A Grammar of Wardaman: A Language of the Northern Territory of Australia (Mouton Grammar Library)

AcknowledgementsMy thorough-going obligation to Wardaman people of Katherine, Northern Territory, aswell as my debt to some researchers who studied languages of this area before me, isdescribed in 1.5 of the following grammar. Here I would like to acknowledge supportfor the funding of my research, and my gratitude to fellow researchers.My first period of research in Katherine, from 1976 to 1979, during which I didconsiderable work with Wardaman people, was funded by the Australian Institute ofAboriginal Studies, now the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderStudies, Canberra. I am particularly grateful to Warwick Dix for having overseen manyaspects of field support.In 1988 and 1989,1 was invited by Josephine Flood, then at the Australian HeritageCommission, to take part in interdisciplinary research on Aboriginal sites of Willeroo,Delamere and Innesvale Stations. Permission to visit those properties became easier toobtain in the late 1980s than it had been before.As a result, I was able to expand myfamiliarity with Wardaman country considerably.I was able to visit not only rock artsites (the focus of research by archaeologists) but also many other Wardaman sites ofsignificance which I had been learning about for some years from Wardaman people.For discussion of Australian languages and many other matters over the years, I wouldlike to especially acknowledge Paul Black, Jeffrey Heath, Pat McConvell, David Nash,and Alan Rumsey. I am indebted to Georg Bossong for his useful editorial suggestionson an earlier draft of this manuscript, especially for his comments on analysis of thepronominal categories (Chaptero), and his encouragement to expand the analysis of wordorder (Chapter 10).Lorraine Garland, Mark Harvey, Stephen Roberts, and KarenWestmacott were invaluable assistants in the preparation of this manuscript. My thanksalso to the Cartography section of the Department of Geography at the University ofSydney for preparation of maps. The series builds an extensive collection of high quality descriptions of languages around the world. Each volume offers a comprehensive grammatical description of a single language together with fully analyzed sample texts and, if appropriate, a word list and other relevant information which is available on the language in question. There are no restrictions as to language family or area, and although special attention is paid to hitherto undescribed languages, new and valuable treatments of better known languages are also included. No theoretical model is imposed on the authors; the only criterion is a high standard of scientific quality. To discuss your book idea or submit a proposal, please contact Birgit Sievert.

The series builds an extensive collection of high quality descriptions of languages around the world. Each volume offers a comprehensive grammatical description of a single language together with fully analyzed sample texts and, if appropriate, a word list and other relevant information which is available on the language in question. There are no restrictions as to language family or area, and although special attention is paid to hitherto undescribed languages, new and valuable treatments of better known languages are also included. No theoretical model is imposed on the authors; the only criterion is a high standard of scientific quality.

Acknowledgements 5 Wardaman grammar chapter outline 9 Wardaman text contents 15 List of tables 17 Abbreviations 18 Maps 19 1. Approximate Wardaman area in relation to the “Top End” of the Northern Territory 19 2. Tribal or language group territories 20 3. Katherine town camps 21 Wardaman grammar 25 Wardaman texts 357 Vocabulary in semantic fields 601 Wardaman word list 606 References 637 Index 640 One of the most widely spoken languages at Katherine; extensive analysis of phonology, grammar, morphology and syntax of Wardaman; thirty texts with interlinear gloss , vocabulary in semantic domains and wordlist Francesca C. Merlan. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.