Tiwi
Language isolate
Tiwi is a language isolate of the Tiwi Islands (Bathurst and Melville) off the Northern Territory coast of Australia. Its grammatical complexity — extensive incorporation, polysynthesis, and elaborate gender — and its isolation from other Australian languages have made its precise classification uncertain; it is no longer considered Pama-Nyungan. Modern Tiwi differs significantly from Traditional Tiwi (the deep ceremonial register), reflecting rapid postcontact change.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Tiwi
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Language isolate
| Meaning | Tiwi | Adnyamathanha | Nhanda | Warnman | Lardil | Ngunnawal | Pintupi-Luritja |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kukuni /kukuni/ | awi /awi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kalyu /kaʎu/ | nguka /ŋuka/ | kungal /kuŋal/ | kapi /kapi/ |
| Fire | yikwani /jikʷani/ | ardrla /aʈɭa/ | warla /waɻla/ | nguja /ŋuɟa/ | nyuda /ɲuda/ | warba /waɻba/ | waru /waɻu/ |
| Sun | warnarringa /waɾnaɾiŋa/ | yurnrdu /juɳʈu/ | wurʼa /wuɾʔa/ | karrpu /karpu/ | warrka /waɾka/ | winyu /wiɲu/ | tjintu /cintu/ |
| Moon | japarra /dʒapaɾa/ | viRa /viɹa/ | kanyala /kaɲala/ | panyalpa /paɲalpa/ | kirdikir /kiɖikir/ | birrang /biɻaŋ/ | pira /piɻa/ |
| Star | japalinga /dʒapaliŋa/ | vurdli /vuʈli/ | indiya /indija/ | kurtalya /kuʈaʎa/ | kuwa thungal /kuwa θuŋal/ | dyurra /ɟura/ | kililpi /kiˈlilpi/ |
| Night | japinamini /dʒapinamini/ | wilydya /wiʎca/ | maru /maru/ | payin /pajin/ | nata /nata/ | kaku /kaku/ | munga /muŋa/ |
| Rain | pakitringa /pakitɾiŋa/ | warrana /warana/ | pundu /pundu/ | kalyu /kaʎu/ | — | garrit /ɡaɻit/ | — |
| Wind | wunijaka /wunidʒaka/ | milyaRu /miʎaɹu/ | uudinu /uudinu/ | karlalarra /kaɭalara/ | — | — | walpa /walpa/ |
| Earth | kiluwarti /kiluwaɾti/ | yarta /jaʈa/ | — | rlanga /ɭaŋa/ | — | dhaura /d̪auɻa/ | manta /manta/ |
| Stone | waranga /waɾaŋa/ | adynya /acɲa/ | — | purli /puɭi/ | — | wullung /wuluŋ/ | puḻi /puɭi/ |
| Mountain | jupunyini /dʒupuɲini/ | — | — | — | — | — | puḻi katu /puɭi katu/ |
| Sea | winga /wiŋa/ | — | — | — | — | — | yuru /juɻu/ |
| Mother | naringa /naɾiŋa/ | ngami /ŋami/ | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | pipirnpa /pipiɳpa/ | ngama /ŋama/ | guni /ɡuni/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ |
| Father | rringani /ɾiŋani/ | vapi /vapi/ | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | mamarnpa /mamaɳpa/ | kantha /kan̪t̪a/ | pumba /pumba/ | mama /mama/ |
| Daughter | miraninga /miɾaniŋa/ | — | yurdu /juɖu/ | yurntalpa /juɳʈalpa/ | — | — | yuṉṯalpa /juɳʈalpa/ |
| I | ngiya /ŋija/ | ngayi /ŋaji/ | ngayi /ŋaji/ | parra /para/ | ngada /ŋada/ | ngaya /ŋaja/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ |
| You | nginja /ŋiɲca/ | nhina /n̪ina/ | nyini /ɲini/ | parrangku /paraŋku/ | nyingki /ɲiŋki/ | ngindu /ŋindu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ |
