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Wagiman

The Wagiman, also spelt Wagoman, Wagaman, Wogeman, and other variants, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Northern Territory.

Language

The Wagiman language is a language isolate. It has been contrasted for its comparative roughness to the smooth, euphonious sound of Marrithiel spoken down country by the Marrithiyal people.[1]

Country

The Wagiman had, in Tindale's estimation, approximately 1,800 square miles (4,700 km2) of territory in the area southwest of the Daly River, and in the area of Dorisvale, and from Bamboo Creek northwards as far as Douglas Homestead. Their frontier to the west, west of Oooloo, lay on the Daly River Crossing close to Mount Nancar, a place where they were accustomed to meet up with the neighbouring tribes, the Kamor and Ngolokwangga.[2] It was considered a stony country.[1]

Social organisation

The western tribes of the Wagiman were called collectively the Wongkakaringa, according to Tindale.[2]

Alternative names

  • Wagaman,[3] Wageman, Wogeman
  • Wongkakaringa
  • Ongkakaringa[4]

Notes

Citations

  1. ^ a b Stanner 1938, p. 102.
  2. ^ a b Tindale 1974, p. 236.
  3. ^ Stanner 1936.
  4. ^ Tindale 1974, p. 442.

Sources