A grammar of Yuwaalaraay and Gamilaraay: a description of two New South Wales languages based on 160 years of records

Abstract

Yuwaalaraay and Gamilaraay are closely related languages from the North of New South Wales which had dramatically declined in use and are now being reused by many Yuwaalaraay Gamilaraay people in a variety of ways. This thesis expands the grammatical description of the languages, building in particular on Williams (1980). A wide range of sources from the mid-19th century to the tapes made in the 1970s are examined. Light is shed on them by the growing body of typology of Pama-Nyungan languages and in particular by Donaldson’s (1980) Grammar of Wangaaybuwan, which along with Gamilaraay, Yuwaalaraay, Wayilwan and Wiradjuri form the Central New South Wales language sub-group. The main topics covered are nominal morphology (Chapters 2-6), verbal morphology (Chapters 7-9) and syntax (Chapters 10-11). Chapter 8 covers interrogatives, negatives, indefinites and ignoratives. Notable features of nominals include the complex, and not yet fully described, set of demonstratives. YG verbs have a wide range of stem forming suffixes, including distinctive Time of Day suffixes (morning, afternoon and night), and Distance in Time suffixes which subdivide the past and future. Included is the first description of the middle verb forms, which have a range of case frames. Where possible the grammar of the languages is described, with extensive evidence from the sources. Often there is currently unanalysable material, and this is often included, providing a starting point for further work on the languages. The thesis has an appendix, which contains background YG material and material from other languages. There is also a resource disc which has transcriptions of many of the source documents and tapes. Show more