Nyungar wangkiny or language, and the commitment to it, is central to
Nyungar identity. As
Nyungar language was not written prior to colonisation, there are many spellings of the word
Nyungar itself (e.g.
Noongar, Nyoongar) and many other
Nyungar words.
Nyungar language is evident in place names, street names, plants and animals found throughout
Nyungar boodjar.
Nyungar words such as ‘
gidge’ for spear have also been incorporated into the Australian-English language,
Nyungar have remained faithful to our
Nyungar wangkiny despite regressive policies and practices imposed upon us.
Nyungar wangkiny assists in restoring and preserving
Nyungar ways of expressing culture and experience.
1 As stated by the late
Ballardong man Ralph Winmar (1996), Elder and “Keeper of the Stories”, “
Nyungar language has a harmonious quality, and it is a real treat to hear two fluent speakers in conversation.
2
There are often multiple names and/or multiple spellings of similar names. For example, ‘whale’ is written as
mamang, mamung, mummung, mammang, mamong, meemonga or
namang. As
Nyungar was not a written language before colonisation, these spellings represent variations in the interpretation by various recorders of the pronunciation of a given
Nyungar word. The pronunciation itself may also have varied from place to place or clan to clan. Here we include one spelling for each similar sounding name; hence for whale we present ‘
mamang’.
3
There may also be names for a single species that are quite different. These different names could represent different stages in the life cycle, different sexes, different features of the species’ lifestyle or regional variations in usage. For example, for humpback whale we found the names recorded as
goonga goombar (carrying a large neck or back),
booga bidern (back of whale a creating trail in water as it jumps, i.e. breaching) and b
ugal-el-ngor (literally hillock on back) (personal communication, Clint Bracknell and Len Collard).
This glossary is organised alphabetically for easy reference. Select or scroll through the following letter groups to find words:
A-D
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| Nyungar |
English |
Pronunciation Audio |
| Bada |
Lake Club Rush |
N/A |
| Bain |
Pigface (coastal plant) |
|
| Balga |
Grass Tree (plant) |
|
| Balyoongar |
Sand |
N/A |
| Bamba |
Stingray |
|
| Barndee |
Bream (fish) |
|
| Beeliar |
The suburb of Beeliar |
|
| Berang |
Harsh Hakea (plant) |
|
| Bibbul |
Prickly Leaf Paperbark (plant) |
N/A |
| Bidi |
Trail |
|
| Bindi-bindi |
Moth |
N/A |
| Birak |
Season December and January (The first Summer) |
|
| Birdak |
Robin Red Breast Bush (plant) |
N/A |
| Biriki mimodja |
Prickly Moses (plant) |
N/A |
| Bondil |
Spearwood |
N/A |
| Boodalang |
Australian Pelican |
N/A |
| Boodjar, or boodjera |
Country or land |
|
| Boodjar-gordo |
An island |
|
| Booga bidern |
Back of whale a creating trail in water as it jumps i.e. breaching |
|
| Booka |
Coat |
|
| Boolkaala |
Bull Banksia (plant) |
N/A |
| Boolyada |
One who possesses magic |
|
| Boorda |
Valley |
|
| Boornyarri |
Man's name |
|
| Booyee |
Rock |
|
| Booyeembara |
Booyeembara Park |
|
| Booyi |
Turtle (salt water) |
N/A |
| Borda borda |
Later on |
|
| Born or mardja |
Bloodroots (plant) |
|
| Bugal-el-ngor |
Literally hillock on back |
|
| Bulland |
Blue Crane, White-faced Heron, Grey Heron |
|
| Bullung |
Pelican |
|
| Bunuru |
Season February and March (The second Summer) |
|
| By-yu |
Zamia season or fruit |
|
| Coolbellup |
North Lake (the name Coolbellup now also refers to a whole suburb) |
|
| Coomarl |
Brushtail Possom |
|
| Daap |
Knife - ceremonial |
|
| Daatj |
Meat |
N/A |
| Dabakan Koorliny |
Go slowly, Walk slowly |
N/A |
| Dabedook |
Fanbelly Leatherjacket |
N/A |
| Dalagooroo |
The sound of the wind blowing |
|
| Derbal Nara |
Cockburn Sound - Derbal means estuary and Nara means salmon |
|
