Aborigines Language

There are various native languages in Australia, many of them going extinct as generations forget to pass on the knowledge of their language. This article looks into some of the culture and languages this beautiful land has to offer

Aborigines are Australia''s indigenous people. There is evidence of their culture that dates back to 50, 000 years ago. The country is made up of harsh desert conditions, which forced the aborigines to have extensive knowledge of the plants, animals and water sources in the country. This is based on a skeleton found in Australia. It was found in New South Wales, near Lake Mungo. Aboriginals used to return to certain sites to bury their dead.

There are 600 tribes of Aboriginals, each with different dialects and languages. With the arrival of westerners, the traditional Aboriginal way of life has slowly changed. Most Aboriginals have forfeited their traditional nomadic ways for the comfort of cities and towns. There are 250 languages that have been recorded in Australia.

Today the majority of Aboriginals speak Australian English as their first language. Only 15% speak their mother tongue as a first language. They have also developed a language, which is known as Aboriginal English, which is a combination of their mother tongue and English. Originally there were about 350 to 750 distinct Aboriginal social groupings. Today there are less then 200, with 20 of them being in high risk of extinction.

Only 10% are being passed onto children in isolated rural areas. There are common vocabularies between the different languages, for example the display for close relatives. There are terms that have spread worldwide, such as Billabong. Billabong was used to name a popular youth surfing brand, which originated in Australia.

The original meaning of the word is "small pool of water" or "lagoon". There are other terms, such as boomerang, which has been made popular by cartoons over the years. The boomerang is a weapon used by the Aboriginals to hunt with. It is generally made out of wood, which is curved. If thrown correctly, it will hit the object and fly back to the thrower.

Another fairly popular item of the Aboriginals is an instrument called the Didgeridoo. It is usually about 90 to 150 cm''s in length and is a cylindrical wind instrument. It is made out of wood with paintings of the owner''s totem on it. It creates a beautiful low-pitched, resonant sound when blown correctly.

The National Geographic has created a programme to try and protect the remaining culture and language of the Aboriginal people. Many of the traditions are being recorded, as well as the knowledge of the land and environment that they possess. So far, the project has been hugely successful and with a bit of luck, our children and their children will be able to carry on enjoying the beautiful culture, folklore and history of the Aboriginal people to come.

Celeste writes for Language and Culture News , a site dedicated to all cultural and language news.