Noongar wangkiny
Noongar
Pama-Nyungan
Noongar (also Nyungar, Whadjuk, Wadjak) is the language of the Noongar people, the traditional owners of the south-west corner of Western Australia (from Geraldton south to Esperance and Albany). The Noongar nation comprises 14 sub-groups (Whadjuk, Yued, Ballardong, Wilman, Kaneang, Wardandi, Nyaki Nyaki, Bibbulmun, Pibelmen, Pinjareb, Wudjari, Mineng, Goreng, Njungar) speaking mutually-intelligible Noongar varieties. Heavily impacted by colonization (Noongar communities in Perth had European contact from 1829), the language nearly went extinct, but the Noongar Boodjar Language Centre and the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council have led an active revitalization since the 1990s. Today ~370 fluent speakers + ~3,000 partial learners; Noongar is taught in some Perth schools.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Noongar
Water
kep
/kep/
Fire
kaarl
/kaːɻl/
Sun
ngangk
/ŋaŋk/
Moon
miyak
/mijak/
Star
djinda
/ɟinda/
Mother
ngangk
/ŋaŋk/
Father
maam
/maːm/
I
ngany
/ŋaɲ/
You
noonook
/nunuk/
Name
kwerl
/kwɛɻl/
Eye
mel
/mel/
Hand
mar
/maɻ/
Heart
kortang
/koɻtaŋ/
Love
djaadjam
/dʒaːdʒam/
Tree
boorn
/boːɻn/
House
mia
/maja/
Dog
dwert
/dweɻt/
Cat
nguni
/ŋuni/
Eat
ngarn
/ŋaɻn/
Drink
ngarn
/ŋaɻn/
One
keny
/keɲ/
Two
koodjal
/kuɟal/
Hello
kaya
/kaja/
Thank you
boordawan
/boːɻdawan/
Good
kwobidak
/kwobidak/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Pama-Nyungan languages
| Meaning | Noongar | Warnman | Pintupi-Luritja | Pitjantjatjara | Olkol | Nhanda | Ngunnawal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kep /kep/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kupa /kupa/ | kapi /kapi/ | kungal /kuŋal/ |
| Fire | kaarl /kaːɻl/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | paral /paɻal/ | warla /waɻla/ | warba /waɻba/ |
| Sun | ngangk /ŋaŋk/ | tjirntu /cinʈu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | naŋkari /naŋkaɻi/ | wurʼa /wuɾʔa/ | guma /ɡuma/ |
| Moon | miyak /mijak/ | kintirriny /kinʈiriɲ/ | pira /piɻa/ | pira /piɻa/ | kakal /kakal/ | kanyala /kaɲala/ | birrang /biɻaŋ/ |
| Star | djinda /ɟinda/ | biyi /biji/ | kililpi /kiˈlilpi/ | kililpil /kiˈlilpil/ | el idnban /el ˈidnban/ | indiya /indija/ | dyurra /ɟura/ |
| Mother | ngangk /ŋaŋk/ | ngama /ŋama/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngangi /ŋaŋi/ | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | guni /ɡuni/ |
| Father | maam /maːm/ | kirrki /kiɻki/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | kaba /kaba/ | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | pumba /pumba/ |
| I | ngany /ŋaɲ/ | ngayu /ŋaju/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ | ay /aj/ | ngayi /ŋaji/ | ngaya /ŋaja/ |
| You | noonook /nunuk/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | inag /inaɡ/ | nyini /ɲini/ | ngindu /ŋindu/ |
| Name | kwerl /kwɛɻl/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | ini /ini/ | ukal /ukal/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ |
| Eye | mel /mel/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | mil /mil/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | mil /mil/ |
| Hand | mar /maɻ/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ |
| Heart | kortang /koɻtaŋ/ | kurda /kuɖa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | piku /piku/ | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | gauar /ɡauar/ |
| Love | djaadjam /dʒaːdʒam/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | marmit /maɻmit/ |
| Tree | boorn /boːɻn/ | watiya /watija/ | punu /punu/ | punu /punu/ | warray /waɾaj/ | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | warabi /waɻabi/ |
| House | mia /maja/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | mariŋ /maɻiŋ/ | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | kuni /kuni/ |
| Dog | dwert /dweɻt/ | walyamarra /waʎamaɻa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | kunpa /kunpa/ | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | mirri /miɻi/ |
| Cat | nguni /ŋuni/ | ngarda /ŋaɖa/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | poosi /puːsi/ |
| Eat | ngarn /ŋaɻn/ | ngarra /ŋaɻa/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngarinya /ŋaɻiɲa/ | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | daring /daɻiŋ/ |
| Drink | ngarn /ŋaɻn/ | nyaa /ɲaː/ | tjikini /cikini/ | tjikini /cikini/ | kupa nyaa /kupa ɲaː/ | nyuna /ɲuna/ | nyu /ɲu/ |
| One | keny /keɲ/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kutju /kucu/ | kutju /kucu/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kuyu /kuju/ | guma /ɡuma/ |
| Two | koodjal /kuɟal/ | kujarra /kuɟara/ | kutjarra /kucaɾa/ | kutjara /kucaɻa/ | uchir /utʃir/ | wuthada /wut̪aɖa/ | bula /bula/ |
| Hello | kaya /kaja/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | yumalundi /jumalundi/ |
| Thank you | boordawan /boːɻdawan/ | walytjarra /waʎcaɻa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | miyamala /mijamala/ |
| Good | kwobidak /kwobidak/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | walunga /waluŋa/ |
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