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Literacy
[Australian Review of Applied Linguistics 9:2] 1986
► pp. 61–74

Some issues in orthography design for Aboriginal languages

 | Kimberley Language Resource Centre
The appropriateness of the standard practical orthographies for Australian languages, recommended by e.g. Dixon (1980:xxi-xxii), and used in languages such as Warlpiri and Walmajarri, has recently been called to question by linguists and Aboriginal users. A non-phonemic English based orthography has been developed for at least one language (Gooniyandi). However, the issues surrounding orthography design have not been fully brought out and evaluated. My main aim in this paper is to remedy this situation, identify as many relevant issues as possible, and discuss them in the sociolinguistic context of the Kimberley Aboriginal speech communities. The paper is intended to provoke discussion and elicit feedback from others involved in orthography design, rather than make recommendations.
Published online: 1 January 1986
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https://doi.org/10.1075/aral.9.2.04mcg
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Cited by (1)

Cited by one other publication

Jolly, Lesley
1995. Waving a Tattered Banner? Aboriginal Language Revitalisation. The Aboriginal Child at School 23:3 ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo

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