Martu Wangka | |
---|---|
Region | Northwest Western Australia |
Ethnicity | Kartudjara, Manjiljarra, Yulparija, Maduwongga |
Native speakers | 814 (2021 census)[1] |
Pama–Nyungan
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | mpj |
Glottolog | mart1256 |
AIATSIS[2] | A86 |
ELP |
Martu Wangka is a variety of the Western Desert language that emerged during the 20th century in Western Australia as several Indigenous communities shifted from their respective territories to form a single community.
It refers to both a dialect found at and around Jigalong, Western Australia[3]: iii [4] and many different dialect groups in the Gibson, Little Sandy and Great Sandy deserts.[4]
A dictionary of over 400 pages was published in 1992.[5] This dictionary has been described as "a volume of interim work-sheets" that was published to encourage the conservation of the language. An edited version was published in 2005.[3]: ii An introduction to the structure and use of Martu Wangka was published in 2017.[6]