Arabana
Autonym candidate: ARABANA unverified — from alt-names· 31 name candidates recorded
Classification
Glottolog family treeCountry & location
Glottolog point-28.7050, 135.4490
Provenance: glottolog
A point locates a language for reference; it never represents the full extent of a people’s Country.
Grammar profile
122 coded · 14 unknown62 Grambank + 36 WALS — 136 coded features in total across 76 Grambank, 36 WALS, 24 AUS extension.
Grambank’s 195 variables are a cross-linguistic baseline— a fixed questionnaire asked of every language — not “the grammar” of Arabana. Read each cell as an answer to a standard typological question. Compare languages in the grammar lens →
Showing 136 of 136 coded features.
Grambank
76 featuresClause and Syntax10
- Num-N
Order of numeral and noun in the noun phrase: 1=Numeral-Noun, 2=Noun-Numeral, 3=both orders occur.
Grambank GB024
- SV
Unmarked order of S and V in intransitive clauses: 1=SV, 2=VS, 3=both.
Grambank GB130
- present
Whether the language has clause chaining (long strings of dependent clauses + one final finite verb).
Grambank GB150
- present
Whether there is a morphological simultaneous-vs-sequential clause distinction.
Grambank GB152
- unknown
Whether yes/no questions can be marked by intonation alone.
Grambank GB257
- unknown
Whether yes/no questions can be marked by a special word order.
Grambank GB260
- absent
Whether content interrogatives normally stay in situ (not fronted).
Grambank GB326
- unknown
Whether a relative clause can follow its head noun.
Grambank GB327
- absent
Whether a relative clause can precede its head noun.
Grambank GB328
- absent
Whether there are internally-headed relative clauses.
Grambank GB329
Demonstrative1
- absent
Whether demonstratives make three or more distance contrasts (e.g. near/mid/far).
Grambank GB035
Nominal26
- absent
Whether indefinite nominals commonly take an indefinite article (like English 'a/an').
Grambank GB021
- both.
Order of an adnominal demonstrative ('this/that') and noun: 1=Dem-Noun, 2=Noun-Dem, 3=both.
Grambank GB025
- absent
Whether independent 3rd-person pronouns mark a gender distinction (he vs she).
Grambank GB030
- unknown
Whether an action/state noun can be productively derived from a verb (e.g. 'run' -> 'running').
Grambank GB047
- unknown
Whether an agent noun can be productively derived from a verb (e.g. 'teach' -> 'teacher').
Grambank GB048
- unknown
Whether an object/result noun can be productively derived from a verb.
Grambank GB049
- absent
Whether the gender/noun-class system uses shape as a class-assignment factor.
Grambank GB052
- absent
Whether the gender/noun-class system uses plant status as a class-assignment factor.
Grambank GB054
- absent
Whether the language has numeral classifiers (a sortal element required when counting).
Grambank GB057
- absent
Whether the language has possessive classifiers.
Grambank GB058
- Possessor-Possessed
Unmarked order of possessor noun and possessed noun: 1=Possessor-Possessed, 2=Possessed-Possessor, 3=both.
Grambank GB065
- absent
Whether an adjective-like property word can agree with its noun in gender/noun class.
Grambank GB170
- absent
Whether an adnominal demonstrative can agree with its noun in gender/noun class.
Grambank GB171
- absent
Whether an article can agree with its noun in gender/noun class.
Grambank GB172
- absent
Whether a noun's phonological shape is a factor in gender/class assignment.
Grambank GB192
- N - ANM
Order of adjective-like property word and noun: 0=not used attributively, 1=Adj-N, 2=N-Adj, 3=both.
Grambank GB193
- unknown
Whether there is a clause-initial yes/no question particle.
Grambank GB262
- unknown
Whether there is a clause-final yes/no question particle.
Grambank GB263
- unknown
Whether there is a yes/no question particle sitting neither clause-initially nor clause-finally.
Grambank GB264
- unknown
Whether yes/no questions can be marked by a question particle plus verbal morphology.
Grambank GB285
- present
Whether standard negation can be marked by a non-inflecting negative particle.
Grambank GB299
- absent
Whether plural number is marked in the NP by a dedicated free (unbound) element.
Grambank GB318
- absent
Whether adnominal possession can be marked by a prefix on the possessor.
Grambank GB430
- absent
Whether adnominal possession can be marked by a prefix on the possessed noun.
Grambank GB431
- absent
Whether adnominal possession can be marked by a suffix on the possessor.
Grambank GB432
- absent
Whether adnominal possession can be marked by a suffix on the possessed noun.
Grambank GB433
Numerals2
- absent
Whether the numeral system is decimal (base 10).
Grambank GB333
- absent
Whether there is any synchronic evidence of a quinary (base 5) element.
Grambank GB334
Other8
- present
Whether noun-conjoining ('X and Y') and comitative ('X with Y') use different markers.
Grambank GB027
- absent
Whether there is productive overt singular marking on nouns.
Grambank GB042
- absent
Whether the language has prepositions.
Grambank GB074
- unknown
Whether the recipient of a ditransitive ('give') can be marked like a monotransitive object.