| We | ngawa /ŋawa/ | ngarlpurla /ŋaɭpuɭa/ | ngayinu /ŋajinu/ | parrawarta /parawaʈa/ | ngakuli / nyali /ŋakuli / ɲali/ | gulanyin / gulanyilla /ɡulaɲin / ɡulaɲila/ | nganana /ŋanaɳa/ |
| Name | yintanga /jintaŋa/ | mityi /mici/ | yini /jini/ | lirrka /lirka/ | nyunda /ɲunda/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ |
| Head | pungintaga /puŋintaɡa/ | vapardrla /vapaʈɭa/ | — | kata /kata/ | — | guddagong /ɡuddaɡoŋ/ | kata /kata/ |
| Eye | pijara /pidʒaɾa/ | mina /mina/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | panaya /panaja/ | kuwa /kuwa/ | mil /mil/ | kuru /kuɻu/ |
| Ear | purrakurninga /puɾakuɾniŋa/ | yuri /juɾi/ | wurtka /wuʈka/ | kurlka /kuɭka/ | — | guri /ɡuɻi/ | pina /pina/ |
| Nose | jinimuli /dʒinimuli/ | — | muttha /mut̪a/ | mulya /muʎa/ | — | nyigity /ɲiɡiɟ/ | mulya /muʎa/ |
| Mouth | yirripuntikawa /jiɾipuntikawa/ | — | ngarnmanu /ŋaɳmanu/ | jawa /ɟawa/ | — | dhambir /d̪ambiɻ/ | tjaa /caː/ |
| Tooth | yingkana /jiŋkana/ | ira /iɾa/ | idaji /idadʒi/ | yirra /jira/ | kadma leman /kadma leman/ | weera /weːra/ | katiti /katiti/ |
| Tongue | yimitarla /jimitaɭa/ | yarli /jaɭi/ | thalanyu /t̪alaɲu/ | nyanyjarla /ɲaɲɟaɭa/ | jalda leman /dʒalda leman/ | dalang /dalaŋ/ | tjalinypa /caliɲpa/ |
| Hand | yikara /jikaɾa/ | mara /maɾa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | marlda /maɭda/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ |
| Foot | malapwara /malapʷaɾa/ | idna /idna/ | yina /jina/ | jina /ɟina/ | jaa /dʒaː/ | dyinang /ɟinaŋ/ | tjina /cina/ |
| Heart | miringa /miɾiŋa/ | yurlk-aka /juɭkaka/ | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | kurturtu /kuʈuʈu/ | bulja /buldʒa/ | gauar /ɡauar/ | kututu /kututu/ |
| Bone | pwaja /pʷadʒa/ | warlpu /waɭpu/ | mambu /mambu/ | yika /jika/ | kadma /kadma/ | wiak /wiak/ | tarrka /taɾka/ |
| Blood | majipani /madʒipani/ | arti /aʈi/ | nguba /ŋuba/ | miji /miɟi/ | kanda /kanda/ | guruba /ɡuruba/ | milkali /milkali/ |
| Poop | kinyirri /kiɲiɾi/ | udna /utna/ | wuna /wuna/ | murla /muɭa/ | — | gunung /ɡunuŋ/ | kuna /kuna/ |
| Love | payinti /pajinti/ | ngadha-pa- /ŋat̪apa/ | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | marmit /maɻmit/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ |
| Tree | pirntali /piɾntali/ | wirti /wiʈi/ | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | watiya /watija/ | thungal /θuŋal/ | warabi /waɻabi/ | punu /punu/ |
| Dog | marlapwawa /maɭapʷawa/ | wirlka /wiɭka/ | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | jarntu /ɟaɳʈu/ | ngawa /ŋawa/ | mirri /miɻi/ | papa /papa/ |
| Cat | pussycat /pusikat/ | — /—/ | paka /paka/ | ngarda /ŋaɖa/ | — /—/ | poosi /puːsi/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Fish | miputi /miputi/ | varru /varu/ | wiitya /wiːca/ | tanpakaringu /tanpakariŋu/ | yaka /jaka/ | kuya /kuja/ | piitji /piːʈi/ |
| Bird | tokwampini /tokʷampini/ | — | — | limpi /limpi/ | — | budyan /buɟan/ | tjuḻpu /cuɭpu/ |
| Butterfly | kwarikwaringa /kʷaɾikʷaɾiŋa/ | arli vilhi-vilhi /aɭi vil̪i-vil̪i/ | ngaabeera /ŋaːbeːra/ | wirripintapinta /wiripintapinta/ | — | — | pintapinta /pintapinta/ |
