Full Description
'A must read for all who would like to understand the languages and culture of Indigenous Australians.' Dr Ernie Grant, Elder of the Jirrbal nation
When Captain Cook landed at Botany Bay, about 250 distinct languages were spoken across the continent. Yet Australian Indigenous languages actually share many common features.
Bob Dixon has been working with elders to research Australian languages for half a century, and he draws on this deep experience to outline the common features. He provides a straightforward introduction to the sounds, word building, and wide-ranging vocabulary of Indigenous languages, and highlights distinctive grammatical features. He explains how language is related to culture, including kinship relationships, gender systems, and naming conventions.
With examples from over 30 languages and anecdotes illustrating language use, and avoiding technical terms, Australia's Original Languages is the indispensable starting point for anyone interested in learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait languages.
'Written in an accessible, easy to read style, Professor Dixon's new book is an informative and entertaining introduction to Australia's "original" languages.' - Dr Joe Blythe, Department of Linguistics, Macquarie University
'An engaging and timely new introduction to Australia's original languages...[by]...a giant of Australian linguistics.' - Alan Rumsey, Australian Aboriginal Studies
'A leading scholar... explain[s] the nature of Australia's Indigenous languages to a non-scholarly audience. The book is at its most telling when it focuses on the fact that a language both creates and reflects a society and its culture.' - Australian Book Review
'Dixon uses easy-to-understand terms; the style is light and often amusing.' - Queensland Reviewers Collective
Contents
1 Many distinct languages
2 Each language has several dialects
3 Language doing its job
4 Nothing primitive here
5 Knowing who your relations are
6 Who are you talking to?
7 Getting your tongue around it
8 Putting the bits together
9 Remarkable genders
10 Oodles of words
11 Are there any language links?
12 In recent times
13 The languages today
Acknowledgements
Sources and notes
References
Index