| Derbal Yaragan |
Swan River |
|
| Derbow |
Dive or stoop |
|
| Deree |
Trumpeter (fish) |
|
| Diert |
Birds |
N/A |
| Dilyordoo |
Swamp Harrier (bird) |
N/A |
| Djakat |
Roots |
|
| Djandjarak |
Black-winged Stilt (bird) |
N/A |
| Djeran |
Season April and May (The Autumn) |
|
| Djidi-djidi |
Willy Wagtail, Chitty Chitty |
|
| Djilba |
Season August and September (The second rains) |
|
| Djubak |
Orchids |
|
| Djuk; also weelarra, waang |
Sandalwood |
|
| Dogee |
Rain |
|
| Doordajee Doordajee |
She is going to have a baby |
|
| Dowak |
Short heavy stick |
|
| Dutark |
Whiting (fish) |
|
| Dwert |
Dingo or dog |
|
E-J
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| Nyungar |
English |
Pronunciation Audio |
| Gaba or gabbee |
Water |
|
| Gabee-wodin |
The main ocean |
|
| Gidgee or gidge |
Fishing spear |
|
| Gilbitch |
Parrotfish |
|
| Gilgie |
Freshwater crayfish |
|
| Gilgit Nyunakil |
Fishing Boat Harbour |
|
| Gnarnk |
Bloodline |
|
| Gnoort |
Horse |
|
| Gooiara |
Sand |
|
| Gooya |
Burrowing Frog |
|
| Goonga goombar |
Carrying a large neck or back (Humpback Whale) |
|
| Gwaga |
Quokka |
|
| Jeeriji |
Zamia (plant) |
|
| Jenna koorliny |
Walk |
|
| Jennark |
Spirit |
|
| Jimbar |
The jimbar was like a dinosaur, as big as a dinosaur |
|
| Joobaitch |
Nyungar man |
|
K-L
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| Nyungar |
English |
Pronunciation Audio |
| Kaanya |
Spirit |
|
| Kaarda |
Goanna |
|
| Kalkarda |
Mullet (fish) |
|
| Kambarang |
Season October and November |
|
| Kara |
Milkmaids (plant) |
|
| Kardagurt |
Shag / Pied Comorant |
|
| Kardang-gurrung |
WA Dhufish |
|
| Karreel |
Estuary Cobbler (fish) |
|
| Katitjin |
Knowledge |
|
| Katta |
Hill |
|
| Keirp |
Water |
|
| Kerbein |
Coastal Sword Sedge (plant) |
|
| Kieler |
Dolphin |
|
| Kodj |
Stone axe |
|
| Kodger cuttuck |
Pink snapper (fish) |
|
| Kooboorl kooboorlor koombar kumbariny |
That means the belly is getting big |
|
| Koorannup |
Spirit place across the sea |
|
| Koormul |
Possum |
|
| Koorndan |
Shame |
|
| Kooyal |
Frog |
|
| Kulbardi |
Magpie |
|
| Kuljak |
Swans |
|
| Kura |
Long time ago |
|
| Kura yeye boorda |
From the past today and into the future |
|
| Kurrlonggur |
Children |
|
| kurrlonggur ngarnk |
Child's mother |
|
| Kyli |
Boomerang |
|
M-N
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| Nyungar |
English |
Pronunciation Audio |
| Maaman or Maam |
Male - also father |
|
| Maaman mar |
Sea breeze |
|
| Maar-book |
The firmanent - also used to denote air |
|
| Makuru |
Season June and July (The first rains) |
|
| Mamong |
Whale |
|
| Mar |
Wind |
|
| Meeandip |
Garden Island |
|
| Meeka |
Moon |
|
| Meeka-derbaga |
The moon is set |
|
| Meen |
Roots |
|
| Mia |
Shelter hut camp |
|
| Miro |
Spear thrower |
|
| Moodjar |
Christmas Tree |
|
| Moort |
Family |
|
| Nanga-banya |
A hot or sweating sun |
|
| Nanga-ngnardog |
The sun is set |
|
| Nangar |
The stars |
|
| Ngoorndiny |
A Resting place - of the Waarkle |
|
| Nyilla-nyilla |
Mistletoe (plant) |
|
| Nyingar |
Echidna |
|
| Nyitting |
Cold time or Dreamtime |
|
| Nyungar or Noongar |
People |
|
O-Z
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| Nyungar |
English |
Pronunciation Audio |
| Waakal or Waarkle or Waugal |
Dream time rainbow serpent |
|
| Wadjemup |
Rottnest Island - Place of the Emus |
|
| Walgen |
Rainbow |
|
| Waitch |
Emu |
|
| Wardan |
Sea |
|
| Wardan gaba boodjera |
Sea side |
|
| Wardong |
Crow |
|
| Warra |
Bad |
|
| Wedjela or wedjella |
White person |
|
| Whadjuk |
The people of the Swan coastal plain. Could refer to Weitch, or emu |
|
| Wonna |
Women's digging stick |
|
| Woonda |
Shield |
|
| Woordanung |
Spirit place across the sea |
|
| Woorriji |
Lizard |
|
| Wort buranginy |
To pinch or grab the throat |
|
| Yondock |
Ancestral Crocodile |
|
| Yonka or yonga |
Kangaroo |
|
| Yorga |
Female |
|
| Yorga mar |
Easterly land breeze |
|