4.6.8 Pitjantjatjara

Location: Originally Petermann and Rawlinson Ranges area north to Lake Hopkins and south to Birksgate Range (Oates 1975).
1. Names of the language and different spellings that have been used:
Bidjandjadjara (AIATSIS)
Bidjandjara (Herrmann)
Jabu (Berndt, Herrmann)
Njangadjadjara (AIATSIS)
Nyangatjatjara (Douglas)
Pidzandza (Herrmann)
Pidzan'dza (Berndt)
Pitchentara (Roheim)
Pitjandara (Tindale)
Pitjandjara (Tindale)
Pitjantjatjara (Douglas)
Pitjintara (Herrmann)
Wenamba: This name recognised by Tindale but not included in Oates (1975) is applied to a group which Tindale (1974) mentions as in contact with Pintupi Pitjantjatjara and Ngaatatjara. The alternant names recorded by Tindale are:
Kalgonei
Kalguni
Mangawara
Pintularapi
Tjurti
Wankawinan
Wanudjara
Widanda
2. Classification of the language:
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966):Wati
Identification codes:AIATSIS:C.06
Capell (1963):C.06
Oates (1975):56.6a
The term Pitjantjatjara is sometimes used to refer to all of the Western Desert languages.
3. Dialects of the language:
Desert languages have an avoidance style as well as the everyday style.
No other information.
4. Present number and distribution of speakers:
Black (1983): 2,000 speakers including 300-400 Ngaanyatjarra.
Glass (1990 p.c.) says there are at least 2,000, not including Ngaanyatjarra.
Western Desert, in NT, SA and WA Ernabella, Docker River, Areyonga, Alice Springs.
5. People who have worked intensively to record the language:
Wilf Douglas (since 1950s)
Paul Eckert, (Ernabella since 1973)
Bill Edwards (since 1958)
Ronald Trudinger (early 1940s)
6. Practical spelling system:
The school at Ernabella uses a practical system.
7. Word lists:
Edwards (n.d.)
Ernabella
Glass and Hackett (1979a)
8. Texts:
A great deal of material is being produced at a number of locations; contact the Institute for Aboriginal Development in Alice Springs for more up-to-date information.
Brandenstein (1969e)
Edwards has stories and translations.
9. Grammar or sketch grammar:
Eckert and Hudson (1991)
Trudinger (1943)
Trudinger (n.d.)
10. Language programmes:
Douglas (1968a) Pitjantjatjara course lecture notes, University of Adelaide
Ernabella has a bilingual school programme.
Underdale CAE
IAD, Alice Springs
11. Language learning material:
Many small books and other literature have been produced for language programmes. Not all are listed here. Contact the Institute for Aboriginal Development in Alice Springs for more up-to-date information.
Downing, Hale and Ingkatji (1967) [Pitjantjatjara language course materials for use at the University of Adelaide], ts.
Kirke (1984)
12. Literature in the language:
Kirke (n.d.) Pronunciation of central Australian languages, ts.
Institute for Aboriginal Development (197?)
Sheppard, N. [with Yanyi] (1975) Alitjinya Ngura Tjukurtjarangka (Alitji in the Dreamtime), Department of Adult Education, University of Adelaide, Adelaide.
13. Material available:
Note that a great deal of material has been produced in Pitjantjatjara, of which the following is a small selection. Contact the Institute for Aboriginal Development in Alice Springs for more detailed information.
(see section 5 (Bibliography) for annotations on the following works)
Aboriginal Land Rights Commission (1973) Extracts from first report (July 1973), pp.S1- S5, Australian Government Printing Service, Canberra.
AIAS (197?) AIAS selected reading list, Central and Western Desert, ts.
Anonymous (197?) Pitjantjatjara vocabulary.
Bain, M. (1980) 'No Pitjantjatjara transformation', pp.308-326 in Anthropological Forum, Vol.4, nos.3-4.
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.16) Myths and legends - Central Australia, typescript copy of MS, Section 7, ANL-MS365-26/2-48.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.29) Native vocabularies - Border of SA and WA, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2G, ANL-MS365-59/28-43.
Brandenstein, C.G. von (1969e) Report on fieldwork, 1969.
Brandenstein, C.G. von (1970f) Report [to AIAS] on fieldwork conducted July- August 1970 as part of the 1969-70 project Western Desert Fringe study, Nedlands, WA.
Brandenstein, C.G. von (1982a) Eighty-eight grammar text sheets, exemplifying grammatical, lexical and phraseological diversities as well as links of 25 Aboriginal languages from Western Australia, ts.
Brown, M. (1979) Morphological reconstruction of proto-Western Desert, BA (Hons) thesis, ANU.
Burbidge, A.A., K.A. Johnson, P.J. Fuller and R.I. Southgate (1988) 'Aboriginal knowledge of the mammals of the Central Deserts of Australia', pp.9-39 in Australian Wildlife Research, Vol.15.
Capell, A. (1972) 'The affix transferring languages of Australia', pp.5-36 in Talanya, Vol.1.
Capp, R. (1973a) Report on visits to Areyonga and Hermannsburg with regard to:- Pitjantjatjara dialects, literacy materials, standard orthography for central Australian languages, Ernabella School, ts.
Capp, R. (1973b) Survival Pitjantjatjara, ts.
