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
20 core words in Noongar
Water
kep
/kep/
Fire
kaarl
/kaːɻl/
Sun
ngangk
/ŋaŋk/
Moon
miyak
/mijak/
Mother
ngangk
/ŋaŋk/
Father
maam
/maːm/
Eat
ngarn
/ŋaɻn/
Drink
ngarn
/ŋaɻn/
Love
djaadjam
/dʒaːdʒam/
Heart
kortang
/koɻtaŋ/
Tree
boorn
/boːɻn/
House
mia
/maja/
Dog
dwert
/dweɻt/
Cat
nguni
/ŋuni/
Hand
mar
/maɻ/
Eye
mel
/mel/
Hello
kaya
/kaja/
Thank you
boordawan
/boːɻdawan/
One
keny
/keɲ/
Good
kwobidak
/kwobidak/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Pama-Nyungan languages
| Meaning | Noongar | Olkol | Nhanda | Warnman | Pitjantjatjara | Pintupi-Luritja | Adnyamathanha |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kep /kep/ | kupa /kupa/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | awi /awi/ |
| Fire | kaarl /kaːɻl/ | paral /paɻal/ | warla /waɻla/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | warlu /waɻlu/ |
| Sun | ngangk /ŋaŋk/ | naŋkari /naŋkaɻi/ | ngama /ŋama/ | tjirntu /cinʈu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | yidnu /jidnu/ |
| Moon | miyak /mijak/ | kakal /kakal/ | kanyala /kaɲala/ | kintirriny /kinʈiriɲ/ | pira /piɻa/ | pira /piɻa/ | vuyu /vuju/ |
| Mother | ngangk /ŋaŋk/ | ngangi /ŋaŋi/ | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | nyangka /ɲaŋka/ |
| Father | maam /maːm/ | kaba /kaba/ | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | kirrki /kiɻki/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | arndu /aɳɖu/ |
| Eat | ngarn /ŋaɻn/ | ngarinya /ŋaɻiɲa/ | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | ngarra /ŋaɻa/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngalkanha /ŋalkan̪a/ |
| Drink | ngarn /ŋaɻn/ | kupa nyaa /kupa ɲaː/ | nyuna /ɲuna/ | nyaa /ɲaː/ | tjikini /cikini/ | tjikini /cikini/ | ulpanha /ulpan̪a/ |
| Love | djaadjam /dʒaːdʒam/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | mukunha /mukun̪a/ |
| Heart | kortang /koɻtaŋ/ | piku /piku/ | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | kurda /kuɖa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kurda /kuɖa/ |
| Tree | boorn /boːɻn/ | warray /waɾaj/ | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | watiya /watija/ | punu /punu/ | punu /punu/ | urtu /uʈu/ |
| House | mia /maja/ | mariŋ /maɻiŋ/ | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | vakali /vakali/ |
| Dog | dwert /dweɻt/ | kunpa /kunpa/ | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | walyamarra /waʎamaɻa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | vurlpu /vuɻlpu/ |
| Cat | nguni /ŋuni/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | ngarda /ŋaɖa/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | vunmara /vunmaɻa/ |
| Hand | mar /maɻ/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ |
| Eye | mel /mel/ | mil /mil/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | mina /mina/ |
| Hello | kaya /kaja/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ |
| Thank you | boordawan /boːɻdawan/ | marlu /maɻlu/ | marlu /maɻlu/ | walytjarra /waʎcaɻa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | mukunha /mukun̪a/ |
| One | keny /keɲ/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kutju /kucu/ | kutju /kucu/ | mukuna /mukuna/ |
| Good | kwobidak /kwobidak/ | palya /paʎa/ | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | ngarrkanha /ŋaɻkan̪a/ |
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