This was a handout at the Language Tutorial, Spring 1997 Conference of LAGB, University of Edinburgh.

Sketch of Warlmanpa by contrast with Warlpiri
David Nash

1
Warlmanpa: Nyuntu-ngu  ngapa-nga  nya-ngu  kuyu-ngu.
           you-2o      water-Loc  see-Past game-Erg
           'The animal saw you at the water.'
Warlpiri:  Nyuntu-ngku ngapa-ngka nya-ngu  kuyu-ngku.
           you-2o      water-Loc  see-Past game-Erg
2
Warlmanpa: Wanji-rla-n  pan-nya?
           where-Loc-2s go-Present         'Where're you going?'
Warlpiri:  Nyarrpara-kurra ka-npa     ya-ni?
           where-Allative  Present-2s go-NonPast

3 PHONOLOGY

                        apico-    apico-  lamino-   dorso-
              bilabial  alveolar  domal   alveolar  velar
stops  lax       p         t       rt       j         k
       tense     pp        tt      rtt      jj        kk
nasals           m         n       rn       ny        ng
laterals                   l       rl       ly
flap                       rr      rd
glides           w                 r        y
a few tense/fortis stops, esp in vocab common with Warumungu
e.g. lajju 'edible grub' (Warlpiri laju)
vowels i, a, u; possibly no length contrast

greater phonotactic possibilities:
stop-final syllables; lateral-nasal clusters
no progressive vowel assimilation (but avoids iCu within roots)

4 MORPHOLOGY

4.1 nominals

similar Dual, case suffxing, allomorphy of Ergative, Locative
comparative list of suffixes and enclitics
suppletion in deictic stem:
 
Warlmanpa: yimpa 'this'  mirla 'here'  muka 'to here'
Warlpiri:  nyampu        nyampu-rla    nyampu-kurra
pronouns marked only for person

4.2 verbs:

Compare to Warlpiri verb conjugations:
   Warlmanpa                          Warlpiri
   conjugation (imperative)           conjugation
     wangka                               1a
     -ka       {consonant-final stem      1c
               {vowel-final stem          2
     -ngka     {i-final stem              1b
               {a,u-final stem            3
     -rra                                 1d
     -nyja                                4
     -nta                                 5
Note that there are four subtypes corresponding to Warlpiri 1st conjn.

5 SYNTAX

5.1 pronominal enclitics

ordered 1-2-3-nyanu-rla; except for 2-3 sequences realised as -jana-n, -nyanu-n, -jana-nkulu, -nyanu-nkulu; also -jana-lu; and separable -lu of -rna-lu follows object enclitic
Warlmanpa: Ngayu-rna-jana-lu  nya-nganya.
           I-111s-333o        see-Present
           'We are looking at them.'
Warlpiri:  Nganimpa-rlu   ka-rnalu-jana     nya-nyi.
           we.pl.excl-Erg Present-111s-222o see-NonPast
attracted to Imperative, not always in 2nd position

5.2 Auxiliary base

marks mood: Negation, Conditional (as in Warlpiri) but aspect (Future, Potential, Imperfect) is marked on verb, not in Auxiliary

5.3 relative marker ~ 'thus'

           relative 'thus'
Warlmanpa  ngula    kuya
E Warlpiri ngula    kuja
W Warlpiri kuja     kuja

6 LEXICON

6.1 preverbs (coverbs):

more numerous, looser relation to verb root / fewer verb roots (40 vs. 110)
* occur in verbless clauses
* coverbs used rather than infinitives bearing complementisers

6.2

ngana 'who?, what?
cf. Warlpiri ngana 'who?', nyiya 'what?'

6.3 stance verbs

         Warlpiri Warlmanpa
'be, sit' nyina-mi ka-rra
'stand'   karri-mi kurtij-ka-rra
'lie'     nguna-mi jarta-ka-rra
'crouch'  parntarri-mi tawu-wa-nta

Warlmanpa
Australia languages
Central Australia

© 1997 David Nash
Modified: 8 May 1997
Last changed: 21 October 2007, 18 December 2020
URL http://www.anu.edu.au/linguistics/nash/aust/wpa/wpa-wlp-contrast.html