Ngunnawal language

Ngunnawal or Gundungurra is an extant Australian Aboriginal language, the traditional language of the Ngunnawal and Gandangara peoples. There are contradictory claims as to whether they are one language or two. The name Burragorang is applied to either.

Ngunnawal
Gundungurra
Onerwal Northern Inland Yuin
Region	New South Wales & ACT, Australia
Ethnicity	Ngunnawal, Gandangara
Extinct	(date missing)[1]
Language family	Pama–Nyungan Yuin–Kuric Yuin Ngunnawal
Dialects	Ngunawal Gundungurra
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Either: xul – Ngunawal xrd – Gundungurra
Glottolog	nort2760
AIATSIS[2]	D3 Ngunawal, S60 Gundungurra
ELP	Ngunawal[3]

Classification

Gundungurra/Ngunawal is generally classified to fall within the tentative (and perhaps geographic) Yuin–Kuric group of the Pama–Nyungan family.[4]

Sounds

Ngunnawal consonants[5]

	Bilabial	Apico-alveolar	Apico-post-alveolar / Retroflex	Lamino-dental	Lamino-palatal	Dorso-velar
Stop	b	d	rd	dh	dj	g
Nasal	m	n	rn	nh	nj	ng
Trill		rr
Lateral		l	rl		lj
Approximant	w		r		y

Ngunnawal vowels [5]

	Front	Central	Back
High	i, i:		u, u:
Low		a, a:

Ngunnawal words

Ngunnawal words and phrases and English translations

Ngunnawal	English	Ref.
Balbo	Kangaroo rat	[6]
Bamir	Long	[7]
Bargang	Yellow box	[8][9]
Berra	Boomerang	[10]
Bimbi	Bird	[9]
Bimbiang	Shield	[11]
Bindugan	Mussel	[12]
Birrigai	To laugh	[13][14]
Budyan	Birds	[15]
Bunburung	Small lizard	[16]
Bunduluk	Rosella	[17]
Bunima	Blow (as wind)	[12]
Burrai	Quick	[18]
Burrum-bah	Where the kangaroo, the wallaby, bounces over the rocks	[19]
Bural	Day	[20]
Burin	Stringybark	[21]
Dhangarn	Food	[22]
Daramoolen	Dreaming	[12]
Darwa	A transition for ceremony	[19]
Dulwa	Casuarina trees	[9]
Dyindan	Ring-tail possum	[12]
Galu	Crane	[23]
Gamburra	Flowers	[24]
Gang-gang	Gang-gang cockatoo	[25][26]
Giliruk	pee wee	[27]
Ginninderra	Sparkling light	[28]
Ginin-ginin-derry	Sparkling, throwing out little rays of light (possibly a description of a waterfall)	[29]
Gubbity	Pipeclay	[12]
Gubur Dhaura	Red ochre ground	[30]
Gudali	To hunt	[31]
Guginya	Kookaburra	[31]
Gula	Koala	[31]
Gulwan	Younger sister	[12]
Gummiuk	Bulrushes	[9]
Gunyan	Slow	[32]
Jedbinbilla	A place where boys become men	[13][19][33]
Gurubun	Koala	[34]
Kubbadang	Moon	[12]
Karrugang	Magpie	[35]
Kudyera	Fighting club	[36]
Madi	Very	[12]
Mulleun	Eagle	[37]
Mulunggang	Platypus	[38]
Mundang	Canoe	[39]
Mundawari	Bandicoot	[40]
Munjuwa	Tracks, Foot	[12]
Mura	Pathway	[31][41]
Mura gadi	Pathways for searching	[42]
Murra Bidgee Mullangari	Keeping the pathway to our ancestors alive	[43]
Murrung	Lizard	[44]
Nangi	To see or look	[45]
Narragunnawali	Alive/well-being/coming together	[46]
Nengi Bamir	See far (view)	[9]
Ngadyung	Water	[39]
Ngunna yerrabi yanggu	You're welcome to leave your footprints on our land	[47]
Nguru	Camp	[39]
Pajong	Ngunnawal clan group	[12]
Tuggeranong	Cold place	[48]
Umbagong	Axe	[49][50]
Walga	Hawk	[51]
Wallabalooa	Ngunnawal clan group	[12]
Warabin	Curlew	[52]
Warrumbul	Youth	[53]
Weereewa	Lake George (translates roughly to "bad water")	[19][54][55]
Wimbaliri	Drink	[12]
Winnunga nimmityjah	Strong health	[56]
Winyu	Sun	[57]
Wirria	Tree goanna	[58]
Woggabaliri	Play	[59]
Yarrh	Running water	[60]
Yeal-am-bid-gie	Molonglo River	[61]
Yerra	Swim,[9] to fly like a bird[62]
Yerrabi	To walk	[63]
Yerradhang	Eucalypt tree	[12]
Yukkumbruk	Black Crow
Yumba	Eel	[64]
wolway	waterfall	[65]
Yuyu	Mopoke	[12]

More words are compiled online in The Wiradyuri and Other Languages of New South Wales,[26] an article by Robert H. Mathews first published in the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute in 1904.

