Language Contact in Warlpiri and Light Warlpiri

2020 ◽  
pp. 585-605
Author(s):  
Carmel O’Shannessy
Keyword(s):  
Language Contact ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Kinship System ◽  
Genetic Position ◽  
Mixed Language ◽  
Considerable Work ◽  
A Site ◽  
Australian Languages ◽  
Contact Effects

The Australian Pama-Nyungan language, Warlpiri, is spoken by about 4,000 people mostly in small remote communities in the Northern Territory, and also in a sizable diaspora. Australia has long been a site of extensive language contact, and there is considerable work on Warlpiri and its historical relationships to neighboring languages, including language contact effects. This chapter reviews work on language contact with regard to Warlpiri from historical and contemporary perspectives, situating the work within that about Australian languages more generally. There is clear evidence of the genetic position of Warlpiri, and also of transfer of lexical items between Warlpiri and neighboring languages, including diffusion of a subsection kinship system. More recently, dramatic contact effects have been seen in the emergence of a mixed language, Light Warlpiri.

Bilingualism and sound change: perception in the /ʎ/-/j/ merger process in Majorcan Spanish

2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-133
Author(s):  
Assumpció Rost Bagudanch
Keyword(s):  
Language Contact ◽  
Sound Change ◽  
Balearic Islands ◽  
Chance Level ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Inhibiting Effect ◽  
Change Perception ◽  
Merger Process ◽  
Linguistic Behaviour ◽  
Contact Effects

AbstractYeísmo has been accounted for as a merger process occurring in Spanish irrespective of language contact effects though some scholars have claimed that the interference between Spanish and the variety of Catalan spoken in Majorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) has an inhibiting effect on yeísmo. This paper focusses on whether this inhibiting effect can be demonstrated at the perception level and whether it has an effect in the linguistic behaviour of bilinguals. To examine these effects, we conducted an identification experiment with three groups of listeners (Majorcan Catalan-dominant bilinguals, Spanish-dominant bilinguals and a control group of Spanish monolinguals). Results show that Catalan dominants do recognise [ʎ] stimuli, but Spanish dominants only identify [ʎ] at chance level. Consequently, it would seem that bilingual subjects display a bimodal performance at the perception level.

scholarly journals Bidirectionality of language contact: Spanish and Catalan vowels

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 159
Author(s):  
Annie Helms
Keyword(s):  
Social Factors ◽  
Language Contact ◽  
Balearic Islands ◽  
Production Data ◽  
Front Vowel ◽  
Vowel Production ◽  
Public Spheres ◽  
Disproportionate Number ◽  
Probabilistic Nature ◽  
Contact Effects

The disproportionate number of studies in Barcelona and the Balearic Islands observing Spanish contact effects in Catalan production, rather than Catalan contact effects in Spanish production, is an oversight of bidirectionality and the probabilistic nature of social factors in situations of language contact. Accordingly, the present study analyzes both Catalan and Spanish mid front vowel production data from Barcelona to investigate whether Catalan contact effects occur in Spanish via a process of dissimilation, and whether such effects are strengthened in younger speakers due to the relatively recent implementation of Catalan linguistic policy in the educational and public spheres. The results are suggestive of dissimilation, where phonetic distinctions are maintained between Spanish /e/ and the two Catalan mid front vowels across both F1 and F2. Additionally, analyses of variance across F1 and F2 reveal that Spanish /e/ productions across F1 are more diffuse in younger speakers and Catalan mid front vowels across F2 are less diffuse, providing evidence of reciprocity in contact effects. These results underscore the bidirectional nature of language contact and advocate for the use of variance of F1 and F2 as a metric of phonological contact effects.

Sound Correspondence and the Comparative Study of Miao-Yao Languages (語音對應與苗瑤語比較研究)

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Wang (汪鋒) ◽  
Wen Liu (劉文)
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Relationship ◽  
Similar Pattern ◽  
Language Contact ◽  
Historical Linguistics ◽  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Language Family ◽  
Genetic Position ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Comparative Study

