4.3.12 WATJANTI
Location: Mouth of the Murchison River and northwards.
1. Names of the language and different spellings that have been used:
Wadjandi
Wadyandi
Watchandi (Oldfield)
Watchandie
Watjandee (Bates)
Watjanmay
Wattandi
2. Classification of the language:
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966): Kardu (part of a subgroup together with Malkana, Damala, Buluguda, and Daguda)
Identification codes:AIATSIS:W.13
Capell (1963):W.34
Oates (1975):53.3d
Tindale (1974:249) says that Watjanti is a local group of Nhanta.
Morphy (1985) says that Bates's vocabularies and Oldfield's are from the same area as Nhanta-Amangu and so Watjanti does not exist as a separate language.
3. Dialects of the language:
No information
4. Number and distribution of speakers:
No information
5. People who have worked intensively to record the language:
No one
6. Practical spelling system:
None
7. Word lists:
Bates (n.d.10, n.d.85)
Oldfield (1865)
Oldfield (1886)
8. Texts:
None
9. Grammar or sketch grammar:
None
10. Language programmes:
None
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. (n.d.10) Geographical distribution, waterholes, camping places, trade routes, etc. - Upper Murchison tribes, typescript copy of MS, Section 2: 3c, ii, ANL-MS365-4/102-126.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.85) Native vocabularies - Murchison River, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2F, ANL-MS365-58/41-43.
Oldfield, A. (1865) 'The Aborigines of Australia', pp.215-298 in Ethnological Society of London Transactions, Vol. 3.
Oldfield, A. (1886) 'Vocabulary no.13, The Watchandi tribe', pp.310-313 in E.M.Curr, The Australian race, Vol.1.
Go Back to Contents
