Nyiyaparli language
| Nyiyaparli | |
|---|---|
| "Nijadali" | |
| Native to | Western Australia |
| Ethnicity | Bailgu, Niabali |
Native speakers | 8 (2025)[1] (census data seem to be repeated for Jauna & Palyku)[2] |
| Dialects |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | xny |
| Glottolog | nija1241 |
| AIATSIS[2] | A50 |
| ELP | |
Nyiyaparli (Nyiyabali, Njijabali, or misspelled Nijadali) is a nearly extinct Pama–Nyungan language spoken by the Palyku (Bailko) and Niabali (Jana) people of Western Australia. There is also a formal language register known as padupadu.
Phonology
Consonants
| Labial | Alveolar | Retroflex | (Alveolo-) palatal |
Velar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plosive | p | t | ʈ ⟨rt⟩ | c ⟨j⟩ | k |
| Nasal | m | n | ɳ ⟨rn⟩ | ɲ ⟨ny⟩ | ŋ ⟨ng⟩ |
| Rhotic | ɾ ⟨rr⟩ | ||||
| Approximant | ɹ ⟨r⟩ | j ⟨y⟩ | w | ||
| Lateral | l | ɭ ⟨rl⟩ | lʲ ⟨ly⟩ |
- /ɲ, c, l̠ʲ/ can also be heard as dental [n̪, t̪, l̪] in free variation among speakers, with a possible phonemic distinction.
- Rhotics /ɾ, ɹ/ can be heard in free variation as [r, ɻ] among speakers.
Vowels
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | i | u | |
| Low | ɐ ⟨a⟩ |
- /i, u// can be heard as [ɪ, ʊ] within diphthongs.[4]
References
- ^ "Game designed to save dying Aboriginal language wins global awards". ABC News. 18 November 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ a b A50 Nyiyaparli language at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Cite error: The named reference "AIATSIS" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Bowern & Koch (2004) Australian Languages: Classification and the Comparative Method
- ^ Battin, Jacqueline (2019). Topics in Nyiyaparli morphosyntax. Australian National University.