Martu Wangka dialect

Martu Wangka
RegionNorthwest Western Australia
EthnicityKartudjara, Manjiljarra, Yulparija, Maduwongga
Native speakers
814 (2021 census)
Language codes
ISO 639-3mpj
Glottologmart1256
AIATSISA86
ELPMartu Wangka

Martu Wangka is a variety of the Western Desert language that emerged during the 20th century in Western Australia as several Indigenous communities shifted from their respective territories to form a single community.

It refers to both a dialect found at and around Jigalong, Western Australia and many different dialect groups in the Gibson, Little Sandy and Great Sandy deserts.

A dictionary of over 400 pages was published in 1992. This dictionary has been described as "a volume of interim work-sheets" that was published to encourage the conservation of the language. An edited version was published in 2005. An introduction to the structure and use of Martu Wangka was published in 2017.