Cultural Resilience in the Face of Language Shift in Kununurra, Western Australia

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dc.bibliographicCitation.firstPage53
dc.bibliographicCitation.lastPage70
dc.bibliographicCitation.volume42
dc.contributor.authorBatchelor, Thomas
dc.contributor.editorAdone, Dany
dc.contributor.editorGosebrink, Anna
dc.date.accessioned2025-08-29T10:13:37Z
dc.date.available2025-08-29T10:13:37Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstractLanguage shift has been a major feature associated with the linguistic history of Australia since European invasion, with catastrophic results for the linguistic ecology of the continent. Whilst language shift is often associated with the loss of traditional cultural, ecological and linguistic knowledge, there is still the potential for their transmission into the newly adopted language. In this paper, we examine the potential for continuity of Miriwoong culture as the community has shifted towards Kununurra Kriol as their main language of everyday use, a Creole language that emerged in the community following the devastating impacts of colonisation and subsequent decline and endangerment of the traditional Miriwoong language. The transmission of Miriwoong knowledge and culture is demonstrated through the use of code-switching and integration of Miriwoong loanwords into Kununurra Kriol, as well as the calquing of Miriwoong-language concepts into the new language. A strong Miriwoong identity is further reflected in individuals’ conceptions of the new language. This paper shows that, whilst the effects of language shift are catastrophic, the culture remains a living one.
dc.identifier.doi10.35515/zfa/asj.42/2025.05
dc.identifier.urihttp://resolver.sub.uni-goettingen.de/purl?fidaac-11858/3655
dc.language.isoeng
dc.relation.journalZeitschrift für Australienstudien / Australian Studies Journal
dc.rightsCC BY-NC-ND 4.0
dc.subject.ddcddc:305
dc.subject.ddcddc:400
dc.subject.fieldaustralianstudies
dc.subject.fieldindigenousstudies
dc.subject.fieldlinguistics
dc.subject.fieldpostcolonial
dc.titleCultural Resilience in the Face of Language Shift in Kununurra, Western Australia
dc.title.specialissueContemporary Australia and Emerging Challenges
dc.typearticle
dc.type.versionpublishedVersion
dspace.entity.typePublication

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Zeitschrift für Australienstudien / Australian Studies Journal; Vol. 42 (2025)