References

1. Ngunawal at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
   Gundungurra at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
2. D3 Ngunawal at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies  (see the info box for additional links)
3. Endangered Languages Project data for Ngunawal.
4. "AIATSIS Language and Peoples Thesaurus". Archived from the original on 19 March 2011.
5. Besold, Jutta (2012). "Language recovery of the New South Wales South Coast Aboriginal languages". Canberra: The Australian National University. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
6. "Balbo Place". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
7. "Bamir Square". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
8. "Bargang Crescent". 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
9. "Public Place Names (Belconnen) Determination 2004 (No 1)" (PDF). 8 September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
10. "Berra Close". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
11. "Bimbiang Crescent". 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
12. "Public Place Names (Ngunnawal) Determination 2013 (No 1)" (PDF).
13. "Aboriginal connections to Tidbinbilla". Archived from the original on 10 May 2013.
14. "Birrigai Square". 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
15. "Budyan Court". 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
16. "Bunburung Close". 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
17. "Bunduluk Crescent". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
18. "Burrai Place". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
19. "Stories from Ngunnawal Country - Mount Ainslie - The Ngunnawal Peoples". Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013.
20. "Bural Court". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
21. "Government Notices: Public Place Names Act 1989" (PDF). 14 April 1993. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2012.
22. Extravaganza at Tidbinbilla, 2011, retrieved 10 October 2013
23. "Galu Vista". 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
24. "Gamburra Street". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
25. "Gang-Gang" (PDF). July 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 May 2013.
26. Robert Hamilton Mathews. "The Wiradyuri and Other Languages of New South Wales". Archived from the original on 11 October 2013.
27. "Giliruk Crescent". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
28. "Middle School Ginninderra Award" (PDF). Burgmann Anglican School. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2013.
29. Doug Finlayson (4 May 2013). "Ginninderra Catchment Area Historical Notes".
30. "Where The Future Meets The Past: Heritage Enshrined In Our Newest Park Featured". 19 April 2012. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013.
31. Denise Sutherland. "The Canberra Puzzle Book". Archived from the original on 20 July 2008.
32. "Gunyan Place". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
33. "Aboriginal Heritage and the Cultural Landscape of the ACT". Archived from the original on 11 October 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
34. "Gurubun Close". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
35. "Karrugang Circuit". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
36. "Kudyera Place". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Archived from the original on 11 October 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2013.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
37. "Mulleun Close". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Archived from the original on 11 October 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2013.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
38. Terry Browne (October 2008), AFP - Platypus A survival story
39. "Public Place Names (Greenway) Determination 2004 (No 2)" (PDF). 8 September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
40. "Mundawari Circuit". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
41. "Mura® AIATSIS Collections Catalogue". Archived from the original on 24 September 2013.
42. Jan Fullerton. "Mura Gadi: Foreword". National Library of Australia. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012.
43. "Ngarrindjeri, Ngunnawal and Ngambri come together for the river dance to maintain an important tradition". National Indigenous Times. 9 October 2013. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013.
44. "Murrung Crescent". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
45. "Nangi Place". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
46. "Peace Park". National Capital Authority. Archived from the original on 12 February 2006.
47. "Menagerie: Contemporary Indigenous Sculpture: exhibition opening". National Museum Australia. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
48. "Our School". Gowrie Primary School. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013.
49. "LANDCARE TOUR DE CREEK : GINNINDERRA CREEK". Archived from the original on 9 February 2012.
50. Umbagong Landcare Group, Let's Discover Umbagong District Park (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 3 May 2013
51. "Walga Place". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
52. "Warabin Crescent". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
53. "Warrumbul Street". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
54. "Choreographic Fellowship options". Archived from the original on 15 June 2005.
55. David Mackenzie (2013), Werriwa (Bad Water)
56. Jane Belfrage (29 March 1989), Aborigines care for their health, against the odds, The Canberra Times (reproduced on Trove)
57. "ATSIC News". 2002. Archived from the original on 10 May 2004.
58. "Wirria Circuit". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
59. Australian Studies, archived from the original on 10 August 2013
60. "Yass Valley Management Plan" (PDF). 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2011.
61. Borders Of The Australian Capital Territory, retrieved 10 October 2013
62. "Yerra Court". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
63. "Yerrabi Pond". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
64. "Yumba Avenue". ACT Government. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
65. Tredinnick, Mark (23 November 2015). Blue Plateau: A Landscape Memoir. ISBN 9780702245497.

• Mathews, R. H. (July–December 1904). "The Wiradyuri and other languages of New South Wales". The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. 34: 284–305. doi:10.2307/2843103. JSTOR 2843103.

https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/research-themes/ngunawal-language-revival-project