Gooniyandi (Guniandi)

Gooniyandi is a member of the Bunuban language family, along with Bunuba, and is spoken by about 100 people in Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia, and in a number of outstation communities in the river areas between there and Halls Creek.

A system of spelling Gooniyandi in the Latin alphabet was adopted by the community in 1984, and subsequently revised in 1990 and again in 1999. It is not phonemic, as it omits some distinctions made in speech.

Gooniyandi is not being passed on to children, however since 1982 various programmes have been developed to teach it to Gooniyandi children in some schools, and increasing numbers of children are using the language on a daily basis.

Gooniyandi pronunciation

Gooniyandi pronunciation

Information compiled by Wolfram Siegel.

Links

Information about the Gooniyandi people, language and culture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gooniyandi_language
http://www.fatsil.org/LOTM/june00.htm
http://www.rosettaproject.org/archive/gni

Recordings of spoken Gooniyandi
http://globalrecordings.net/language/3698

Other Australian Aboriginal languages

Arrernte, Gooniyandi, Gugadja, Kala Lagaw Ya, Murrinh-Patha, Ngiyambaa, Noongar, Pitjantjatjara, Warlpiri, Wik-Mungkan, Wiradjuri, Yindjibarndi, Yolngu

Other languages written with the Latin alphabet

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