Leerdil
Lardil
Tangkic (Tangkic-Pama)
Lardil (Leerdil) is the language of Mornington Island in the Wellesley Islands of the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland. It belongs to the small non-Pama-Nyungan Tangkic family (with Yangkaal, Kayardild, Yukulta and Ganggalida). Lardil is best known to linguistics as the host language of Damin — the ceremonial auxiliary register taught to senior initiated men, which contains the only documented click consonants in any Australian language. Damin was created and maintained as a separate phonological system layered over ordinary Lardil grammar. Long fluency has now collapsed; perhaps one or two fluent speakers remain, though a substantial community heritage tradition continues. Ken Hale's 1960s-80s field work and the community-led Ngakulmungan Kangka Leman (1996) Lardil Dictionary are the principal documentation.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Lardil
Sources
- Ngakulmungan Kangka Leman (1996) Lardil Dictionary
- Hale (1973) "Deep-surface canonical disparities in relation to analysis and change: an Australian example" — and later work on Damin
- Klokeid (1976) Topics in Lardil Grammar (MIT PhD thesis)
- Glottolog: Lardil (lard1248)
- Ethnologue: lbz
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Tangkic (Tangkic-Pama)
| Meaning | Lardil | Yangkaal | Walmajarri | Nhanda | Warlpiri | Martu Wangka | Adnyamathanha |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nguka /ŋuka/ | nguku /ŋuku/ | ngapa /ˈŋapa/ | kapi /kapi/ | ngapa /ŋapa/ | kapi /kapi/ | awi /awi/ |
| Fire | nyuda /ɲuda/ | ngida /ŋida/ | warlu /ˈwaɭu/ | warla /waɻla/ | warlu /waɭu/ | waru /waɻu/ | ardrla /aʈɭa/ |
| Sun | warrka /waɾka/ | warrku /waɾku/ | purangu /puɻaŋu/ | wurʼa /wuɾʔa/ | wanta /wanta/ | jirntu /ciɳʈu/ | yurnrdu /juɳʈu/ |
| Moon | kirdikir /kiɖikir/ | waldarra /waldaɾa/ | yakarn /jakaɳ/ | kanyala /kaɲala/ | kirntangi /kiɳʈaŋi/ | panyalpa /paɲalpa/ | viRa /viɹa/ |
| Star | kuwa thungal /kuwa θuŋal/ | miburlda thungalda /mibuɭda t̪uŋalda/ | wirl /wiɭ/ | indiya /indija/ | yanjilypiri /jaɲɟiʎpiɻi/ | kurtalya /kuʈaʎa/ | vurdli /vuʈli/ |
| Night | nata /nata/ | ngimi /ŋimi/ | pukanya /pukaɲa/ | maru /maru/ | munga /muŋa/ | munga /muŋa/ | wilydya /wiʎca/ |
| Mother | ngama /ŋama/ | ngamathu /ŋamat̪u/ | ngamaji /ŋaˈmaɟi/ | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | ngati /ŋati/ | yipi /jipi/ | ngami /ŋami/ |
| Father | kantha /kan̪t̪a/ | kanthathu /kant̪at̪u/ | ngarpu /ŋaɻpu/ | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | kirda /kiɖa/ | mama /mama/ | vapi /vapi/ |
| I | ngada /ŋada/ | ngada /ŋada/ | ngaju /ŋaɟu/ | ngayi /ŋaji/ | ngaju /ŋaɟu/ | ngayu /ŋaju/ | ngayi /ŋaji/ |
| You | nyingki /ɲiŋki/ | nyingka /ɲiŋka/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyini /ɲini/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nhina /n̪ina/ |
| We | ngakuli / nyali /ŋakuli / ɲali/ | ngakulda / ngalda /ŋakulda / ŋalda/ | ngalimpa / nganimpa /ŋalimpa / ŋanimpa/ | ngayinu /ŋajinu/ | ngalipa / nganimpa /ŋalipa / ŋanimpa/ | — /—/ | ngarlpurla /ŋaɭpuɭa/ |
| Name | nyunda /ɲunda/ | nida /nida/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | yirdi /jiɖi/ | yini /jini/ | mityi /mici/ |
