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Pama-Nyungan

Wajarri

Autonym candidate: Baialdju unverified — from alt-names· 54 name candidates recorded

Comprehensivemoribund· AES 4LocatedIn the dated tree

Classification

Glottolog family tree

Country & location

Glottolog point

-28.1761, 117.1530

Provenance: glottolog

A point locates a language for reference; it never represents the full extent of a people’s Country.

Grammar profile

118 coded · 2 unknown

65 Grambank + 31 WALS 120 coded features in total across 67 Grambank, 31 WALS, 22 AUS extension.

Grambank’s 195 variables are a cross-linguistic baseline— a fixed questionnaire asked of every language — not “the grammar” of Wajarri. Read each cell as an answer to a standard typological question. Compare languages in the grammar lens →

Showing 120 of 120 coded features.

Grambank

67 features
Clause and Syntax9
  • Order of numeral and noun in the noun phrase: 1=Numeral-Noun, 2=Noun-Numeral, 3=both orders occur.

    Grambank GB024

    N-Num
  • 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

    absent
  • Whether there is a morphological simultaneous-vs-sequential clause distinction.

    Grambank GB152

    absent
  • Whether yes/no questions can be marked by intonation alone.

    Grambank GB257

    present
  • Whether yes/no questions can be marked by a special word order.

    Grambank GB260

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

    Grambank GB327

    present
  • 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
Nominal21
  • 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

    N-Dem
  • 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

    absent
  • Whether an agent noun can be productively derived from a verb (e.g. 'teach' -> 'teacher').

    Grambank GB048

    absent
  • 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 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

    Possessed-Possessor
  • Whether an adjective-like property word can agree with its noun in gender/noun class.

    Grambank GB170

    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

    absent
  • Whether there is a clause-final yes/no question particle.

    Grambank GB263

    absent
  • Whether there is a yes/no question particle sitting neither clause-initially nor clause-finally.

    Grambank GB264

    absent
  • 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

    present
  • 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

    unknown
  • Whether there is any synchronic evidence of a quinary (base 5) element.

    Grambank GB334

    unknown
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

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

    Grambank GB322

    absent
  • Whether there is grammatical marking of indirect evidence (hearsay, inference).

    Grambank GB323

    absent
  • 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

    present
Verb and Valency24
  • Whether core adjectives behave like verbs when used as a predicate ('the dog is big' patterns like 'the dog runs').

    Grambank GB068

    absent
  • Whether there is a benefactive applicative marker on the verb ('do X for someone').

    Grambank GB103

    absent
  • Whether there is an instrumental applicative marker on the verb ('do X with an instrument').

    Grambank GB104

    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

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

    Grambank GB118

    absent
  • Whether mood can be marked by an inflecting auxiliary verb.

    Grambank GB119

    absent
  • Whether aspect can be marked by an inflecting auxiliary verb.

    Grambank GB120

    absent
  • Whether tense can be marked by an inflecting auxiliary verb.

    Grambank GB121

    absent
  • Whether verb compounding is a regular process.

    Grambank GB122

    absent
  • Whether there are verb-adjunct (light-verb / coverb) constructions.

    Grambank GB123

    absent
  • 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-medial.

    Grambank GB132

    absent
  • Whether the unmarked transitive constituent order is verb-final.

    Grambank GB133

    present
  • 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

    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

    absent
  • 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

    absent

WALS

31 features
Lexicon1
  • Hand and Arm

    WALS 129A

    Different
Morphology2
  • Prefixing vs. Suffixing in Inflectional Morphology

    WALS 26A

    Strongly suffixing
  • Reduplication

    WALS 27A

    Productive full and partial reduplication
Nominal Categories9
  • 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
  • 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
  • Position of Case Affixes

    WALS 51A

    Postpositional clitics
  • Position of Pronominal Possessive Affixes

    WALS 57A

    Possessive suffixes
Nominal Syntax1
  • Adjectives without Nouns

    WALS 61A

    Without marking
Simple Clauses3
  • Expression of Pronominal Subjects

    WALS 101A

    Subject clitics on variable host
  • Nonperiphrastic Causative Constructions

    WALS 111A

    Morphological but no compound
  • Negative Morphemes

    WALS 112A

    Variation between negative word and affix
Verbal Categories4
  • Position of Tense-Aspect Affixes

    WALS 69A

    Tense-aspect suffixes
  • The Morphological Imperative

    WALS 70A

    Second person number-neutral
  • Semantic Distinctions of Evidentiality

    WALS 77A

    No grammatical evidentials
  • Coding of Evidentiality

    WALS 78A

    No grammatical evidentials
Word order11
  • Order of Negative Morpheme and Verb

    WALS 143A

    Type 1 / Type 4
  • Preverbal Negative Morphemes

    WALS 143E

    NegV
  • Postverbal Negative Morphemes

    WALS 143F

    [V-Neg]
  • Minor morphological means of signaling negation

    WALS 143G

    None
  • Order of Adposition and Noun Phrase

    WALS 85A

    Postpositions
  • Order of Genitive and Noun

    WALS 86A

    Genitive-Noun
  • Order of Adjective and Noun

    WALS 87A

    Noun-Adjective
  • Order of Demonstrative and Noun

    WALS 88A

    Noun-Demonstrative
  • Order of Numeral and Noun

    WALS 89A

    No dominant order
  • Order of Degree Word and Adjective

    WALS 91A

    Degree word-Adjective
  • Position of Interrogative Phrases in Content Questions

    WALS 93A

    Not initial interrogative phrase

AUS extension

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

    AUS extension AUX007

    postpositional-clitic
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

    word~affix-variation
  • Whether the prohibitive (negative imperative) uses a different construction from declarative negation.

    AUS extension AUX037

    no
Number1
  • How number is built into independent personal pronouns.

    AUS extension AUX018

    person-number-stem
Pronoun1
  • Whether independent 3rd-person pronouns mark gender (he/she).

    AUS extension AUX024

    no
Pronoun-Marking2
  • How pronominal subjects are expressed: obligatory free pronoun, subject affix on the verb, clitic on a variable host (e.g. second position / auxiliary), etc.

    AUS extension AUX010

    clitic-variable-host
  • Whether bound pronouns form a clitic cluster on a variable (typically second-position/auxiliary) host rather than being fixed to the verb.

    AUS extension AUX011

    yes
Syntax3
  • Prepositions vs postpositions vs no dominant adpositions.

    AUS extension AUX039

    postpositions
  • 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

    no
Valency2
  • 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
Verb7
  • 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

    no
  • Whether a verb uses a different root for singular vs plural participant (e.g. 'go.sg' vs 'go.pl').

    AUS extension AUX029

    no
  • Whether reduplication is productive and of what kind (full/partial).

    AUS extension AUX030

    full-and-partial
  • Whether grammatical evidentiality is marked, and its scope (direct/indirect).

    AUS extension AUX047

    none
  • Whether predicates are built from an uninflecting coverb + a small closed class of inflecting light verbs (widespread in non-Pama-Nyungan Australia).

    AUS extension AUX052

    no
  • Whether noun incorporation into the verb is a productive intransitivizing process.

    AUS extension AUX053

    no

Dictionary & lexicon

Live dictionary. 3,368 entries are browsable now.

Browse the dictionary

Deep-time position

Bouckaert 2018 tree
Divergence from nearest relative
~847 yr BP
95% HPD 4581,302 BP

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

Trace this lineage in the deep-time spread

Codes & sources

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
mobtranslate-pg live dictionary
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, lexicon data, 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: Comprehensive.