Native to Australia | Region Daly River | |
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Native speakers 8 Marri Ngarr (2006 census)
2 Magati Ke (2009) Language family Western Daly
Marri Ngarr Dialects Marri Ngarr
Marti Ke (Magati-ge) ISO 639-3 Either:
zmt – Marri Ngarr
zmg – Marti Ke | ||
Marri Ngarr (Maringarr, Marenggar, Maringa) is an Australian aboriginal language.
Contents
Marti Ke (Matige, Magati-ge, Magadige, Magati Gair, Mati Ke) lays in the similar language category.
Geographic distribution
The language has been spoken in the Northern Territory, Wadeye, along Timor Sea, coast south from Moyle River estuary to Port Keats, southwest of Darwin.
Current status
According to the Language Database, as of 2005 Mati Ke language had a population of 3 (Patrick Nudjulu, Johnny Chula, Agatha Perdjert). Mati Ke speakers have primarily switched to use of English and the flourishing Aboriginal language Murrinh-Patha. The ethnic population is about 100, and there are 50 second language users.
As the language is almost non-existent to date, linguists have been working on collecting information and recording the voices of the remaining speakers.
Grammar
The vocabulary is limited, therefore the relations and positioning of the words matter to make sense of the construction according to the situation.
Nouns' classification constitutes a core of the language that forms an understanding of the world for its speakers. There are 10 classes amongst which are places and times, speech and language.
Reference to the class of spirits, elderly or to the people with respect is composed of prefix me+noun.