[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]
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Note to Map 15: Where Tarputa is used, Tjanamilytjan is used as well.
Map 15: Distribution of relative terms for GENERATIONAL moieties
The distribution of relative terms for GENERATIONAL moieties is fairly even throughout the
Western Desert. Indeed, most groups use the “we/we group” and “they/they group” gloss in the
forms of Nganantarka and Tjanamiltyan, albeit sometimes recorded with different spellings or
local usages. Tarputa is mentioned by earlier sources; however, it always seems to work as a
synonym for Tjanamiltyan, and I have personally never heard this term among Ngaatjatjatra-
speaking people. They prefer to use the absolute tenriiuology see following table and map,
with one exception, Yinyun-pa, a term that simultaneously means “the other moiety” and
“wrong marriage”. Some variations are found among the peripheral Western Desert dialects
such as those of the Mardu and Kukatja in the Balgo area. Both moiety names Marira of the
Mardu and Mazingara of the Kukatja, as well as Yinara of the Mardu and Yinyarungura of the
Kukatja could be cognates. It could well be that the term Ymyunpa found in the central areas
is a cognate of Yinara and Yinyarungura. This could give further evidence for the cultural
connection between the Pintupi area and the southern Kimberleys and Pilbara. Let us now
consider the distribution of the absolute nomenclature for the GENERATIONAL moieties.