Palawa kani
Palawa kani is a resurrected Tasmanian Aboringinal language.
History
The original Tasmanian languages became extinct in 1905 when the last native speaker died. As part of community efforts to retrieve as much of the original Tasmanian culture as possible, efforts are made to (re)construct a language for the indigenous community. Due to the scarcity of records, Palawa kani is being constructed as a composite of the original estimated 6 to 12 original languages.
Sources
The project employs various sources such as:
- the journal of George Augustus Robinson
- the records of the French d'Entrecasteaux expedition of 1793
- word lists compiled by Brian Plomley
- the recordings of Fanny Cochrane Smith, one of the last native speakers
Another source of material for the project is community knowledge where a surprising amount of words, phrases and snippets of lore have survived.
The reconstruction project also uses linguistic data of related mainland native languages if necessary.
State of the Language
To maintain community ownership of the language for the time being, the language project is entirely community based and the language is not taught in state schools but there is obvious enthusiasm for the language especially among younger people and an increasing number of people able to use the language to some extent, some to great fluency. Lutana Spotswood famously gave a eulogy in Palawa kani at the funeral of the Tasmnanian Premier Jim Bacon.
Examples
- he yangina in muka : he swims in the sea
- kani : language
- Kunanyi : Mt Wellington
- lakri : tree fern
- luna : woman
- lungtalanana : Clarke Island
- Lutriwita : Tasmania
- luwana : girl
- luwutina : children
- mina putiya tunapri raytji kani : I don't understand English
- mina kani palawa kani : I speak palawa kani
- mina takara on milaythina mana : I stand on my land
- mukra : dog
- mukra-mana laymi putiya nayri : my dog is never not good
- mukra-mana nayri mapali : my dog is very good
- nina tunapri mina kani : do you understand what I'm saying?
- ningina paruwi mimara : get that bug
- pakana luwana liyini : native girls sing
- palawa : native tasmanian
- Putalina : Oyster Cove
- tapilti ningina mumara prupari patrule : go and get wood to put on the fire
- Tayaritja : Furneaux Islands
- taypani pinikita : come quickly
- Truwana : Cape Barren Island
- waranta mulaka payathanima : we're hunting wallaby
- waranta putiya makara : we won't stop
- waranta tapilti nayri : we're going, ok?
- warina : a type of mollusc
- waypa : man
Bibliography
- MacGilleEathain, R 2007 "Aiseirigh às an luaithre" in Cothrom, Vol 53 Autumn 2007, CLÌ Gàidhlig, Inverness
- "Pakana Luwana Liyini" 2005 (CD), Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre Inc