Pronunciation [ɖijaɻi] Signed forms Dieri Sign Language | ||
Language family Pama–NyunganKarnicKarnaDiyari Dialects DiyariDirari (Dhirari)Pirlatapa? ISO 639-3 Variously:dif – Diyaridit – Diraribxi – Pirlatapa | ||
Diyari /ˈdiːjɑːri/ or Dieri /ˈdɪəri/ is an Australian Aboriginal language of South Australia.
Contents
Dirari (extinct late 20th century) was a dialect. Pirlatapa (extinct by the 1960s) may have been as well; data is poor. The information below is from Diyari proper.
Consonants
Several of the nasals and laterals are allophonically prestopped.
The voiced alveolar stop [d] may have trilled release [dʳ] depending on dialect. Peter Austin (1988) suggests that this is due to Yandruwanhdha influence.
The voiced retroflex stop /ɖ/ often becomes a tap [ɽ] between vowels.
The stop [d]~[dʳ] is in complementary distribution with both the trill [r] and the flap [ɾ]. Austin (1981) analysed the trill [r] as being the intervocalic allophone of /d/~/dʳ/, with the flap /ɾ/ being a separate phoneme. R. M. W. Dixon (2002) suggests that [ɾ] could be considered the intervocalic allophone of /d/~/dʳ/, so then /r/ would be a separate phoneme. Having /d/ realized as [ɾ] would parallel the realization of /ɖ/ as [ɽ], and having /r/ rather than /ɾ/ as a phoneme matches most other Australian languages.
Grammar
Diyari has three different morphosyntactic alignments:
Sign
The Diyari had a highly developed sign language.