Intergenerational changes in Gurindji Kriol

Abstract

This paper explores intergenerational changes in Gurindji Kriol, in order to determine whether differences between adults and children are the result of an abrupt generational shift or an extended acquisition process. We analyse the production of Gurindji in the speech of five age groups of Gurindji Kriol speakers, using a set of 176 picture-prompt narratives from 70 different speakers. The data is analysed both synchronically (in apparent-time) and diachronically (in real-time). The synchronic snapshot of the data reveals that adults use significantly more Gurindji than children which can be interpreted as a generational shift towards Kriol. Nonetheless the real-time data shows that most children increase their use of Gurindji as they age which suggests an extended acquisition of Gurindji. Although contradictory on the surface, this study argues that these processes are occurring in tandem, with the extended acquisition of Gurindji by children slowing down the intergenerational shift towards Kriol.