The language is considered to be threatened; it is used for face-to-face communication within all generations, but it is losing users,[4] with only 109 speakers of the language in the 2021 census.[1]
The Kaytetye have (or had) a well-developed sign language known as Akitiri or Eltye eltyarrenke.[5]
Phonology
Kaytetye is phonologically unusual in a number of ways. Words start with vowels and end with schwa; full CV(C) syllables only occur within a word, as in the word arrkwentyarte 'three' (schwa is spelled ⟨e⟩, unless initial, in which case it is not written and often not pronounced). Stress falls on the first full syllable. There are only two productive vowels, but numerous consonants, including pre-stopped and pre-palatalized consonants.[6]
Two-vowel systems are unusual, but occur in closely related Arrernte as well as in some Northwest Caucasian languages. It seems that the vowel system derives from an earlier one with the typical Australian /iau/, but that *u lost its roundedness to neighboring consonants, resulting in the labialized series of consonants, while *i lost its frontness (palatal-ness) to other consonants as well, resulting in some cases in the prepalatalized series.
Grammar
Kin terms are obligatorily possessed, though with grammatically singular pronouns. There is a dyadic suffix as well:[6]
Kaytetye kin inflections
Elder brother
Mother
1
alkere-ye my/our brother
arrwengke my/our mother
2
ngk-alkere your brother
ngk-arrwengke your mother
3
kw-alkere his/her/their brother
kw-arrwengke his/her/their mother
dyadic
alkere-nhenge elder and younger brother
arrwengke-nhenge mother and child
Dual and plural pronouns distinguish clusivity as well as moiety (or 'section') and generation. That is, for a male speaker, different pronouns are used for I and my sibling, grandparent, grandchild (even generation, same moiety), I and my father, I and my brother's child (odd generation, same moiety), and I and my mother, spouse, sister's child (opposite moiety). This results in twelve pronouns for 'we':[6]
Kaytetye pronouns for 'we'
Number
Clusivity
Even generation (same moiety)
Odd generation (same moiety)
Opposite moiety
Dual
inclusive
ayleme
aylake
aylanthe
exclusive
aylene
aylenake
aylenanthe
Plural
inclusive
aynangke
aynake
aynanthe
exclusive
aynenangke
aynenake
aynenanthe
That is, root ay-, dual suffix -la or plural -na, exclusive infix⟨en⟩, an irregular nasal for even generation, and a suffix for same moiety -ke or opposite moiety -nthe.
Verbs include incorporated former verbs of motion that indicate direction and relative timing of someone, usually the subject of the verb. There are differences depending on whether the verb is transitive or intransitive:[6]
^Kendon, A. (1988) Sign Languages of Aboriginal Australia: Cultural, Semiotic and Communicative Perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 60
^ abcdKoch, 2006. "Kaytetye". In the Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, 2nd ed.
^Panther, Forrest Andrew (2021). Topics in Kaytetye Phonology and Morpho-Syntax.
Further reading
Breen, Gavan (2001). "Chapter 4: The wonders of Arandic phonology". In Simpson, Jane; Nash, David; Laughren, Mary; Austin, Peter; Alpher, Barry (eds.). Forty years on: Ken Hale and Australian languages(pdf). Pacific Linguistics 512. ANU. Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies. (Pacific Linguistics). pp. 45–69. ISBN085883524X. (pp.59-62 are specifically on Kaytetye)
Materials on Kaytetye are included in the open access Arthur Capell collections (AC1) held by Paradisec.
Koch, Harold (April 2018). "Chapter 10: The Development of Arandic Subsection Names in Time and Space". In McConvell, Patrick; Kelly, Piers; Lacrampe, Sébastien (eds.). Skin, Kin and Clan. ANU. doi:10.22459/SKC.04.2018. ISBN9781760461645. Has map and gives much info about Arrernte group and related languages.
