Since 2024 I have been working on a semantic analysis of the tense-aspect-modality system in Miriwoong. Miriwoong is a non-Pama-Nyungan language traditionally spoken around the Ord River in the East Kimberley, and the Keep River in the north-west of the Northern Territory. Today the majority of Miriwoong people speak a variety of Kriol as their first language.
My work forms part of a larger effort of linguists and community members to describe Miriwoong grammar and revitalize Miriwoong language use in the community. My research on the tense-aspect-modality system of Miriwoong aims to directly inform revitalization work being done through Mirima Dawang Woorlab-gerring language and culture centre. I also hope that this work will contribute to the small but growing study of tense, aspect and modality in Australian languages, and typologically diverse languages more generally, to better understand how these grammatical domains are structured cross-linguistically.
If you have questions about this part of Miriwoong grammar you are welcome to get in touch with me.
Relevant publications:
Brown, C (accepted). Pluractionality and atelicity in Miriwoong. Australian Journal of Linguistics.
Brown, C (2025). Overview of mood and modality in Miriwoong. ms.
Connor Brown - Linguist 