Pitjantjatjara Language Book

[Kimbery Challacombe]

Pitjantjatjarapɪtʃəntʃəˈtʃɑːrə/;[3] .mw-parser-output .IPA-label-smallfont-size:85%.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-smallfont-size:100%Pitjantjatjara: [ˈpɪɟanɟaɟaɾa] or [ˈpɪɟanɟaɾa])[4] is a dialect of the Western Desert language traditionally spoken by the Pitjantjatjara people of Central Australia. It is mutually intelligible with other varieties of the Western Desert language, and is particularly closely related to the Yankunytjatjara dialect. The names for the two groups are based on their respective words for 'come/go.'[5]

Some features distinctive to the Pitjantjatjara dialect, as opposed to other Western Desert Language dialects, include -pa endings to words that simply end in a consonant in other dialects (this is reflective of a general aversion in Pitjantjatjara to words ending with a consonant), and a reluctance to have y at the beginning of words.

Pitjantjatjara uses case marking to show the role of nouns within the clause as subject, object, location, etc. Pitjantjatjara is a language with split ergativity, since its nouns and pronouns show different case marking patterns.[10]

It also has systematic ways of changing words from one part of speech to another: making nouns from verbs, and vice versa. However, words formed may have slightly different meanings that cannot be guessed from the pattern alone.

The Ernabella Mission was established by Charles Duguid and the Presbyterian Church of Australia in 1937 at the location now known as Pukatja, supported by the South Australian government. The Mission aimed to keep the language and culture alive, with the missionaries learning the language themselves and teaching it in the school as well as delivering sermons in it. This meant that the language became a written language for the first time, and the people became literate in their own language before English.[14][15]

The first draft of the New Testament's Gospel of Mark, Tjukurpa Palja Markaku, was completed in 1945 by Reverend Bob Love and Ronald Trudinger at the Mission, and was published by the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1949.[16] Work continued over the next 20 years, with publication of a shorter New Testament in 1969 by the Bible Society Australia. Pitjantjatjara Bible Translation Project, incorporated in 1981, completed a new translation of the New Testament and about 15% of the Old Testament, first published in 2002. In 2011 a new project to translate the rest of the OT was initiated, as of 2019[update] working on various OT books.[17] 21st-century Bible Society missionary and local teacher since 1973, Paul Eckert, has worked with elders on the project for many years.[16] The Book of Daniel was published in 2015, and the Pitjantjatjara version of the New Testament is available online.[17]

APY lands schools taught a bilingual curriculum until the late 1980s, when the programs were defunded, and teaching reverted to English only. In December 2018 it was announced that the South Australian Government would commit to teaching in the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara languages, with English as an additional language, by 2029.[18]

Like other Indigenous languages, some older loan words that are still commonly used in Pitjantjatjara derive from English terms that are now uncommon or obsolete. For example, while the English word motorcar has now almost entirely been replaced by the shortened form of the word, car, the Pitjantjatjara word mutuka (derived from "motorcar") is still used as the Pitjantjatjara word for "car".[20] Similarly, the words for "car" in most other Aboriginal languages (as well as in some other languages, such as Fijian and Māori) are borrowed from "motorcar".

Like in many Indigenous languages, code-switching is common in Pitjantjatjara, especially among younger people. For example, among schoolchildren, the predominant language used in the classroom and on the playground is English, though Pitjantjatjara is occasionally used in both settings (more so the latter than the former). Furthermore, swearing and abuse is almost entirely done in English, while storytelling is virtually always in Pitjantjatjara.[20]

Outside school and business, Pitjantjatjara speakers use both Pitjantjatjara and English interchangeably, and the two languages are sometimes mixed together. This includes both in their local communities and whilst they are on holidays.[20]

The main differences between Standard Pitjantjatjara and Teenage Pitjantjatjara are in vocabulary and pronunciation. A much greater proportion of Teenage Pitjantjatjara vocabulary is derived from English, with some English loan words being used instead of some traditional terms. A common example of this is the usage of "and" in Teenage Pitjantjatjara.[20]

Furthermore, Teenage Pitjantjatjara loan words are often pronounced more like the original English word, even if this involves using the sound from a letter that does not traditionally exist in Pitjantjatjara, such as B, D, O, S and V. However, the letter C is never used.[20]

Very few Anangu speak English as a first language. We mostly speak Pitjantjatjara (pronounced pigeon-jarrah) and Yankunytjatjara (pronounced young-kun-jarrah), which are dialects of the Western Desert language.