Grambank GB105
- absent
Whether there is grammatical marking of direct (sensory) evidence.
Grambank GB322
- present
Whether there is grammatical marking of indirect evidence (hearsay, inference).
Grambank GB323
- present
Whether any part of the case/adposition (flagging) system shows ergative alignment.
Grambank GB409
- absent
Whether there is a politeness (T/V) distinction in 2nd-person forms.
Grambank GB415
Pronoun2
- present
Whether the pronoun system distinguishes inclusive ('we incl. you') from exclusive ('we excl. you').
Grambank GB028
- absent
Whether there is a phonologically independent reflexive pronoun.
Grambank GB305
Verb and Valency27
- absent
Whether core adjectives behave like verbs when used as a predicate ('the dog is big' patterns like 'the dog runs').
Grambank GB068
- absent
Whether the A (transitive subject) can be indexed by a suffix/enclitic on the verb.
Grambank GB091
- absent
Whether the A (transitive subject) can be indexed by a prefix/proclitic on the verb.
Grambank GB092
- absent
Whether the P (transitive object) can be indexed by a suffix/enclitic on the verb.
Grambank GB093
- absent
Whether the P (transitive object) can be indexed by a prefix/proclitic on the verb.
Grambank GB094
- absent
Whether there is an instrumental applicative marker on the verb ('do X with an instrument').
Grambank GB104
- present
Whether standard negation can be marked by an affix, clitic, or verb modification.
Grambank GB107
- present
Whether verbs carry directional or locative morphology (associated-motion-type marking).
Grambank GB108
- absent
Whether verbs are suppletive for participant number (different root for singular vs plural participant).
Grambank GB109
- absent
Whether verbs are suppletive for tense or aspect.
Grambank GB110
- present
Whether there is a bound (affixal) reflexive marker on the verb.
Grambank GB114
- present
Whether there is a bound (affixal) reciprocal marker on the verb.
Grambank GB115
- absent
Whether there are serial verb constructions (two+ verbs in one clause without a linker).
Grambank GB118
- present
Whether verb compounding is a regular process.
Grambank GB122
- unknown
Whether there are verb-adjunct (light-verb / coverb) constructions.
Grambank GB123
- unknown
Whether noun incorporation into the verb is a productive intransitivizing process.
Grambank GB124
- absent
Whether the unmarked transitive constituent order is verb-initial.
Grambank GB131
- absent
Whether the unmarked transitive constituent order is verb-final.
Grambank GB133
- absent
Whether the order of core (S/A/P) constituents is fixed.
Grambank GB136
- present
Whether prohibitive (negative imperative) negation differs from declarative negation.
Grambank GB139
- absent
Whether there is a morphological passive marked on the lexical verb.
Grambank GB147
- absent
Whether there is a morphological antipassive marked on the lexical verb.
Grambank GB148
- present
Whether there is a switch-reference marker (signals same/different subject across clauses).
Grambank GB151
- present
Whether causatives are formed by affixes/clitics on the verb.
Grambank GB155
- unknown
Whether yes/no questions can be marked by verbal morphology alone.
Grambank GB286
- absent
Whether standard negation can be marked by an inflecting negative auxiliary verb.
Grambank GB298
- present
Whether there are multiple past or future tenses distinguishing distance in time (e.g. recent vs remote past).
Grambank GB309
WALS
36 featuresMorphology1
- Strongly suffixing
Prefixing vs. Suffixing in Inflectional Morphology
WALS 26A
Nominal Categories12
- None
Number of Genders
WALS 30A
- No gender
Sex-based and Non-sex-based Gender Systems
WALS 31A
- No gender
Systems of Gender Assignment
WALS 32A
- Plural suffix
Coding of Nominal Plurality
WALS 33A
- Person-number stem
Plurality in Independent Personal Pronouns
WALS 35A
- Inclusive and exclusive differentiated
Inclusive/Exclusive Forms in Pama-Nyungan
WALS 39B
- Three-way contrast
Distance Contrasts in Demonstratives
WALS 41A
- Identical
Pronominal and Adnominal Demonstratives
WALS 42A
- No gender distinctions
Gender Distinctions in Independent Personal Pronouns
WALS 44A
- No adpositions
Person Marking on Adpositions
WALS 48A
- Case suffixes
Position of Case Affixes
WALS 51A
- None
Ordinal Numerals
WALS 53A
Simple Clauses6
- Neutral
Alignment of Verbal Person Marking
WALS 100A
- No person marking
Verbal Person Marking
WALS 102A
- No person marking
Third Person Zero of Verbal Person Marking
WALS 103A
- A and P do not or do not both occur on the verb
Order of Person Markers on the Verb
WALS 104A
- Absent
Passive Constructions
WALS 107A
- Negative particle
Negative Morphemes
WALS 112A
Verbal Categories4
- Tense-aspect suffixes
Position of Tense-Aspect Affixes
WALS 69A
- None
Suppletion According to Tense and Aspect
WALS 79A
- None (= no suppletive imperatives reported in the reference material)
Suppletion in Imperatives and Hortatives
WALS 79B
- None
Verbal Number and Suppletion
WALS 80A
Word order13
- NegV
Order of Negative Morpheme and Verb
WALS 143A
- NegV
Preverbal Negative Morphemes
WALS 143E
- None
Postverbal Negative Morphemes
WALS 143F
- None
Minor morphological means of signaling negation
WALS 143G
- Other
Position of Negative Word With Respect to Subject, Object, and Verb
WALS 144A
- Other NegV
The Position of Negative Morphemes in SOV Languages
WALS 144L
- NoSOVNeg
SOVNeg Order
WALS 144S
- SOV
Order of Subject, Object and Verb
WALS 81A
- SV
Order of Subject and Verb
WALS 82A
- OV
Order of Object and Verb
WALS 83A
- No dominant order
Order of Genitive and Noun
WALS 86A
- Noun-Adjective
Order of Adjective and Noun
WALS 87A
- OV and NAdj
Relationship between the Order of Object and Verb and the Order of Adjective and Noun
WALS 97A
AUS extension
24 featuresAlignment1
- neutral
Alignment of person marking (agreement/bound pronouns) on the verb.
