Vocabulary Gurindji

by Patrick McConvell  

The vocabulary contains 1028 meaning-word pairs ("entries") corresponding to core LWT meanings from the recipient language Gurindji. The corresponding text chapter was published in the book Loanwords in the World's Languages. The language page Gurindji contains a list of all loanwords arranged by donor languoid.

Word form LWT code Meaning Core list Borrowed status Source words

Field descriptions

Age

The dates given here are only very rough guesses.

1. PNy Proto-Pama-Nyungan: 4000 BCE +/- 1000y

Stages of higher level sub-groups of PNy follow but ate not used in this database.

2. PNGY Proto-Ngumpin-Yapa: 1000 BCE -/- 500y
Sound change: lateralisation r>rl (McConvell & Laughren 2004; McConvell & Smith 2005)

3. E. Ngumpin pre-Lenition and Lenition 1000BCE-1000CE +/-500y

(a)Pre-lenition: 1000 BCE-500CE +/-500y

(a) Eastern Ngumpin Lenition p,k>w;j>y; rt>r 500CE-1000CE +/- 500y
(individual changes may have had different periods)

4. Post-lenition 1000 – 1880 CE

(a) Loanwords from northern Non-Pama-Nyungan languages (unlenited)
(b) Loanwords from western NGY languages (unlenited)
(c) Loanwords from Mudburra/Karranga (with –a augmentation)

These may have had different periods but overlapping. They also continued into the following period 5.

5. Post-contact 1880-2000 CE
Includes Pidgin and English loans.