| Eye | kuwa /kuwa/ | miburlda /mibuɭda/ | mil /mil/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | milpa /milpa/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | mina /mina/ |
| Tooth | kadma leman /kadma leman/ | damanda /damanda/ | lirra /lira/ | idaji /idadʒi/ | kartirdi /kaʈiɖi/ | yirra /jira/ | ira /iɾa/ |
| Tongue | jalda leman /dʒalda leman/ | jalngantha /ɟalŋant̪a/ | jalany /ɟalaɲ/ | thalanyu /t̪alaɲu/ | jalanypa /ɟalaɲpa/ | jarlinypa /caɭiɲpa/ | yarli /jaɭi/ |
| Hand | marlda /maɭda/ | — /—/ | kurrapa /kurapa/ | mara /maɻa/ | rdaka /ɖaka/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɾa/ |
| Foot | jaa /dʒaː/ | — | jina /ˈɟina/ | yina /jina/ | wirliya /wiɭija/ | jina /cina/ | idna /idna/ |
| Heart | bulja /buldʒa/ | — /—/ | kurturlu /kuɭˈtuɭu/ | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | rduku-rduku /ɖukuɖuku/ | kurturtu /kuʈuʈu/ | yurlk-aka /juɭkaka/ |
| Bone | kadma /kadma/ | julda /ɟulda/ | kiji /kiɟi/ | mambu /mambu/ | larrpa /laɾpa/ | tarrka /tarka/ | warlpu /waɭpu/ |
| Blood | kanda /kanda/ | kandu /kandu/ | nungu /nuŋu/ | nguba /ŋuba/ | yalyu /jaʎu/ | miji /miɟi/ | arti /aʈi/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | yulkami /julkami/ | mukulyu /mukuʎu/ | ngadha-pa- /ŋat̪apa/ |
| Tree | thungal /θuŋal/ | — /—/ | mana /mana/ | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | watiya /watija/ | warta /waʈa/ | wirti /wiʈi/ |
| Dog | ngawa /ŋawa/ | — /—/ | kunyarr /kuˈɲar/ | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | jarntu /ɟaɳʈu/ | papa /papa/ | wirlka /wiɭka/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | paka /paka/ | mungalpa /muŋalpa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Fish | yaka /jaka/ | yakuri /jakuɾi/ | kapi /kapi/ | wiitya /wiːca/ | yawu /jawu/ | yurta /juʈa/ | varru /varu/ |
| House | ngambirr /ŋambir/ | — /—/ | mayaru /majaɻu/ | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | yuwarli /juwaɭi/ | ngurra /ŋura/ | wardrli /waʈɭi/ |
| Eat | jitha /dʒiθa/ | — /—/ | nga- /ŋa/ | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | ngarni /ŋaɳi/ | ngalku- /ŋalku/ | ngarlku- /ŋaɭku/ |
| Drink | kurdama /kuɖama/ | — /—/ | nga- /ŋa/ | nyuna /ɲuna/ | purrami /puɾami/ | jikirnu /cikiɳu/ | yapa- /japa/ |
| One | warnge /waɾŋe/ | — /—/ | layi /laji/ | kuyu /kuju/ | jinta /ɟinta/ | kuju /kucu/ | ubmanaka /upmanaka/ |
| Two | kiyarrng /kijaɾŋ/ | kiyarrngka /kijaɾŋka/ | kurriny /kuriɲ/ | wuthada /wut̪ada/ | jirrama /ɟiɾama/ | kujarra /kucara/ | alypilhanha /aʎpil̪an̪a/ |
| Three | mungkalan /muŋkalan/ | — /—/ | mungkartu /muŋkaʈu/ | marnngurdu /maɳŋuɖu/ | jirrama-kari-jinta /ɟiɾamakaɾiɟinta/ | yurri /juri/ | urlpa-rrina /uɭparina/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | kuba /kuba/ | — /—/ | wulyu /wuʎu/ | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | ngurrju /ŋuɾɟu/ | palya /paʎa/ | warnrdu /waɳʈu/ |
| Red | kandukan /kandukan/ | kandukandu /kandukandu/ | ngirljarti /ŋiɭɟaʈi/ | marniwidi /maɳiwidi/ | yalyu-yalyu /jaʎujaʎu/ | miji-miji /miɟimiɟi/ | yalhdhatyi /jal̪t̪aci/ |
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