Ngunnawal–Gundungurra language

Ngunnawal/Ngunawal and Gundungurra are Australian Aboriginal languages, and the traditional languages of the Ngunnawal and Gandangara. Ngunnawal and Gundungurra are very closely related and the two were most likely highly mutually intelligible. As such they can be considered dialects of a single unnamed language, but this is the technical linguistic usage of these terms and Ngunnawal and Gundungurra peoples prefer to describe their individual varieties as separate languages in their own right.^[2]

Ngunawal–Gundungurra
Burragorang, Northern Inland Yuin
Onerwal
Region	New South Wales and the ACT Australia
Ethnicity	Ngunnawal, Gandangara
Extinct	by 1994 (Ngunnawal) 80 (2014, Gundungurra)
Revival	revival efforts for both languages
Language family	Pama–Nyungan Yuin–Kuric Yuin Ngunawal–Gundungurra
Dialects	Ngunawal/Ngunnawal Gundungurra
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Either: xul – Ngunawal xrd – Gundungurra
Glottolog	nort2760
AIATSIS[1]	D3 Ngunawal/Ngunnawal, S60 Gundungurra
ELP	Ngunawal Gundungurra

Classification

Gundungurra/Ngunawal is generally classified to fall within the tentative (and perhaps geographic) Yuin–Kuric group of the Pama–Nyungan family.^[3]

Geographical distribution

The traditional country of the Ngunnawal people is generally thought to have extended east near Goulburn, North to Boorowa, south through Canberra, perhaps even to Queanbeyan, and extending west to around the Goodradigbee River.^[2]

Current status

The language was extinct by 1994.^[4] Some recordings of the last native speakers exist, but they did not bring their children up to speak the language. The Ngunnawal community has for some years been engaged in work to revive the language, aiming to bring it back into daily use within the community. They have been working with AIATSIS linguists to assist them with this work, and with identifying historical records that can be used.^[5]

Phonology

Ngunawal consonants^[6][7]

	Labial	Apico- alveolar	Lamino- dental	Lamino- palatal	Dorso- velar
Stop	b	d	d̪	ɟ	g
Nasal	m	n	n̪	ɲ	ŋ
Trill		r
Lateral		l		ʎ
Approximant	w	ɹ		j

• Retroflex sounds [ɖ, ɳ, ɭ] may have also been recorded in limited distribution.
• Stops /b, d, ɟ, ɡ/ may also be heard as voiceless [p, t, c, k] when in word-final or syllable-final positions.
• /ɹ/ may have also been heard as [ɻ].^[7]

Ngunawal vowels^[6][7]

	Front	Central	Back
High	i, iː		u, uː
Low		a, aː

Vocabulary

Ngunawal words and phrases and English translations

Ngunawal	English	Ref.
Balbo	Kangaroo rat	[8]
Bamir	Long	[9]
Bargang	Yellow box	[10][11]
Berra	Boomerang	[12]
Bimbi	Bird	[11]
Bimbiang	Shield	[13]
Bindugan	Mussel	[14]
Birrigai	To laugh	[15][16]
Budyan	Birds	[17]
Bunburung	Small lizard	[18]
Bunduluk	Rosella	[19]
Bunima	Blow (as wind)	[14]
Burrai	Quick	[20]
Burrum-bah	Where the kangaroo, the wallaby, bounces over the rocks	[21]
Bural	Day	[22]
Burin	Stringybark	[23]
Dhangarn	Food	[24]
Daramoolen	Dreaming	[14]
Darwa	A transition for ceremony	[21]
Dulwa	Casuarina trees	[11]
Dyindan	Ring-tail possum	[14]
Galu	Crane	[25]
Gamburra	Flowers	[26]
Gang-gang	Gang-gang cockatoo	[27][6]
Giliruk	pee wee	[28]
Ginninderra	Sparkling light	[29]
Ginin-ginin-derry	Sparkling, throwing out little rays of light (possibly a description of a waterfall)	[30]
Gubbity	Pipeclay	[14]
Gubur Dhaura	Red ochre ground	[31]
Gudali	To hunt	[32]
Guginya	Kookaburra	[32]
Gula	Koala	[32]
Gulwan	Younger sister	[14]
Gummiuk	Bulrushes	[11]
Gunyan	Slow	[33]
Jedbinbilla	A place where boys become men	[15][21][34]
Gurubun	Koala	[35]
Kubbadang	Moon	[14]
Karrugang	Magpie	[36]
Kudyera	Fighting club	[37]
Kanbarra	Meeting Place[citation needed]
Madi	Very	[14]
Mulleun	Eagle	[38]
Mulunggang	Platypus	[39]
Mundang	Canoe	[40]
Mundawari	Bandicoot	[41]
Munjuwa	Tracks, Foot	[14]
Mura	Pathway	[32][42]
Mura gadi	Pathways for searching	[43]
Murra Bidgee Mullangari	Keeping the pathway to our ancestors alive	[44]
Murrung	Lizard	[45]
Nangi	To see or look	[46]
Narragunnawali	Alive/well-being/coming together	[47]
Nengi Bamir	See far (view)	[11]
Ngadyung	Water	[40]
Ngunna yerrabi yanggu	You're welcome to leave your footprints on our land	[48]
Nguru	Camp	[40]
Pajong	Ngunnawal clan group	[14]
Tuggeranong	Cold place	[49]
Umbagong	Axe	[50][51]
Walga	Hawk	[52]
Wallabalooa	Ngunnawal clan group	[14]
Warabin	Curlew	[53]
Warrumbul	Youth	[54]
Weereewa	Lake George (translates roughly to "bad water")	[21][55][56]
Wimbaliri	Drink	[14]
Winnunga nimmityjah	Strong health	[57]
Winyu	Sun	[58]
Wirria	Tree goanna	[59]
Woggabaliri	Play	[60]
Wolway	Waterfall	[61]
Yarrh	Running water	[62]
Yeal-am-bid-gie	Molonglo River	[63]
Yerra	Swim,[11] to fly like a bird[64]
Yerrabi	To walk	[65]
Yerradhang	Eucalyptus Tree	[14]
Yukkumbruk	Black Crow
Yumba	Eel	[66]
Yuyu	Mopoke	[14]

More words are compiled in The Wiradyuri and Other Languages of New South Wales,^[6][67] an article by Robert H. Mathews first published in the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute in 1904.