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'Anangu', more accurately "Aṉaŋu" or "Arnangu", is a word found in a number of eastern varieties of the Western Desert Language (WDL), an Australian Aboriginal language of the Pama-Nyungan family, spoken in the desert regions of western and central Australia. Before the arrival of non-Aboriginal people in Central Australia the core meaning of ''anangu'' was probably 'human being, person'. Now however it is used to mean 'Aboriginal human being, person' and is rarely applied to non-Aboriginal people. This may be considered a form of racism, as it is the only word listed for "person" in the Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara to English dictionary, and relegates non-aboriginal people to the status of non-person, however as white people are privileged rather than oppressed, it is not considered a major issue. As a Western Desert Language word for '(Aboriginal) person', and given that other Aboriginal languages have their own words for '(Aboriginal) person' the word ''anangu'' has come to be very closely associated with the WDL speaking people who use it to the extent that it is now commonly used to refer to them, mainly by non-Aboriginal people but also by the speakers themselves. Used in this way it seems never to be used to refer to any traditional grouping but rather to any collection of WDL people. It may also be used to refer to other Aboriginal people, especially where the speaker is uncertain who they are.
The correct term for "black person" in Pitjantjatjara is aṉangu maru, literally "dark/black person".
''Anangu'' also has the meaning 'human body' and may be used to refer specifically to the physical body, or to a dead body.

Contents

Distribution and spelling

Usage

Equivalents in other languages/dialects

Communities with a large WDL-speaking population

See also

External links

References

Distribution and spelling

The following table shows the main WDL dialects in which it is used (left column) along with the word spelled according to the orthography of that dialect (right column).

Pitjantjatjara	aṉangu
Southern (Titjikala) Luritja	yarnangu
Pintupi Luritja	aṉangu
Ngaanyatjarra	yarnangu
Ngaatjatjarra	yarnangu
Yankunytjatjara	yaṉangu

The reasons for the spelling variations are: some WDL dialects do not allow vowel-initial words—in these varieties the word begins with ''y''; some orthographies use underlining (e.g. ṉ) to indicate a retroflex consonant, while others use a digraph (e.g. ''rn''). Pitjantjatjara seems to be the best-known source for the word, but the underlining of the consonant is often ignored (or not understood) by English speakers, and is difficult to type, so the word is very commonly seen as ''anangu''. It is probably best in this article to continue using the word in the most familiar form (which is also the article title) despite the fact that it is an incorrect spelling.

Usage

On occasion this word is used to refer to white people and non-natives. In some communities, when a white person is accepted in to their community, one of the ways that they know that they are accepted is to be referred to as an Anangu (a person).

Equivalents in other languages/dialects

Other Western Desert Language dialects have different words with a similar meaning and range of uses. In the far west of the WDL (i.e. amongst Manyjilyjarra, Kartujarra, Putijarra and Warnman) the word ''martu'' is used, and in the central Western Desert (i.e. amongst the western Pintupi) the word ''purntu'', although this seems to be rarely used now.
A few of the equivalent terms used by some Aboriginal groups in other regions of Australia are Koori, Noongar, Nunga, Murri.

Communities with a large WDL-speaking population

★ Alice Springs

★ Alpara

★ Amata

★ Aparawilintja

★ Aputula (Finke)

★ Cave Hill

★ Harry Creek

★ Imanpa

★ Irintata

★ Irintata Homelands

★ Irrunytju, Western Australia (Wingellina, Western Australia)

★ Iwantja (Indulkana)

★ Kalka

★ Kaltjiti (Fregon)

★ Kaltjiti Homelands

★ Kaltukatjara, Northern Territory (Docker River, Northern Territory)

★ Kanpi

★ Makiri

★ Mimili

★ Mulga Bore

★ Murputja

★ Ngaanyatjarraku Shire, Western Australia

★
★ Blackstone

★
★ Giles - Weather Station (6)

★
★ Jameson

★
★ Patjarr

★
★ Tjirrkarli

★
★ Tjukurla

★
★ Wanarn

★
★ Warburton

★
★ Warakurna

★
★ Wingellina

★ Mutitjulu, Northern Territory

★ Number 12

★ Nyapari

★ Oak Valley

★ Papulankutja (Blackstone)

★ Pipalyatjara

★ Pukatja (Ernabella)

★ Pututja

★ Tjurma Homelands

★ Turkey Bore

★ Umuwa

★ Walalkara

★ Walatatjara

★ Watarru

★ Watinuma

★ West Bore

★ Yalata

★ Yunyarinyi (Kenmore Park)
:''See also'' WARU community directory

See also

★ Maralinga

External links

★ Web portal for Anangu Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra peoples, communities and organisations

★ Description of ''Tjukurpa'' - the foundation of Anangu life at Department of Environment and Heritage

References

★ Goddard, Cliff. (1992). ''Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara to English Dictionary''. IAD Press, Alice Springs Australia. (ISBN 0-949659 64 9)

★ Glass, Amee and Dorothy Hackett. (2003). ''Ngaanyatjarra & Ngaatjatjarra to English Dictionary''. IAD Press, Alice Springs Australia. (ISBN 1-86465-053-2)

★ Goddard, Cliff. (1985). ''A Grammar of Yankunytjatjara''. IAD Press, Alice Springs Australia.

★ Eckert, Paul and Joyce Hudson. (1988). ''Wangka Wiru: A handbook for the Pitjantjatjara language learner''. SACAE, Underdale SA. (ISBN 0-86803-230-1)

★ Hansen, KC & LE Hansen. (1992). ''Pintupi/Luritja Dictionary 3rd Edition''. IAD Press, Alice Springs, Australia. (ISBN 0-949659-63-0)

★ Valiquette, Hilaire (ed.). (1993). ''A Basic Kukatja to English Dictionary''. Luurnpa Catholic School, Balgo WA. (ISBN 0-646-12453-6)