Paakantyi language
Aboriginal language in New South Wales, Australia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Paakantyi language, also spelt Paakantji, Barkindji, Barkandji, and Baagandji, and is also known as the Darling language, is a nearly extinct Australian Aboriginal language spoken along the Darling River in New South Wales from the present-day Queensland Border to Bourke, then all along the river down to Wentworth. It includes much of the back country around the Paroo River, plus an area along the Coopers Creek into Queensland and also through the Broken Hill district. Check the map of Australia to the right below, which indicates out territory. The people's, and language name, refers to the Paaka (Darling River or the modern name Darling-Barka) with the suffix -ntyi meaning "belonging to". See below.[4] The speakers of the language are known as the Paakantyi (or variant spelling). The variant is slightly different along the river proper and ceases at the confluence of the Darling-Barka and the Murray rivers. We did cross the Murray by bark canoes to meet the river people back early last century.
Darling | |
---|---|
Paakantyi | |
Native to | Australia |
Ethnicity | Paakantyi, Kula (Kurnu), Naualko, Paaruntyi, Parrintyi, Wilyakali (Wiljali), Danggali, Maraura, Wanjiwalku |
Native speakers | 110 (2021 census)[1] |
Pama–Nyungan
| |
Dialects |
|
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | drl |
Glottolog | darl1243 |
AIATSIS[3] | D12 |
ELP | Paakantyi |
The Darling language (green) among other Pama–Nyungan (tan) | |
Paakantyi is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger |
My learnings began when the Elder's Gumarah (Head Elder of the River People (at Mildura), and also Bandicoot (Head Elder from Bourke) began my teachings from the age of six, some sixty six years ago.. Both have gone to the Dreamtime so we never say their first names now. For it is the Clan law. I am a fifth generation nominated Elder of the Barkintji and am reasonably fluent in the language for whence I began the learnings in Broken Hill and also at Myall Station. Barkintji broken down means - Bark - the river red gums bark, - Int - the inside of the gums, and dtji - the water that flows through the roots from the river into the trees for their life. My name. "Mewe" is the cry of the silver gull in the inland fresh waters and it also refers to the sea gull in the salt waters. Some of our clan met and had relations with the clan at Mount Gambier and also Goolwa at the Turwitcherie Barrages, when applying stones on the river and sea bed when fishing for callop, cod, shark and the giant mulloway at the barrage entrance. The map to the right does show the extent of our clan territories but does not show right down to the Turwitcherie, nor into Victoria around Mildura..
I am one of the 111 people of the 2021 census that speak Paakantyl at home.
The major work on the Paakantyi language has been that of linguist Luise Hercus.[4]