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Pama-Nyungan

Arabana

Autonym candidate: ARABANA unverified — from alt-names· 31 name candidates recorded

Documentedextinct· AES 6LocatedIn the dated tree

Classification

Glottolog family tree

Country & 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 unknown

62 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 features
Clause and Syntax10
  • Order of numeral and noun in the noun phrase: 1=Numeral-Noun, 2=Noun-Numeral, 3=both orders occur.

    Grambank GB024

    Num-N
  • Unmarked order of S and V in intransitive clauses: 1=SV, 2=VS, 3=both.

    Grambank GB130

    SV
  • 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

    present
  • 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

    unknown
  • Whether content interrogatives normally stay in situ (not fronted).

    Grambank GB326

    absent
  • Whether a relative clause can follow its head noun.

    Grambank GB327

    unknown
  • Whether a relative clause can precede its head noun.

    Grambank GB328

    absent
  • Whether there are internally-headed relative clauses.

    Grambank GB329

    absent
Demonstrative1
  • Whether demonstratives make three or more distance contrasts (e.g. near/mid/far).

    Grambank GB035

    absent
Nominal26
  • Whether indefinite nominals commonly take an indefinite article (like English 'a/an').

    Grambank GB021

    absent
  • Order of an adnominal demonstrative ('this/that') and noun: 1=Dem-Noun, 2=Noun-Dem, 3=both.

    Grambank GB025

    both.
  • Whether independent 3rd-person pronouns mark a gender distinction (he vs she).

    Grambank GB030

    absent
  • 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

    unknown
  • 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

    absent
  • Unmarked order of possessor noun and possessed noun: 1=Possessor-Possessed, 2=Possessed-Possessor, 3=both.

    Grambank GB065

    Possessor-Possessed
  • 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

    absent
  • Order of adjective-like property word and noun: 0=not used attributively, 1=Adj-N, 2=N-Adj, 3=both.

    Grambank GB193

    N - ANM
  • 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

    unknown
  • Whether standard negation can be marked by a non-inflecting negative particle.

    Grambank GB299

    present
  • 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

    absent
Numerals2
  • 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

    absent
Other8
  • Whether noun-conjoining ('X and Y') and comitative ('X with Y') use different markers.

    Grambank GB027

    present
  • Whether there is productive overt singular marking on nouns.

    Grambank GB042

    absent
  • Whether the language has prepositions.

    Grambank GB074

    absent
  • Whether the recipient of a ditransitive ('give') can be marked like a monotransitive object.

    Grambank GB105

    unknown
  • Whether there is grammatical marking of direct (sensory) evidence.

    Grambank GB322

    absent
  • 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

    present
  • Whether there is a politeness (T/V) distinction in 2nd-person forms.

    Grambank GB415

    absent
Pronoun2
  • Whether the pronoun system distinguishes inclusive ('we incl. you') from exclusive ('we excl. you').

    Grambank GB028

    present
  • Whether there is a phonologically independent reflexive pronoun.

    Grambank GB305

    absent
Verb and Valency27
  • 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

    absent
  • 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

    present
  • 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

    absent
  • 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

    present
  • Whether there are serial verb constructions (two+ verbs in one clause without a linker).

    Grambank GB118

    absent
  • Whether verb compounding is a regular process.

    Grambank GB122

    present
  • 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

    unknown
  • 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

    absent
  • Whether prohibitive (negative imperative) negation differs from declarative negation.

    Grambank GB139

    present
  • 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

    absent
  • 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

    present
  • Whether yes/no questions can be marked by verbal morphology alone.

    Grambank GB286

    unknown
  • Whether standard negation can be marked by an inflecting negative auxiliary verb.

    Grambank GB298

    absent
  • Whether there are multiple past or future tenses distinguishing distance in time (e.g. recent vs remote past).

