Some tentative remarks on the sociolinguistic vitality of Yankunytjatjara in Coober Pedy, South Australia
Date
2008
Authors
Naessan, P.
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Type:
Journal article
Citation
Australian Journal of Linguistics, 2008; 28(2):103-138
Statement of Responsibility
Petter Naessan
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Abstract
This paper is a preliminary attempt to evaluate the linguistic vitality of Yankunytjatjara spoken in Coober Pedy and other communities in South Australia, with particular emphasis on extra-linguistic factors. The Western Desert dialects Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara are the two remaining 'strong' languages within South Australia, but considering the socio-cultural and political context wherein Indigenous Australian languages exist as spoken in decreasing numbers by members of encapsulated minorities, subject to an intrusive and increasingly dominant Euro-Australian culture, the question is how strong Yankunytjatjara really is. Different language endangerment indices are incorporated into the discussion with a view to how they apply to the study of contact-induced extensive linguistic change in general, and specifically to Yankunytjatjara.