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
20 core words in Ngunnawal
Water
kungal
/kuŋal/
Fire
warba
/waɻba/
Sun
guma
/ɡuma/
Moon
birrang
/biɻaŋ/
Mother
guni
/ɡuni/
Father
pumba
/pumba/
Eat
daring
/daɻiŋ/
Drink
nyu
/ɲu/
Love
marmit
/maɻmit/
Heart
mara
/maɻa/
Tree
warabi
/waɻabi/
House
kuni
/kuni/
Dog
mirri
/miɻi/
Cat
poosi
/puːsi/
Hand
mara
/maɻa/
Eye
mil
/mil/
Hello
yumalundi
/jumalundi/
Thank you
miyamala
/mijamala/
One
guma
/ɡuma/
Good
walunga
/waluŋa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Pama-Nyungan languages
| Meaning | Ngunnawal | Nhanda | Olkol | Pitjantjatjara | Pintupi-Luritja | Warnman | Adnyamathanha |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kungal /kuŋal/ | kapi /kapi/ | kupa /kupa/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | awi /awi/ |
| Fire | warba /waɻba/ | warla /waɻla/ | paral /paɻal/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | warlu /waɻlu/ |
| Sun | guma /ɡuma/ | ngama /ŋama/ | naŋkari /naŋkaɻi/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tjirntu /cinʈu/ | yidnu /jidnu/ |
| Moon | birrang /biɻaŋ/ | kanyala /kaɲala/ | kakal /kakal/ | pira /piɻa/ | pira /piɻa/ | kintirriny /kinʈiriɲ/ | vuyu /vuju/ |
| Mother | guni /ɡuni/ | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | ngangi /ŋaŋi/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | nyangka /ɲaŋka/ |
| Father | pumba /pumba/ | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | kaba /kaba/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | kirrki /kiɻki/ | arndu /aɳɖu/ |
| Eat | daring /daɻiŋ/ | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | ngarinya /ŋaɻiɲa/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngarra /ŋaɻa/ | ngalkanha /ŋalkan̪a/ |
| Drink | nyu /ɲu/ | nyuna /ɲuna/ | kupa nyaa /kupa ɲaː/ | tjikini /cikini/ | tjikini /cikini/ | nyaa /ɲaː/ | ulpanha /ulpan̪a/ |
| Love | marmit /maɻmit/ | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | mukunha /mukun̪a/ |
| Heart | mara /maɻa/ | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | piku /piku/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kurda /kuɖa/ | kurda /kuɖa/ |
| Tree | warabi /waɻabi/ | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | warray /waɾaj/ | punu /punu/ | punu /punu/ | watiya /watija/ | urtu /uʈu/ |
| House | kuni /kuni/ | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | mariŋ /maɻiŋ/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | ngurra /ŋuɻa/ | vakali /vakali/ |
| Dog | mirri /miɻi/ | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | kunpa /kunpa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | walyamarra /waʎamaɻa/ | vurlpu /vuɻlpu/ |
| Cat | poosi /puːsi/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | ngarda /ŋaɖa/ | vunmara /vunmaɻa/ |
| Hand | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ |
| Eye | mil /mil/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | mil /mil/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | mina /mina/ |
| Hello | yumalundi /jumalundi/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ |
| Thank you | miyamala /mijamala/ | marlu /maɻlu/ | marlu /maɻlu/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | walytjarra /waʎcaɻa/ | mukunha /mukun̪a/ |
| One | guma /ɡuma/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kutju /kucu/ | kutju /kucu/ | kuyu /kuju/ | mukuna /mukuna/ |
| Good | walunga /waluŋa/ | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | ngarrkanha /ŋaɻkan̪a/ |
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