Before Europeans arrived in Australia, there were up to 300 different Aboriginal languages and around 700 different dialects. Many of these languages are no longer used or are under threat of disappearing.

Before the arrival of Europeans, Aboriginal languages were not written down. Our dialects were first put into writing in the late 1930s, when the bible was translated into Pitjantjatjara at Ernabella in South Australia.

There are several different ways of representing the sounds of Pitjantjatjara on paper. In the park, we use a writing system developed in the 1970s and 1980s by linguists at the Institute for Aboriginal Development (IAD) in Alice Springs.

The teaching approach includes Anangu tutors working intensively with small groups throughout the course, providing first-hand knowledge of the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara language and culture from Anangu perspectives.

The Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara Language and Culture Program will benefit those who work or live with Anangu (Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara people) or are interested in learning more about Aboriginal languages and cultures.

The program will familiarise participants with some context-specific vocabulary and a basic overview of grammatical structures. There will also be historical and cross-cultural learning within the program. This will allow students to progress their language skills and build relationships with Anangu.

This class is designed for students who have a (minimum) basic vocabulary and grammatical understanding of Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara language and wish to deepen their engagement with more complex language experiences.

The class will involve conversational language activities, vocabulary and grammar revision and development, and will apply these understanding to constructing and working with texts. The class will include a focus on written translation including cultural and ethical issues relevant to this work.

The Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Language Winter School will benefit those who have contact with Pitjantjatjara people in the course of their work. People completing the Winter School should be able to enter into elementary conversations with Pitjantjatjara people. There will also be historical and cross-cultural information within the curriculum.

Consisting of oral practice, elementary vocabulary basic grammar and written exercises, the School will be conducted with sessions of role play with an emphasis on oral fluency, small group sessions for revision and practice or oral language and grammar sessions. It will provide structures on which students can build to enable further progress in the language.

This intensive program will be delivered with the assistance of traditional tutors from the APY Lands and northern parts of South Australia. The tutors, who come from communities such as Umuwa, Ernabella and Amata will work with small groups of participants throughout the course and will provide first-hand knowledge of the Pitjantjatjara language and culture from a traditional Aboriginal perspective.

This two-week program will be delivered in collaboration with Anangu tutors from the APY Lands in South Australia. The tutors will work with small groups throughout the course and will provide first-hand knowledge of the Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara language and culture from an Anangu perspective.

Note to University students (students from both UniSA and other universities)

A limited number of places are held for UniSA students to study this course as part of their undergraduate or postgraduate degree.

UniSA applicants should enrol into LANG 2031 or LANG 5029 through the usual enrolment process.

Cross institutional student from other Universities can enrol here: -course-admission

UniSA and Cross institutional student are required to purchase the course materials for $275.

A 10% administration fee will be charged to participants who withdraw from the course after registration. This fee will be charged on registration costs only (not materials).

Participants who withdraw from the course 10 days prior to the course commencement will be charged a 25% cancellation fee.

Pitjantjatjara (Aboriginal pronunciation: [ˈb̥ɪɟanɟaɟaɾa] or [ˈb̥ɪɟanɟaɾa]) is one of the Western Desert languages of Australia. It is often considered a dialect. It is spoken by the Pitjantjatjara people of central Australia. It is mutually intelligible with other languages of the Western Desert and is very closely related to the Yankunytjatjara language.

On a picnic in the West Macdonnells these tjitji mankurpa (three kids) were showing how clever they were with the 'head, shoulders knees and toes' song in Pitjantjatjara. We thought we'd make it into a little movie to help you learn the song as well

3a8082e126