Marranj language

Marranj is an Australian Aboriginal language, a dialect continuum consisting of Maranunggu (Merranunggu, Marranj Warrgat), Menhthe, and Emmi.

Marranj
Maranunggu
Native to	Australia
Region	Daly River; Northern Territory, Coast along Anson Bay, southwest of Darwin
Ethnicity	Marranunggu, Emmiyangal, Menthe
Native speakers	35 (2007)
Language family	Western Daly Marranj
Dialects	Maranunggu Menhthe (Manda) Emmi (Ami)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Variously: zmr – Maranunggu amy – Ami (Emmi) zma – Manda (Menthe)
Glottolog	waga1259
AIATSIS	N215 Marranj
ELP	Emmi Manda (Australia)

Phonology

Consonants

	Peripheral		Laminal	Apical
	Labial	Velar	Palatal	Alveolar
Plosive	p	k	t̠ʲ	t
Nasal	m	ŋ	n̠ʲ	n
Rhotic				r	ɾ
Lateral				l
Approximant	w		j

• Voiceless stop sounds /p, t, t̠ʲ, k/ may also fluctuate to voiced sounds [b, d, d̠ʲ, ɡ] when in intervocalic, post-nasal and post-liquid positions.
• /t/ can also freely be realized as a fricative [θ] in word-initial positions, and when heard as [d], it can also be heard as [ð] when after /n/ and in intervocalic positions.
• Sounds /m, n/ can also occur as geminated [mː, nː]

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
High	i		u
Mid	æ	ə
Low			ɑ

Phoneme	Allophones
/i/	[i], [ɪ], [e], [ɛ]
/æ/	[æ], [ɛ]
/ɑ/	[ɑ], [ʌ]
/u/	[u], [ʊ], [o], [ɔː]

References

• Tryon, Darrell T. An introduction of Maranungku (Northern Australia). B-15, x + 121 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1970. doi:10.15144/PL-B15

External links

• Merranunggu at the Dalylanguages.org website.
• Menthe at the Dalylanguages.org website.
• Emmi at the Dalylanguages.org website.
• PARADISEC archive of open-access Emmi and Menhthe recordings