Ngunnawal
Pama-Nyungan
Ngunnawal (also Ngunawal, Yuin) is a Pama-Nyungan language of the Yuin-Kuric subgroup, the traditional language of the Ngunnawal people of the Australian Capital Territory and surrounding southeast NSW. The Ngunnawal Country includes the entire Canberra basin and the Yass Valley plateau. Last fluent L1 speakers passed in the early 20th century after severe colonial disruption, but the United Ngunnawal Elders Council and the ACT Aboriginal Language Centre have led an active community revival since the 1990s, with ~5,000 heritage learners through school programs at the Australian National University and ACT public schools. Traditional Ngunnawal vocabulary survives in Canberra-area placenames (Tidbinbilla, Tuggeranong, Murrumbidgee), and is increasingly used in welcome ceremonies and public signage in the ACT.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Ngunnawal
Water
kungal
/kuŋal/
Fire
warba
/waɻba/
Sun
guma
/ɡuma/
Moon
birrang
/biɻaŋ/
Star
dyurra
/ɟura/
Mother
guni
/ɡuni/
Father
pumba
/pumba/
I
ngaya
/ŋaja/
You
ngindu
/ŋindu/
Name
yini
/jini/
Eye
mil
/mil/
Hand
mara
/maɻa/
Heart
gauar
/ɡauar/
Love
marmit
/maɻmit/
Tree
warabi
/waɻabi/
House
kuni
/kuni/
Dog
mirri
/miɻi/
Cat
poosi
/puːsi/
Eat
daring
/daɻiŋ/
Drink
nyu
/ɲu/
One
guma
/ɡuma/
Two
bula
/bula/
Hello
yumalundi
/jumalundi/
Thank you
miyamala
/mijamala/
Good
walunga
/waluŋa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Pama-Nyungan languages
| Meaning | Ngunnawal | Nhanda | Pintupi-Luritja | Warnman | Pitjantjatjara | Olkol | Wiradjuri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kungal /kuŋal/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kupa /kupa/ | galing /ˈɡaliŋ/ |
| Fire | warba /waɻba/ | warla /waɻla/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | paral /paɻal/ | wiiny /wiːɲ/ |
| Sun | guma /ɡuma/ | wurʼa /wuɾʔa/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tjirntu /cinʈu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | naŋkari /naŋkaɻi/ | yiray /ˈjiɻaj/ |
| Moon | birrang /biɻaŋ/ | kanyala /kaɲala/ | pira /piɻa/ | kintirriny /kinʈiriɲ/ | pira /piɻa/ | kakal /kakal/ | giwang /ˈɡiwaŋ/ |
| Star | dyurra /ɟura/ | indiya /indija/ | kililpi /kiˈlilpi/ | biyi /biji/ | kililpil /kiˈlilpil/ | el idnban /el ˈidnban/ | giralang /ˈɡiɻalaŋ/ |
| Mother | guni /ɡuni/ | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngama /ŋama/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngangi /ŋaŋi/ | gunhi /ˈɡun̪i/ |
| Father | pumba /pumba/ | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | mama /mama/ | kirrki /kiɻki/ | mama /mama/ | kaba /kaba/ | babiin /ˈbabiːn/ |
| I | ngaya /ŋaja/ | ngayi /ŋaji/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ | ngayu /ŋaju/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ | ay /aj/ | ngadhu /ˈŋad̪u/ |
| You | ngindu /ŋindu/ | nyini /ɲini/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | inag /inaɡ/ | ngindhu /ˈŋind̪u/ |
| Name | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | ini /ini/ | ukal /ukal/ | yuwin /ˈjuwin/ |
| Eye | mil /mil/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | mil /mil/ | miil /miːl/ |
| Hand | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | marra /ˈmara/ |
| Heart | gauar /ɡauar/ | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kurda /kuɖa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | piku /piku/ | giiny /ɡiːɲ/ |
| Love | marmit /maɻmit/ | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | warabi /waɻabi/ | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | punu /punu/ | watiya /watija/ | punu /punu/ | warray /waɾaj/ | madhan /ˈmad̪an/ |
| House | kuni /kuni/ | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | mariŋ /maɻiŋ/ | ngurang /ˈŋuɻaŋ/ |
| Dog | mirri /miɻi/ | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | papa /papa/ | walyamarra /waʎamaɻa/ | papa /papa/ | kunpa /kunpa/ | mirri /ˈmiri/ |
| Cat | poosi /puːsi/ | paka /paka/ | pusi /pusi/ | ngarda /ŋaɖa/ | pusi /pusi/ | paka /paka/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | daring /daɻiŋ/ | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngarra /ŋaɻa/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngarinya /ŋaɻiɲa/ | dharra /ˈd̪ara/ |
| Drink | nyu /ɲu/ | nyuna /ɲuna/ | tjikini /cikini/ | nyaa /ɲaː/ | tjikini /cikini/ | kupa nyaa /kupa ɲaː/ | widyarra /ˈwiɟara/ |
| One | guma /ɡuma/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kutju /kucu/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kutju /kucu/ | kuyu /kuju/ | ngumbaay /ˈŋumbaːj/ |
| Two | bula /bula/ | wuthada /wut̪aɖa/ | kutjarra /kucaɾa/ | kujarra /kuɟara/ | kutjara /kucaɻa/ | uchir /utʃir/ | bula /ˈbula/ |
| Hello | yumalundi /jumalundi/ | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | — /—/ | yaama /ˈjaːma/ |
| Thank you | miyamala /mijamala/ | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | walytjarra /waʎcaɻa/ | palya /paʎa/ | — /—/ | mandaang guwu /ˈmandaːŋ ˈɡuwu/ |
| Good | walunga /waluŋa/ | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | marang /ˈmaɻaŋ/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.