| Egg | pajipajuwu /padʒipadʒuwu/ | vipi /vipi/ | — | ngampu /ŋampu/ | — | gubbong /ɡubboŋ/ | ngampu /ŋampu/ |
| Horse | pika /pika/ | — | — | — | — | — | naanytja /naːɲca/ |
| House | kurrampali /kuɾampali/ | wardrli /waʈɭi/ | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | ngambirr /ŋambir/ | kuni /kuni/ | ngurra /ŋuɾa/ |
| Milk | pularti /pulaɾti/ | ngama /ŋama/ | — | — | — | — | mimi /mimi/ |
| Honey | yingwati /jiŋwati/ | — | — | — | — | kawangkal /kawaŋkal/ | ngalypuru /ŋaʎpuɻu/ |
| Salt | kirririka /kiɾiɾika/ | — | — | — | — | — | paṉṯu /paɳʈu/ |
| Wine | yingwatinga /jiŋwatiŋa/ | — | — | — | — | — | wayina /wajina/ |
| Rice | pirraja /piɾadʒa/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Iron | wulimirri /wulimiɾi/ | — | — | — | — | — | yayina /jajina/ |
| Book | jurra /dʒuɾa/ | — | — | — | — | — | piipa /piːpa/ |
| Eat | ngarini /ŋaɾini/ | ngarlku- /ŋaɭku/ | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | ngarra /ŋaɻa/ | jitha /dʒiθa/ | daring /daɻiŋ/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ |
| Drink | pirninkili /piɾninkili/ | yapa- /japa/ | nyuna /ɲuna/ | jikila /ɟikila/ | kurdama /kuɖama/ | nyu /ɲu/ | tjikini /cikini/ |
| Sleep | mili /mili/ | miya /mija/ | wuupata /wuːpata/ | kunyalajuwa /kuɲalaɟuwa/ | — | ngambori /ŋamboɻi/ | kunkunpa /kunkunpa/ |
| One | yati /jati/ | ubmanaka /upmanaka/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kumpinyu /kumpiɲu/ | warnge /waɾŋe/ | meddhung /med̪uŋ/ | kutju /kucu/ |
| Two | yirrara /jiɾaɾa/ | alypilhanha /aʎpil̪an̪a/ | wuthada /wut̪ada/ | kujarra /kuɟara/ | kiyarrng /kijaɾŋ/ | bula /bula/ | kutjarra /kucaɾa/ |
| Three | yirrajirrima /jiɾadʒiɾima/ | urlpa-rrina /uɭparina/ | marnngurdu /maɳŋuɖu/ | kujarra kumpinya /kuɟara kumpiɲa/ | mungkalan /muŋkalan/ | bula mittong /bula mitoŋ/ | tjirripala /ciripala/ |
| Four | yatapinti /jatapinti/ | — | — | kujarra kujarra /kuɟara kuɟara/ | — | — | puupala /puːpala/ |
| Five | pinginingita /piŋiniŋita/ | — | — | — | — | — | payipala /pajipala/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | — /—/ | yumalundi /jumalundi/ | palya /paʎa/ |
| Thank you | wuta-wani /wutawani/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | walytjarra /waʎcaɻa/ | — /—/ | miyamala /mijamala/ | palya /paʎa/ |
| Good | pupuni /pupuni/ | warnrdu /waɳʈu/ | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | palya /paʎa/ | kuba /kuba/ | walunga /waluŋa/ | palya /paʎa/ |
| New | awirankini /awiɾankini/ | marra /mara/ | — | — | — | — | kuwarritja /kuwaɾica/ |
| Red | yaringa /jaɾiŋa/ | yalhdhatyi /jal̪t̪aci/ | marniwidi /maɳiwidi/ | martarr /maʈaɻ/ | kandukan /kandukan/ | dhiram-dhiram /d̪iɾamd̪iɾam/ | yulpa /julpa/ |
| White | turtiyangini /tuɾtijaŋini/ | upa /upa/ | wilidi /wilidi/ | mirtamirta /miʈamiʈa/ | — | daguru-gurag /daɡuɾuɡuɾaɡ/ | piranpa /piɾanpa/ |
| Black | tuniwunga /tuniwuŋa/ | — | — | warrukurla /warukuɭa/ | — | buru-bura /buɻubuɻa/ | maru /maɻu/ |
| Sugar | tingati /tiŋati/ | — | — | — | — | — | tjuuka /cuːka/ |
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