Rigorous sound correspondence is fundamental to historical linguistics. It serves as a solid start in studying genetic relationship. Regarding the genetic position of Miao-Yao languages, Li (1937) proposed a hypothesis that the Sino-Tibetan language family consists of Chinese, Tibeto-Burman, Kam-Tai, and Miao-Yao. Benedict (1942; 1975) excluded Miao-Yao from the Sino-Tibetan language family since sound correspondences between Miao-Yao and Chinese were considered to be caused by language contact. The key point in this debate has been ignored for a long time: are the related morphemes proposed in this debate supported by rigorous sound correspondence? In this paper, related morphemes across 11 Miao-Yao languages have been first identified under the requirement of complete sound correspondence, and then analyzed by the Rank Method. The result of the genetic relationship between the 11 Miao-Yao languages has been confirmed. The same procedure has been applied to Sino-Miao-Yao related morphemes, and similar pattern has been found. The Sino-Miao-Yao related morphemes were recognized to be inherited from the common ancestor of Chinese and Miao-Yao. Combined with the result from the perspective of pervasive sound correspondence (Wang 2015), the proposal of a genetic relationship between Chinese and Miao-Yao has been supported. The Inexplicability Principle has been used to weaken the possibility of Sino-Miao-Yao related morphemes being induced by borrowing from Chinese to Miao-Yao, since some sound correspondences are unlikely to be explained by natural phonetic mechanisms. Moreover, related morphemes in Chinese and Miao-Yao have been examined from the perspective of Old Chinese, and such an examination also supports the hypothesis of a genetic relationship between Chinese and Miao-Yao languages. 嚴格的語音對應是歷史比較的基礎，也是判定語源關係的必要條件。在苗瑤語的語源問題研究中，李方桂（1937）提出漢藏語系四語族學說，即漢語、藏緬語、侗台語和苗瑤語。Benedict（1942、1975）則將苗瑤語從漢藏語系中劃分出去，理由是苗瑤語和漢語有對應關係的語素是由接觸造成的。苗瑤語系屬問題的爭議焦點在於苗瑤語和漢語音近義同的一批關係語素是否有嚴格的語音對應支持，然而這一問題一直以來不被重視。本文基於完全對應得到苗瑤語族內部11個語言的關係語素，隨後應用詞階法分析，結果如願所示，這11個語言之間具有發生學關係。同樣的程序應用于漢-苗瑤語關係語素，結果與上述呈現的模式相同，即這些關係語素是來自漢語和苗瑤語共同的祖語，而非語言接觸的產物。結合普遍對應的研究（Wang 2015），漢語和苗瑤語的發生學關係可以得到支持。不可釋原則也顯示漢-苗瑤語關係語素是由苗瑤語從漢語借用的可能性較小，因為二者間的部分語音對應不可能通過自然音變來解釋。此外，從上古漢語的角度對漢-苗瑤語關係語素的校驗也支持二者的同源關係。

scholarly journals Prosodically Conditioned Consonant Duration in Djambarrpuyŋu

2019 ◽  
pp. 002383091982660
Author(s):  
Kathleen Jepson ◽  
Janet Fletcher ◽  
Hywel Stoakes
Keyword(s):  
Initial Position ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Indigenous Languages ◽  
Pitch Accent ◽  
Data Word ◽  
The World ◽  
Disyllabic Words ◽  
Phonological Phrase ◽  
Australian Languages ◽  
Segment Duration

Cross-linguistically, segments typically lengthen because of proximity to prosodic events such as intonational phrase or phonological phrase boundaries, a phrasal accent, or due to lexical stress. Australian Indigenous languages have been claimed to operate somewhat differently in terms of prosodically conditioned consonant lengthening and strengthening. Consonants have been found to lengthen after a vowel bearing a phrasal pitch accent. It is further claimed that this post-tonic position is a position of prosodic strength in Australian languages. In this study, we investigate the effects of proximity to a phrasal pitch accent and prosodic constituent boundaries on the duration of stop and nasal consonants in words of varying lengths in Djambarrpuyŋu, an Australian Indigenous language spoken in northeast Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Our results suggest that the post-tonic consonant position does not condition longer consonant duration compared with other word-medial consonants, with one exception: Intervocalic post-tonic consonants in disyllabic words are significantly longer than word-medial consonants elsewhere. Therefore, it appears that polysyllabic shortening has a strong effect on segment duration in these data. Word-initial position did not condition longer consonant duration than word-medial position. Further, initial consonants in higher-level prosodic domains had shorter consonant duration compared with domain-medial word-initial consonants. By contrast, domain-final lengthening was observed in our data, with word-final nasals preceding a pause found to be significantly longer than all other consonants. Taken together, these findings for Djambarrpuyŋu suggest that, unlike other Australian languages, post-tonic lengthening is not a cue to prosodic prominence, whereas prosodic domain-initial and -final duration patterns of consonants are like those that have been observed in other languages of the world.

