarnu, ngangunga pakanma=yijala. The man who hit me might hit you too.
-yi 'still, then as now'
-nya 'focus, topic', 'emphatic'
-muju 'too, also',
as in: Ngayu=mujurna wangami.
I have to talk too. (~ Mujurna
wangami ngayu. with muju
as particle)
| ngarra, marta | 'potential' | juppu | 'for no reason, just because' |
| nganta | 'suppositional, quotative' | ||
| kirli | 'permissive' | wayi | (introduces polar question) |
| kala | 'however, but' |
puta 'half, partly', as in: Putaju ngaka. Don't scold me. Putaju nganja. Drink some on me.
Conjunction: kapi
'and'
A. Regressive vowel assimilation occurs to some extent in nouns with stem-final i, which changes to u before some suffixes in u, so maliki but malikurlu, parntapi but parntapulku. Regressive assimilation occurs in verb roots of the conjugations 1b and 3b — see the paradigms.
B. Stress falls on the first syllable of each word. There is a
secondary stress on the first syllable (and third syllable of a four
syllable morpheme) of a morpheme of two or more syllables. Adjacent
monosyllabic morphemes received an alternating secondary stress, but
not so as to produce two adjacent stresses or a word-final stress.
The word list is repeated here, in Capell's spelling and in the practical orthography:
| man | ŋarga | ngarrka |
| woman | gaɳɖa | karnta |
| head | wa:lu | walu |
| eye | milba | milpa |
| nose | gubala | (mulyu)0 |
| mouth | gadidi | (lirra)1 |
| tongue | ŋaljanu | ngalyanu |
| kangaroo | malu | (wawirri)2 |
| tree | ˈjuwidi | yiwirti |
| a fly | waɹaŋaɹa | warangarra |
| sun | bara | parra |
| moon | baɖaŋara | partangarra |
| fire | wa:ɭu | warlu |
| smoke | ˈjugudu | yukurtu |
| water | ŋaba | ngappa |
| see | njanji | nyanyi (FUT) |
| look for | wajini | wayinya (PRES) |
| take | mani | mannya (PRES) |
| go | jani | (pannya PRES)3 |
| speak | waŋginji | wanganyi (FUT) |
Suffixes and enclitics
Created: circa 1997