MIRIMA DAWANG WOORLAB-GERRING LANGUAGE AND CULTURE CENTRE
Knut Olawsky works with Indigenous languages of Australia, including documentation work and language maintenance and revitalization efforts.

This presentation investigates the in-progress development of an orthography for Kununurra Kriol, which has been formally identified as a distinct dialect of Kimberley Kriol only recently. There are existing spelling systems for Northern Territory Kriol and Kimberley Kriol, and the decision to introduce yet another set of spelling conventions is not taken lightly. The main criteria for promoting a separate spelling system for Kununurra Kriol are related to linguistic differences and community identity. This presentation sheds light on the different steps of orthography development for this speech community, investigates the relevant issues, and connects the findings with the concept of linguistic identity.

Zoom link available upon request from Dr Alex Walker