AUS extension AUX003
Case1
- suffix
Where case marking sits: suffix, prefix, clitic, tone, stem change.
AUS extension AUX007
Demonstrative1
- two
Number of distance contrasts (2, 3+ deictic terms).
AUS extension AUX023
Gender2
- none
Count of gender / noun-class categories.
AUS extension AUX021
- none
Whether the gender system is sex-based or non-sex-based (or absent).
AUS extension AUX022
Negation2
- particle
How declarative clauses are negated: affix, particle, negative auxiliary, etc.
AUS extension AUX036
- yes
Whether the prohibitive (negative imperative) uses a different construction from declarative negation.
AUS extension AUX037
Number2
- suffix
How nominal plural is coded: suffix, prefix, reduplication, plural word, clitic, none.
AUS extension AUX017
- person-number-stem
How number is built into independent personal pronouns.
AUS extension AUX018
Numerals1
- restricted/none
Base of the numeral system: decimal, quinary, vigesimal, body-part tally, or restricted (many Australian languages have very small numeral systems).
AUS extension AUX043
Pronoun1
- no
Whether independent 3rd-person pronouns mark gender (he/she).
AUS extension AUX024
Pronoun-Marking2
- no
Whether the transitive subject (A) is cross-referenced by a bound marker on the verb.
AUS extension AUX012
- no
Whether the transitive object (P) is cross-referenced by a bound marker on the verb.
AUS extension AUX013
Syntax3
- SOV
Dominant order of subject, object and verb (often 'no dominant order' in free-word-order Australian languages).
AUS extension AUX038
- yes
A verb marker signalling same/different subject across clauses.
AUS extension AUX040
- yes
Chains of dependent (medial) clauses closed by one finite verb.
AUS extension AUX041
Valency4
- yes
A phonologically bound reflexive marker on the verb (e.g. Kuku Yalanji -ji-).
AUS extension AUX031
- yes
A phonologically bound reciprocal marker on the verb (e.g. Kuku Yalanji -wa-).
AUS extension AUX032
- no
A morphological antipassive on the lexical verb (demotes P; salient in ergative languages).
AUS extension AUX034
- yes
Whether causatives are formed by an affix/clitic on the verb.
AUS extension AUX035
Verb4
- suffix
Where TAM inflection sits on the verb: prefix, suffix, tone, mixed, none.
AUS extension AUX026
- yes
Whether there are multiple past or future tenses distinguishing temporal distance (e.g. recent vs remote past) — common in Australian languages.
AUS extension AUX027
- yes
Directional or locative morphology on the verb. NOTE: true associated-motion systems (coming/going while V-ing) are a fine Australianist category that open datasets do not isolate; this uses Grambank's broader directional/locative-on-verb feature as a proxy.
AUS extension AUX028
- no
Whether a verb uses a different root for singular vs plural participant (e.g. 'go.sg' vs 'go.pl').
AUS extension AUX029
Dictionary & lexicon
Deep-time position
Bouckaert 2018 treeDates the LANGUAGE lineage (Bouckaert 2018 BEAST tree), NOT a population arrival.
Trace this lineage in the deep-time spreadCodes & sources
Identifiers
Per-facet provenance
- Classification
- Glottolog 5.3 CLDF (CC-BY-4.0)
- Coordinates
- Glottolog 5.3 (CC-BY-4.0)
- Endangerment
- Glottolog AES (CC-BY-4.0)
- Grammar
- Grambank v1.0.3 / WALS 2020.4 (CC-BY-4.0)
- Lexicon
- catalogue pointer (rights-managed)
- Deep-time
- Bouckaert, Bowern & Atkinson 2018 (Phlorest CLDF, CC-BY-4.0)
- Identifiers
- Glottolog 5.3 + AIATSIS AUSTLANG
Data-completeness for this profile: name, any id, glottocode, iso639 3, austlang, classification chain, coordinates real, coordinates any, endangerment, grammar profile, deep time dated, autonym candidate. Autonyms are unverified candidates drawn from alt-name lists; coordinates carry a provenance flag; a spreading language lineage is not a moving population. Coverage tier: Documented.