    Grambank GB309

    present

WALS

36 features
Morphology1
  • Prefixing vs. Suffixing in Inflectional Morphology

    WALS 26A

    Strongly suffixing
Nominal Categories12
  • Number of Genders

    WALS 30A

    None
  • Sex-based and Non-sex-based Gender Systems

    WALS 31A

    No gender
  • Systems of Gender Assignment

    WALS 32A

    No gender
  • Coding of Nominal Plurality

    WALS 33A

    Plural suffix
  • Plurality in Independent Personal Pronouns

    WALS 35A

    Person-number stem
  • Inclusive/Exclusive Forms in Pama-Nyungan

    WALS 39B

    Inclusive and exclusive differentiated
  • Distance Contrasts in Demonstratives

    WALS 41A

    Three-way contrast
  • Pronominal and Adnominal Demonstratives

    WALS 42A

    Identical
  • Gender Distinctions in Independent Personal Pronouns

    WALS 44A

    No gender distinctions
  • Person Marking on Adpositions

    WALS 48A

    No adpositions
  • Position of Case Affixes

    WALS 51A

    Case suffixes
  • Ordinal Numerals

    WALS 53A

    None
Simple Clauses6
  • Alignment of Verbal Person Marking

    WALS 100A

    Neutral
  • Verbal Person Marking

    WALS 102A

    No person marking
  • Third Person Zero of Verbal Person Marking

    WALS 103A

    No person marking
  • Order of Person Markers on the Verb

    WALS 104A

    A and P do not or do not both occur on the verb
  • Passive Constructions

    WALS 107A

    Absent
  • Negative Morphemes

    WALS 112A

    Negative particle
Verbal Categories4
  • Position of Tense-Aspect Affixes

    WALS 69A

    Tense-aspect suffixes
  • Suppletion According to Tense and Aspect

    WALS 79A

    None
  • Suppletion in Imperatives and Hortatives

    WALS 79B

    None (= no suppletive imperatives reported in the reference material)
  • Verbal Number and Suppletion

    WALS 80A

    None
Word order13
  • Order of Negative Morpheme and Verb

    WALS 143A

    NegV
  • Preverbal Negative Morphemes

    WALS 143E

    NegV
  • Postverbal Negative Morphemes

    WALS 143F

    None
  • Minor morphological means of signaling negation

    WALS 143G

    None
  • Position of Negative Word With Respect to Subject, Object, and Verb

    WALS 144A

    Other
  • The Position of Negative Morphemes in SOV Languages

    WALS 144L

    Other NegV
  • SOVNeg Order

    WALS 144S

    NoSOVNeg
  • Order of Subject, Object and Verb

    WALS 81A

    SOV
  • Order of Subject and Verb

    WALS 82A

    SV
  • Order of Object and Verb

    WALS 83A

    OV
  • Order of Genitive and Noun

    WALS 86A

    No dominant order
  • Order of Adjective and Noun

    WALS 87A

    Noun-Adjective
  • Relationship between the Order of Object and Verb and the Order of Adjective and Noun

    WALS 97A

    OV and NAdj

AUS extension

24 features
Alignment1
  • Alignment of person marking (agreement/bound pronouns) on the verb.

    AUS extension AUX003

    neutral
Case1
  • Where case marking sits: suffix, prefix, clitic, tone, stem change.

    AUS extension AUX007

    suffix
Demonstrative1
  • Number of distance contrasts (2, 3+ deictic terms).

    AUS extension AUX023

    two
Gender2
  • 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

    none
Negation2
  • How declarative clauses are negated: affix, particle, negative auxiliary, etc.

    AUS extension AUX036

    particle
  • Whether the prohibitive (negative imperative) uses a different construction from declarative negation.

    AUS extension AUX037

    yes
Number2
  • How nominal plural is coded: suffix, prefix, reduplication, plural word, clitic, none.

    AUS extension AUX017

    suffix
  • How number is built into independent personal pronouns.

    AUS extension AUX018

    person-number-stem
Numerals1
  • Base of the numeral system: decimal, quinary, vigesimal, body-part tally, or restricted (many Australian languages have very small numeral systems).

    AUS extension AUX043

    restricted/none
Pronoun1
  • Whether independent 3rd-person pronouns mark gender (he/she).

    AUS extension AUX024

    no
Pronoun-Marking2
  • 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

    no
Syntax3
  • Dominant order of subject, object and verb (often 'no dominant order' in free-word-order Australian languages).

    AUS extension AUX038

    SOV
  • 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

    yes
Valency4
  • 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

    yes
  • A morphological antipassive on the lexical verb (demotes P; salient in ergative languages).

    AUS extension AUX034

    no
  • Whether causatives are formed by an affix/clitic on the verb.

    AUS extension AUX035

    yes
Verb4
  • Where TAM inflection sits on the verb: prefix, suffix, tone, mixed, none.

    AUS extension AUX026

    suffix
  • 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

    yes
  • Whether a verb uses a different root for singular vs plural participant (e.g. 'go.sg' vs 'go.pl').

    AUS extension AUX029

    no

Dictionary & lexicon

Catalogue pointer only. A lexical resource is recorded but is rights-managed or not openly downloadable, so it is not browsable here. AIATSIS AUSTLANG catalogue entry (L13)

Deep-time position

Bouckaert 2018 tree
Divergence from nearest relative
~31 yr BP

Dates the LANGUAGE lineage (Bouckaert 2018 BEAST tree), NOT a population arrival.

Trace this lineage in the deep-time spread

Codes & 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.