Cirrus@Austlit

'Warlpiri is a language of the Tanami Desert area of the Northern Territory of Australia. Hundreds of Warlpiri speakers from the main Warlpiri communities of Yuendumu, Willowra, Lajamanu, Nyirrpi and Alekarenge have contributed to the Warlpiri Dictionary, which has been more than 50 years in the making.

'It contains Warlpiri words with English translations; instructive example sentences rich with Warlpiri history and cultural practices; detailed flora and fauna information; more than 500 illustrations, plus colour photographs; and maps of Warlpiri country. With an English word finder, and a guide to Warlpiri grammar and to the complex vocabulary for family relations this dictionary is essential for both beginner and advanced speakers of Warlpiri, translators and interpreters, and for anyone interested in learning more about Warlpiri language and culture.' (Publication summary)

'Luise Hercus has always had a keen interest in Australian Aboriginal songs and collaborated with musicologists both in the field and in her analysis. Her examination of lyrics and the relationship between songs and the people who sing them encompasses a vast area of Australia. Her work on songs from the ‘Corner Country’ reveal performance as a culmination of social exchange, and her examination of the lyrics reveal Aboriginal people’s detailed knowledge of country (Beckett & Hercus 2009). Her work in the Simpson Desert region documents songs with ancestral themes as well as contemporary events (Hercus & Koch 1996, 1999; Hercus 1994: 91–101; 1995). In many parts of Australia where knowledge of Aboriginal languages is scarce, Hercus’s work on songs provides vital clues to the history, language and culture of such regions (Hercus 1992, 1997). Her linguistic documentation of Wemba Wemba in Victoria (Hercus 1969) finds songs that relate to the gender based totems of this area. How songs reflect and reproduce the beliefs, cultural practices and experiences of the people who sing them is a theme of Luise Hercus’ work that is explored in this paper.' (Introduction)

'This study describes combinations of lexical verbs found within a single clause in the Waanyi language, traditionally spoken on country watered by the upper Nicholson River stretching from the Northern Territory into Queensland.' (Introduction)

'Angenty is a sacred waterhole in Anmatyerr and Warlpiri country, to the north of Alice Springs in Central Australia. This book is about a family visit to this place. Men, women and children camped in the riverbed and the elders told stories about the ancestral spirits of this country. ' (Source: Publishers website)

'As a linguist investigating the Warlpiri language of central Australia since 1975 and the Waanyi language of the Gulf of Carpentaria region since 2000, my research has always had dual goals. One is to gain a better understanding of the nature of human language generally through detailed documentation and deep analysis of particular human languages, such as Warlpiri and Waanyi, and comparison with other languages; the other goal has been to produce materials of direct relevance and utility to the communities of these language speakers.

'This paper addresses the second goal. Firstly I briefly describe ways in which linguistic research findings have been "converted" into pedagogic materials to support the bilingual education programs in the Warlpiri community schools (Lajamanu, Nyirrpi, Willowra and Yuendumu) from the mid 1970s to the present, a period which has seen dramatic technical innovations that we have been able to exploit to create a wide range of products accessible to the public which have their genesis in serious linguistic research.

'Secondly I discuss some aspects of the interdisciplinary (linguistics and anthropology) “Warlpiri Songlines” project (2005-9) for which over 100 hours of traditional Warlpiri songs were recorded and documented; older analogue recordings were digitised and ceremonial performances were video recorded.

'Thirdly, I touch upon the ongoing development of a Waanyi dictionary and language learning materials in collaboration with Waanyi people living at Doomadgee in north west Queensland who want to extend knowledge of their ancestral language within their community, since this language is no longer used as a primary language of communication.

'Finally, I cite some of the many recent innovative examples of ways in which linguists and anthropologists are drawing on contemporary technology to transmit their research findings to both the general public and to the communities in which their research is carried out.' (Author's abstract)

'Book about the medicinal plant yayirri-yayirri and how to use it to cure colds.' (Source: LAAL website)

A story about an abandoned baby.