4.5.3 NGARLA
Location: Mouth of the de Grey River, chiefly on the west side, but extending northwards towards Cape Keraudren, inland to Mulyie; along the coast inland along the De Grey River to where Mulyie Station is today, west to around Hedland, east to beyond Cape Keraudren (Geytenbeek 1990 p.c.).
1. Names of the language and different spellings that have been used:
Gnalla
Ngala
Ngalawanga
Ngalawarngga
Ngalawonga
Ngerla
Ngirla
Ngurla
Wanbarda
2. Classification of the language
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966): Ngayarda
Identification codes:AIATSIS:W.40
Capell (1963):W.31
Oates (1975):50A.2c
3. Dialects of the language:
None
4. Present number and distribution of speakers:
Wordick (1977b): 12 speakers at Hedland.
Alexander Brown (whose mother tongue is Ngarla), lists a total of only eight speakers and about ten partial speakers at December 1989 (Geytenbeek 1990 p.c.).
5. People who have worked intensively to record the language:
Alexander ('Sandy') Brown (late 1980s to present)
Brian Geytenbeek (late 1980s to present)
6. Practical spelling system:
The same system is used in Brown and Geytenbeek's work (1989) as is used in Nyangumarta.
7. Word lists:
Brown and Geytenbeek (1989)
Davidson (1932)
Harper (1886)
O'Grady (1959)
Salvado (n.d.)
8. Texts:
Brown and Geytenbeek have a dozen texts and a dozen songs transcribed. Some will appear in the forthcoming oral history book produced by the Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre.
Brandenstein and Thomas (1974) (song texts)
9. Grammar or sketch grammar:
None
10. Language programmes:
None
11. Language learning material:
None
12. Literature in the language:
Wangka Maya (Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre) (1989-90)
Geytenbeek and Brown have produced some material.
13. Material available:
(see section 5 (Bibliography) for annotations on the following works)
Bates, D.M. (n.d.12) Initiation - Miscellaneous, typescript copy of MS, Section 4: 4d, ANL-MS365-16/181-190.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.73) Native vocabularies - Miscellaneous, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2D, ANL-MS365-50/47-99.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.129) Outline of grammar [2] - Pronouns, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 1, ANL-MS365-37/43-97.
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 (1972e) 'The symbolism of the north-western Australian zigzag design', pp.223-238 in Oceania, Vol.42, no.3.
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, Perth.
Brown, A. and B.B. Geytenbeek (1984-88) [Ngarla fieldnotes], ts.
Brown, A. and B.B. Geytenbeek (1989) Ngarla dictionary, ts.
Davidson, D.S. (1932) Comparative vocabularies of 19 Western Australian languages, ts.
Harper, C. (1886) 'Vocabulary no.8, Mouth of the De Grey River: The Ngurla tribe', pp.287-293 in E.M.Curr, The Australian race, Vol.1.
Klokeid, T.J. (1967b) [Songs recorded at Marble Bar].
Narnutjarri, S. and C.G. von Brandenstein (1986) 'The witch doctor's magic flight' [occasional song], translated by C.G. von Brandenstein, in L.A. Murray, (ed.) The new Oxford book of Australian verse, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
O'Grady, G.N. (1959) Significance of the circumcision boundary in Western Australia, BA thesis, University of Sydney .
O'Grady, G.N. (1967g) Nyangumarda, Ngarla, Nyamal, Warnman. Tape transcriptions, MS.
O'Grady, G.N. (1968) Notes, MS.
Salvado, R. (n.d.) [Two word lists Italian-Ngarla], MS.
Smith, T. (1957) Ngarla lexical test list, MS.
Wangka Maya (Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre) (1989-90) Aboriginal languages of the Pilbara [Banyjima, Kariyarra, Manjiljarra, Ngarla, Ngarluma, Nyamal, Nyangumarta, Yindjibarndi], Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre, Port Hedland.
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