Panyjima language

Panyjima is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken in the Hamersley Range, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is the traditional language of the Panyjima people. The name has also been spelled Bandjima, Banjima, Banyjima, Paanjima, Pandjima, Panjima, Panjtjima, and Panytyima.

Like most indigenous Australian languages, Panyjima is endangered. Younger generations have English as a first language and make little distinction between Panyjima and its closely related neighbouring languages. There is a formal language register known as .

Classification

Panyjima is classified as a member of the Ngayarta branch of the Pama–Nyungan languages. Under Carl Georg von Brandenstein's 1967 classification, Martuthunira was classed as an Inland Ngayarda language, but the separation of the Ngayarda languages into Coastal and Inland groups is no longer considered valid.

Phonology

Orthography in brackets when it differs from IPA.

Consonants

	Peripheral		Laminal		Apical
	Bilabial	Velar	Palatal	Dental	Alveolar	Retroflex
Stop	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link Template:Angbr	Template:IPA link Template:Angbr	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link Template:Angbr
Nasal	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link Template:Angbr	Template:IPA link Template:Angbr	Template:IPA link Template:Angbr	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link Template:Angbr
Lateral			Template:IPA link Template:Angbr	Template:IPA link Template:Angbr	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link Template:Angbr
Rhotic					Template:IPA link Template:Angbr	Template:IPA link Template:Angbr
Semivowel	Template:IPA link		Template:IPA link

Vowels

	Front	Back
High	Template:IPA link Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link Template:IPA link
Low	Template:IPA link Template:IPA link

The long vowels are rare.

Grammar

Accusative alignment

File:Accusative alignment.svg

Accusative alignment. A = subject of a transitive verb; S = subject of an intransitive verb; O = object of a transitive verb.

Unlike most Australian languages, which exhibit ergativity, Panyjima and the other Ngayarta languages have an accusative alignment. That is, the subjects of transitive verbs are treated the same as the subjects of intransitive verbs, while the objects are treated differently.

External links

• Handbook of Western Australian Languages South of the Kimberley Region — Banyjima