4.3.11 WAJARRI
Location: Head of the Lyons River, Teano Range, Walburg Range, Upper Gascoyne River, Erivilla.
1. Names of the language and different spellings that have been used:
Batiga
Cheangwa
Dhauerngu
Irawadjari (Tindale)
Wadjari (Capell)
Waiawonga
Wajeri
Watjarri (Douglas)
Witjari (Douglas)
Yamaji
Yamdgee
2. Classification of the language:
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966): Kardu
Identification codes:AIATSIS:A.39
Capell (1963):A.33
Oates (1975):52.1
Douglas (1981) notes that there is an obvious difference between Western Desert vocabularies and Wajarri.
3. Dialects of the language:
Morphy (1985) lists the following local groups: Yapurtu (Jaburu) (northern dialect), Wanmala, Mulyara, Bidungu (the last two have separate listings in this handbook).
Douglas (1981) talks of two dialects, light Wajarri on the 'Byro side' and heavy or katja. Nanu is a language immediately to the north which shares 70% vocabulary with Wajarri.
4. Number and distribution of speakers:
Douglas (1981) says there are less than 200 speakers of whom less than 50 speak the language fluently. They live at Geraldton, Mullewa, Yalgoo, Mt Magnet and Meekatharra.
5. People who have worked intensively to record the language:
Wilf Douglas recorded Wajarri from 1964 to 1977.
6. Practical spelling system:
Douglas has developed one.
7. Word lists:
Helms (1896)
Lane (1978)
O'Grady (1959)
8. Texts:
Brandenstein (1969g)
Brandenstein (1991)
9. Grammar or sketch grammar:
Douglas (1981)
Gratte (1966)
Helms (1896)
Wells (1893)
10. Language programmes:
George Boddington has taught Wajarri at Mullewa.
11. Language learning material:
None
12. Literature in the language:
None
13. Material available:
(see section 5 (Bibliography) for annotations on the following works)
Bates, D.M. (1913) 'Aboriginal names of places', pp.73-76 in Science of Man, Vol.14, no.4.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.13) Initiation - Murchison and surrounding districts, typescript copy of MS, Section 4: 4a, ANL-MS365-16/131-164.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.65) Native vocabularies - Lyons River, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2D, ANL-MS365-48/136-144.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.75) Native vocabularies - Miscellaneous, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2F, ANL-MS365-57/2-16.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.78) Native vocabularies - Murchison District tribes, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2F, ANL-MS365-55/141-158.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.85) Native vocabularies - Murchison River, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2F, ANL-MS365-58/41-43.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.129) Outline of grammar [2] - Pronouns, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 1, ANL-MS365-37/43-97.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.142) Songs, dances, etc. - Corroborees and songs, Murchison, typescript copy of MS, Section 11, ANL-MS365-35/145-155.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.150) Totemism - Murchison district, typescript copy of MS, Section 5, ANL-MS365-20/2-49.
Brandenstein, C.G. von (1967a) Interim report, 17 July-10 October 1967.
Brandenstein, C.G. von (1969g) The diaries of C.G. von Brandenstein, 1964-1969, MS.
Brandenstein, C.G. von (1991) Report to Yamaji Language Centre Geraldton on the unnamed language from Three Springs, Nhanhakarti (Wirtimaya), Nhukaan = Taakurta and Wajarri, ts .
Brandenstein, C.G. von (n.d.c) List of audiotaped material, ts.
Brandenstein, C.G. von (n.d.e) [Unpublished material].
Brandenstein, C.G. von and A.P.Thomas (1974) Taruru: Aboriginal song poetry from the Pilbara, Rigby, Adelaide.
Butcher, E.N. (1877) The diary of an exploring trip to the North District of Western Australia, MS.
Douglas, W.H. (1972b) Linguistic routine report, November 1972.
Douglas, W.H. (1976b) The Aboriginal languages of the South -West of Australia, Australian Aboriginal Studies Research and Regional Studies no.9, AIAS, Canberra.
Douglas, W.H. (1981) 'Watjarri', pp.197-272 in R.M.W. Dixon and B.J.Blake, (eds) Handbook of Australian languages, Vol.2, ANU, Canberra.
Dunn, L. (1982) Badimaya, a Western Australian Language, MA thesis, UWA.
Dunn, L. (1988) 'Badimaya, a Western Australian Language', pp.19-149 in Papers in Australian linguistics, Pacific Linguistics, A-71, Canberra.
Fink, R.A. (1956) Fieldnotes, 8 notebooks, MS.
Fink, R.A. (1955-56b) Western Australian songs from the Central Murchison, University of Sydney phono records 65, 66, 67 .
Fink, R.A. (1955-57) Western Australian songs from the Central Murchison and songs and chants from Jigalong, University of Sydney phono records 49 .
Fink, R.A. (1960a) The changing status and cultural identity of Western Australian Aborigines: a field study of Aborigines in the Murchison district, Western Australia, 1955-1957, PhD thesis, Columbia University.
Fink, R.A. (1960b) 'Traditional songs: being an appendix to 'The changing status and cultural identity of Western Australian Aborigines, a field study of Aborigines in the Murchison district, Western Australia, 1955-1957', New York, ts.
Gratte, S.G. (1966) The Wodjeri People. Report by S.G.Gratte on a trip to Boolardy Station, WA, (ts).
Hale, K.L. (n.d.c) Transcript of an audiotape of Wadjari made by R.Fink, ts.
Helms, R. (1896) 'Anthropology', pp.237-332 in Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia., Vol.16.
Kingsford, R. (1982) Yamadyi Law: the continuing significance of traditional Aboriginal culture in the Murchison region, Western Australia, MA thesis, UWA.
Lane, C. (1978) Words of Warrthary, MS.
Latukefu, R. (n.d.) Songs (audiotape).
Morphy, F. (1985) Working notes on Western Australian languages. Part of an ARGS project directed by R.M.W. Dixon.
O'Grady, G.N. (1959) Significance of the circumcision boundary in Western Australia, BA thesis, University of Sydney .
O'Grady, G.N.(1960a) Fieldnotes, MS.
O'Grady, G.N.(1967b) Fieldnotes, Western Australia, Vol.8.
O'Grady, G.N., C.F. Voegelin and F.M. Voegelin (1966) 'Languages of the world: Indo-Pacific fascicle 6', pp.1-197 in Anthropological Linguistics, Vol.8, no.2.
Wells, L.A. (1893) 'Vocabularies of words and phrases with translations', pp.192-207 in Journal of the Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition.
Withers, G.H. (1939) The native tribes of the upper Murchison and upper Gascoyne, MS.
Go Back to Contents