Cleland, J.B. and T.H. Johnston (1937) 'Notes on native names and uses of plants in the Musgrave Ranges region', pp.208-215 in Oceania, Vol.8, no 2; pp.328-342, Vol.8, no 3.
Condon, H.T. (1955) 'Aboriginal bird names - South Australia', pt 1 and 2, pp.74-88 in South Australian Ornithologist, Vol.21, nos.6-7; pp.91-98, Vol.21, no.8.
de Graaf, M. (197?) Aboriginal literature: a bibliography of literature on anthropology and Aboriginals with Pitjantjatjara references extracted, Alice Springs Community College, ts.
Douglas, W.H. (1968a) Pitjantjatjara course lecture notes, University of Adelaide, Adelaide.
Douglas, W.H. (1980d) 'The Desert experience: language', pp.108-118 in R.M. Berndt and C.H. Berndt, (eds) Aborigines of the West: their past and present, UWA Press, Perth.
Douglas, W.H. (1988) An introductory dictionary of the Western Desert language, Institute for Applied Language Studies.
Downing, J., K. Hale and G. Ingkatji. (1967) [Pitjantjatjara language course materials for use at the University of Adelaide], ts.
Eckert, P and J. Hudson (1991) Wangka wiru: a handbook for the Pitjantjatjara language learner, SACAE/SIL, Underdale/Darwin.
Eckert, P and J. Wafer (1979) Pitjantjatjara orthography circulars.
Edwards, W.H. (n.d.) Pitjantjatjara/English vocabulary, ts.
Ernabella Mission (1983) English-Pitjantjara vocabulary, ts, IAD.
Glass, A.D. and D. Hackett (1979a) Medical phrases from three Western Desert languages, Human Sciences Research, Perth.
Goddard, C. (1981) A learner's guide to Yankunytjatjara, IAD, Alice Springs.
Goddard, C. (1982) Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara picture vocabulary, IAD, Alice Springs.
Goddard, C. (1983) A semantically-oriented grammar of the Yankunytjatjara dialect of the Western Desert language, PhD thesis, ANU.
Goddard, C. (1985) A grammar of Yankunytjatjara, IAD, Alice Springs.
Goddard, C. (1987) A basic Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara to English dictionary, IAD, Alice Springs.
Hale, K L. (1973) 'Deep-surface canonical disparities in relation to analysis and change: an Australian example', pp.401-458 in T. Sebeok, (ed.) Current trends in linguistics, Mouton, The Hague.
Hansen, K.C. and L.E. Hansen. (1975a) The core of Pintupi grammar, IAD, Alice Springs.
Heffernen, M and J. Downing (197?) Questions and answers relating to medical information and procedure in the Pitjantjatjara languages devised by Dr.B.Whitenbury, ts, IAD.
Institute for Aboriginal Development (197?) Pitjantjatjara course and advanced Pitjantjatjara course, audiotape transcripts and story pictures, IAD, Alice Springs.
Kirke, B.K. (1984) Wangka kulintjaku (Talk so as to be understood), SACAE, Underdale.
Kirke, B.K. (n.d.) Pronunciation of central Australian languages, IAD, Alice Springs.
Kirke, B.K. (197?) English-Pitjantjatjara dictionary: a-be, MS.
Leeding, V.J. (1966) Notes on the Pintubi dialect of the Western Desert language, ts.
Myers, D (ed.) (1978) A simple explanation of Pitjantjatjara, Education Department of SA, Adelaide.
O'Grady, G.N. and T.J. Klokeid (1969) 'Australian linguistic classification: a plea for co-ordination of effort', pp.298-311 in Oceania, Vol.39, no.4.
Platt, J.T. (1976a) 'Pitjantjatjara', pp.427-431 in R.M.W. Dixon, (ed.) Grammatical categories in Australian languages, AIAS, Canberra.
Platt, J.T. (1976b) 'Pitjantjatjara', pp.667-673 in R.M.W. Dixon, (ed.) Grammatical categories in Australian languages, AIAS, Canberra.
Raa, E. ten and S. Tod Woenne (1974) Research dictionary of the Western Desert language of Australia, Anthropology Department, UWA, Perth (ts and computer disk).
Roheim, G. (1945) The eternal ones of the dream: a psychoanalytic interpretation of Australian myth and ritual, International Universities Press, New York.
See, R.E. (1965) Comparison of some Australian languages, PhD thesis, University of California, Los Angeles.
Sheppard, N. [with Yanyi] (1975) Alitjinya ngura Tjukurtjarangka (Alitji in the Dreamtime), Department of Adult Education, University of Adelaide, Adelaide.
Steele, P. (1975) 'Pitjantjatjara', pp.36-41 in Wikaru 4.
Tindale, N.B. (1933) Journal of an anthropological expedition to the Mann and Musgrave Ranges, May-July 1933, MS.
Tindale, N.B. (1937) Vocabulary of Pitjandjara, the language of the natives of the Great Western Desert, ts.
Tindale, N.B. (1951) Second visit to Ooldea, to study the Aborigines, ts.
Trudinger, R.M. (1943) 'Grammar of the Pitjantjatjara dialect, Central Australia', pp.205-223 in Oceania, Vol.13, no.3.
Trudinger, R.M. (n.d.) Pitjantjatjara grammar, ts, Ernabella Mission.
Wycliffe Bible Translators (1980-87) [Numerous readers and activity books from the Bible].

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