Scripture Resources

Nakkara (N80) is a non-Pama-Nyungan language which, due to shared structural features, has more in common with Ndjébbana N74 than with other languages in the region. The language name incorporates the demonstrative ‘kara, this-here’ meaning ‘this way’ or ‘with, using this one’; Eather classifies these two languages as members of the Gunwiynguan family (2011:1-3).

Based on a comparison of verb tense/status suffixes, Green classifies Nakkara (N80), Burarra N82, Gurr-goni N75 and Ndjebbana N74 as a ‘Maningrida subgroup’ of the larger Gunwinjguan language family, (Capell, Voegelin and Voegelin in Green, 1995:4-5).

Dixon places Nakkara and Ndjebbana N74 in the Maningrida sub-group of the higher level Arnhem Land Group (2002:xl). See also Gurr-goni N75 and Burarra N82.

The traditional tribal area of the Nakkara is a shallow coastal pocket in the Boucat Bay area extending from near the mouth of Garddjarrama (Gudjarama) Creek along the coast, east of Namayerra (Anameyerra) Creek to the mouth of the Blyth River, and inland about sixteen kilometres. The majority of Nakkara people now live in the government settlement of Maningrida (Eather 1990:4). The general associations were a shallow coastal pocket on Boucat Bay extending about 16km inland from Anamayirra Creek west to Garddjarrama Creek (Harvey ASEDA 802).