Yaluu: A recovery 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 and adjacent Queensland which had dramatically declined in use and are now being reused by many Yuwaalaraay Gamilaraay (YG) people in a variety of ways. This book 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 knowledge 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 3–6), verbal morphology (Chapters 8–10) and syntax (Chapters 11–12). Chapter 2 is a relatively brief examinantion of phonology, Chapter 7 covers interrogatives, negatives, indefinites and ignoratives, Chapter 13 looks at particles and Chapter 14 at reduplication. Chapter 15 summarises the findings and looks at possibilities for further research in YG, and at approaches to keep developing the language. 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. This work has 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. Some of the material is currently unanalysable, and this is often included to provide a starting point for further work on the languages. Appendix B contains background YG material and material from other languages. It also has details of online access to transcriptions of many of the source documents and tapes.