Saturday 11th August, 2024: Felicity Meakins, Professor of Linguistics, The University of Queensland; Pronouns in Indigenous Languages
LISTEN TO PODCAST NOW
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:53 — 16.3MB)
Subscribe or Follow Us: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS
Gendered pronouns have become a contested part of language since we became more aware of the effects pronoun usage have on transgender and non-binary people. Different languages have different solutions. For example, it has become commonplace in English to extend the non-specific singular use of they to a specific use.
For most of Australia’s 460 First Nations languages, this issue does not exist. There is no gender distinction between third-person singular pronouns (she/he/it), except in a very few languages such as Murrinhpatha in the Northern Territory’s Daly River area.
Nyantu and similar sounding words are common pronouns used in many languages to cover she/he/it. Other First Languages use pronoun word endings, and many do not have a form for the third-person singular pronoun she/he/it. This means that not adding an ending to a word indicates she/he/it.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:53 — 16.3MB)
Subscribe or Follow Us: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS
RECENT PODCAST
Sat, 31st Jan, 2026: Glen Charlie Dunks, Film Critic, Oscar Nominations: Sunrises? Shuns? and Duds?
For the last segment of the week, Nevena and Kenny were joined live in the studio by Glen Charlie Dunks, ...
LISTEN TO PODCAST NOW
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:25 — 15.4MB)
Subscribe or Follow Us: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS
Sat, 31st Jan, 2026: Alex Makin, Lord Mayor, City of Port Phillip, Latest in City of Port Phillip including the forthcoming St Kilda Festival
Nevena and Kenny are joined live in the studio by Alex Makin, Lord Mayor, City of Port Phillip, Latest in ...
LISTEN TO PODCAST NOW
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:07 — 12.7MB)
Subscribe or Follow Us: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS
Sat, 31st Jan, 2026: Lucio Ribeiro – Chief Innovation Officer, TBWA Australia; Will AI Democratise or Terrorise?
Nevena and Kenny are joined live in the studio by Lucio Ribeiro - Chief Innovation Officer, TBWA Australia; RMIT Lecturer ...
LISTEN TO PODCAST NOW
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:11 — 15.1MB)
Subscribe or Follow Us: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS