Two different aboriginal languages belong to the Mutawintji area. One includes Pantjikali, Wanyuparlku and Wilyakali. The other includes Malyangapa.
Pantjikali, Wanyuparlku and Wilyakali are varieties of the same language. Other varieties of this language are Kurnu, Paaruntji, Nhaawuparlku, Thangkakali, Paakantji, Parrintji and Marrawarra. In the old days these names were the usual way people referred to their language and their country. Today, with less access to some of these countries, with several generations of living mainly in the river towns and with nearly everyone having at least one ancestor from the river, many people usually call the language Paakantji because Paaka is the Darling River. A more inclusive name for the language is Wiimpatja Parlku, meaning Aboriginal language. Both these names refer to the main Aboriginal language in use in the region today. Wiimpatja is the word for person in this language and is the most common word Aboriginal people in the region use for themselves today.
Malyangapa is a variety of the next language to the west. Other varieties of this language are Watikali and Yardliyawara. Yarli is the word for person in this language
To begin to understand the spelling of Wiimpatja Parlku sounds, remember that:
- p can sound like English “p” or “b”,
- t can sound like English “t” or “d”,
- k can sound like English “k” or “g”,
- i is like the vowel in English “pit”,
- a is like the vowel in English “but”,
- u is like the vowel in English “pull”, and
- if the vowels are doubled they are the same sound made longer.
The spelling “Mutawintji” was adopted by the Mutawintji Local Aboriginal Land Council in 1985 to follow the spelling system of the Wilcannia community language program.