Yolngu languages
| Yolŋu Matha | |
|---|---|
| Yuulngu | |
| Geographic distribution |
Northern Territory, Australia |
| Linguistic classification |
Pama–Nyungan
|
| Subdivisions | Signed form: Yolŋu Sign Language |
| Glottolog | yuul1239 |
Yolŋu languages (green) among other Pama–Nyungan (tan)
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Yolŋu Matha is a cover term for the languages of the Yolngu (Yolŋu, Yuulngu), the indigenous people of northeast Arnhem Land in northern Australia. (Yolŋu = people, Matha = tongue, language).
Yolngu languages have a fortis–lenis contrast in plosive consonants. Lenis/short plosives have weak contact and intermittent voicing, while fortis/long plosives have full closure, a more powerful release burst, and no voicing.
Yolŋu Matha consists of about six languages, some mutually intelligible, divided into about thirty clan varieties and perhaps twelve different dialects, each with its own Yolŋu name. Put together, there are about 4600 speakers of Yolŋu Matha languages. Exogamy has often meant mothers and fathers speak different languages, so that children traditionally grew up at least bilingual, and in many cases polylingual, so that communication wss facilitated by mastery of several languages and dialects of Yolngu Matha. The linguistic situation is very complicated, since each of the 30 or so clans also has a named language variety. Dixon (2002) distinguishes the following:
Bowern (2011) adds the varieties in parentheses as distinct languages.
The basic consonant inventory is common across Yolŋu varieties. However, some varieties do differ.
A three-way vowel distinction is shared between Yolŋu varieties, though not all Yolŋu varieties have a contrast in length. In the varieties that do have a length contrast, long vowels occur only in the initial syllable of words.
The films Ten Canoes (2006) and Charlie's Country (2013), both directed by Rolf de Heer and featuring actor David Gulpilil, feature dialogue in Yolŋu Matha. Ten Canoes was the first feature film to be shot entirely in Australian indigenous languages, with the dialogue largely in the Ganalbiŋu variety of Yolŋu Matha.
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was a popular Australian singer who sang in the Gumatj dialect of Yolŋu Matha, as did the Aboriginal rock group Yothu Yindi.
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