Indigenous languages of Arnhem Land

In this chapter we focus on traditional indigenous languages of Australia, more specifically those in Arnhem Land. In the first section, we discuss three central but broader socio-linguistic factors which play an important role in understanding Australia’s indigenous languages. The second section provides an overview of indigenous languages across the continent, taking into account current discussions on three principal issues in the field: historical linkages among Australian indigenous languages, their genetic classification and the part played by language contact. In the third section, we take a close look at Arnhem Land, the home of several traditional indigenous languages, with a focus on the Yolngu language family of North-East Arnhem Land as a subgroup of the Pama languages. We examine its status as one of Australia’s surviving indigenous languages, focusing on the complex triangulation between Language-Land-People. In the fourth section, we provide an overview into new studies on the signed languages of Arnhem Land. In the final section, we offer a brief conclusion with some prospects for future research.