Australian Football League clinics promoting health, hygiene and trachoma elimination: the Northern Territory experience

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josie R. Atkinson ◽  
Andrea I. Boudville ◽  
Emma E. Stanford ◽  
Fiona D. Lange ◽  
Mitchell D. Anjou
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
State Government ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Holistic Health ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Australian Football League ◽  
Australian Football

Australia is the only developed country to suffer trachoma and it is only found in remote Indigenous communities. In 2009, trachoma prevalence was 14%, but through screening, treatment and health promotion, rates had fallen to 4% in 2012. More work needs to be done to sustain these declining rates. In 2012, 25% of screened communities still had endemic trachoma and 8% had hyperendemic trachoma. In addition, only 58% of communities had reached clean face targets in children aged 5–9 years. Australian Football League (AFL) players are highly influential role models and the community love of football provides a platform to engage and strengthen community participation in health promotion. The University of Melbourne has partnered with Melbourne Football Club since 2010 to run trachoma football hygiene clinics in the Northern Territory (NT) to raise awareness of the importance of clean faces in order to reduce the spread of trachoma. This activity supports Federal and state government trachoma screening and treatment programs. Between 2010 and 2013, 12 football clinics were held in major towns and remote communities in the NT. Almost 2000 children and adults attended football clinics run by 16 partner organisations. Awareness of the football clinics has grown and has become a media feature in the NT trachoma elimination campaign. The hygiene station featured within the football clinic could be adapted for other events hosted in remote NT community events to add value to the experience and reinforce good holistic health and hygiene messages, as well as encourage interagency collaboration.

scholarly journals Critical Illness and its Impact on the Aboriginal People of the Top End of the Northern Territory, Australia

2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 294-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Critical Illness ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Severity Of Illness ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Hospital Environment ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Aboriginal Population ◽  
Aboriginal Patient ◽  
Chronic Health Problems

The Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) services a relatively large and geographically remote Aboriginal population who account for 45% of intensive care unit admissions. Critical illness in the Aboriginal population is different from the non-Aboriginal population of the “Top End” of the Northern Territory. The critically ill Aboriginal patient is younger, has more chronic health problems and a higher severity of illness at presentation. The city and the hospital environment are foreign to many Aboriginal patients retrieved from remote communities and this adds to the stress of the critical illness. English is a second, third or fourth language for many Aboriginal people from remote communities and strategies must be put in place to ensure informed consent and effective communication are achieved. Despite the increased severity of illness and complexity, the Royal Darwin Hospital ICU achieves the same survival rates for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal patients.

Uh, bueno, em … : Filled pauses as a site of contact-induced change in Boston Spanish

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Erker ◽  
Joanna Bruso
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Language Contact ◽  
Spontaneous Speech ◽  
The United States ◽  
Spanish Speaking ◽  
Filled Pauses ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Linguistic Inquiry ◽  
A Site ◽  
Do So

AbstractThere is mounting evidence that the filled pauses that pervade spontaneous speech constitute a rich site of linguistic inquiry. The present study uses a comparative variationist method to explore possible effects of language contact on pause behavior, examining 3810 filled pauses produced by 24 Spanish-speaking residents of Boston, Massachusetts. Interspeaker differences in pause behavior correlate with intensity of contact. Participants who have lived in the United States for a larger fraction of their lives, who use English more frequently, and who do so more proficiently fill pauses differently when speaking Spanish than do those who have spent less time in the contact setting and whose English skills and usage are more restricted. Results show that a greater degree of contact corresponds to increased use of centralized vowels in phonologically filled pauses (i.e., more frequent use of [a(m)] and [ə(m)] at the expense of [e(m)]). This pattern is interpreted as evidence of contact-induced change.

scholarly journals An Approach to Treating Depressive and Psychotic Illness in Indigenous Communities

2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tricia Nagel ◽  
Gary Robinson ◽  
Thomas Trauer ◽  
John Condon
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Problem Solving Therapy ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Indigenous Mental Health

This study is one of the activities of a multi-site research program, the Australian Mental Health Initiative (AIMhi), funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council. AIMhi in the Northern Territory collaborated with Aboriginal mental health workers and Northern Territory remote service providers in developing a range of resources and strategies to promote improved Indigenous mental health outcomes. A brief intervention that combines the principles of motivational interviewing, problem solving therapy and chronic disease self-management is described. The intervention has been integrated into a randomised controlled trial. Early findings suggest that the strategy and its components are well received by clients with chronic mental illness, and their carers, in remote communities.

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