Lower Burdekin languages
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lower Burdekin languages were probably three distinct Australian Aboriginal languages spoken around the mouth of the Burdekin River in north Queensland. One short wordlist in each was collected in the 19th century, and published in the second volume of The Australian Race in 1886. These languages have since gone extinct, with no more having been recorded. Due to the paucity of the available data, we know almost nothing of their grammatical structure.
| English | Cunningham vocabulary |
Gorton vocabulary |
O'Connor vocabulary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kangaroo | hoora | wootha | arragoo |
| Opossum | moonganna | goong | onehunger |
| Tame dog | oogier | minde | oodoodoo |
| Emu | kowwerra | goondaloo | karboonmillery |
| Black duck | yammooroo | buggininulli | hoorooburry |
| Wood duck | mumboogooba | detto | culburh |
| Pelican | boloona | booloon | dooroomully |
| Laughing jackass | kowurgurra | kookaburra | karcoobura |
| Native companion | braroogan | buberenulli | kooroogowgun |
| White cockatoo | digooi | bugina | bunginna |
| Crow | wyaguna | wethergun | wombugah |
| Swan | woergerella | ||
| Egg | wyoorda | werroo | gunnoo |
| Track of a foot | dooigooburra | yulmun | |
| Fish | weenburra | kooia | weambura |
| Lobster | koongooya | goonaway | boogurrie |
| Crayfish | goombarroo | inundah | |
| Mosquito | kowearoo | dee | hoonhoono |
| Fly | karoovella | nin | |
| Snake | oongullab | wormbaloo | boongi (carpet) |
| The Blacks | murre | dulgooh | |
| A Blackfellow | dulgooh | ||
| A Black woman | wurrungooa | gungan | tudgegun |
| Nose | urrooa | woodroo | wuneary |
| Hand | mobirra | mulbroo | wurrumby |
| 2 Blacks | blarin dulgooh | ||
| 3 Blacks | wungoo dulgooh | ||
| One | warmina | warrin | |
| Two | blareena | bool | blarin |
| Three | kudjua | ka | wungoo |
| Four | kulburra | murragi | |
| Father | kiya | yaba, yabo | abah |
| Mother | younga | yanga | yunguma |
| Sister—Elder | kootha | kooda | |
| Brother—Elder | wabooa | kudun | |
| A young man | karrebella | thillagal | deebahgul |
| An old man | booingermunna | bunganan | nuganugamun |
| An old woman | boingergunna | bulnagun | bundeyun |
| A baby | mullererammoo | cowla | |
| A White man | yooarroo | yuarroo | |
| Children | erroomunna | moolaramoo | |
| Head | kurria | kabbon | karboyan |
| Eye | mudjura | deburri | deebara |
| Ear | awbilla [sic] | wobbilla | kungun |
| Mouth | da | yawirra | unga |
| Teeth | irra | woonung | dingull |
| Hair of the head | gunnarri | targuinn | |
| Beard | thungier | thungi | talba |
| Thunder | degoroo | digoro | burrahroo |
| Grass | wudthoor | quwytho | narahminie |
| Tongue | thullamia | dulling | |
| Stomach | bunboona | borlo | boonda |
| Breasts | woorga | wuggunna | dulnbinn |
| Thigh | toomburra | thoombur | duburrin |
| Foot | dingooburra | bulliger | dingooburra |
| Bone | bulbanna | mimmoon | |
| Blood | gwiburri | moondtha | queeberry |
| Skin | yoolanna | uline | mindeer |
| Fat | towie | koonoo, goomo | boongaroo |
| Bowels | gurroona | kullinga | yaboo |
| Excrement | goonna | goonna | guno |
| War-spear | nirremoo | woomburro | woolunbura |
| Reed-spear | wollaburra | (none used) | |
| Wommera or throwing-stick | birrana | buddurrie | |
| Shield | goolmurri | gooldinare | poodda poodda |
| Tomahawk | bulgooa | nubanin | oolun |
| Canoe | kobbetheba | bettel-bettel | karbeyal |
| Sun | burgorri | kartri | mulloun |
| Moon | bowarri | waboonburra | |
| Star | bunjoldi | tor, bangala | dirilger |
| Light | burgungubba | baragunna | |
| Dark | wooroowobba | moonoo | wulhurrie |
| Cold | didoora | detto | orbehgun |
| Heat | towarroo | moondo moondo | |
| Day | woorabunda | unbur | |
| Night | wooroonga | woormooga | |
| Fire | wygunna | booninin | neebull |
| Water | kowara | thoolanoo | dunjun |
| Smoke | toogar | doongin | |
| Ground | nannier | numera | dingur |
| Wind | quioona | queeyon | uinne |
| Rain | yoogana | broothi | marroo |
| Wood | doola | dulla | moora |
| Stone | burreea | burtheroo | bungil |
| Camp | yaamba | yamba | midera |
| Yes | yea | umba | yu yow |
| No | kurra | kateka | karbil |
| I | iyooa | uda | |
| You | yindooa | ninda | |
| Bark | bulgan | boogoo | bulgun |
| Good | boongoon | ||
| Bad | kooyooa | diga | |
| Sweet | kowangubba | goondi | |
| Food | igango | dungee, ogoo | |
| Hungry | nagnoora | kabbil | garoo |
| Thirsty | dthunginna | armboo yulburana | |
| Eat | igango | dulgee ogoo | |
| Sleep | boogoora | boogooroo | boog oggba |
| Drink | bithungo | bitthana | kudge ogoo |
| Walk | kunnaigo | warin | |
| See | timmi | thimmi | na |
| Sit | thunnango | thunara | duri |
| Yesterday | yambowerroe | dirrierih | |
| To-day | nilla | nilla | cudgin |
| To-morrow | burgenda | burringa | burrigunda |
| Where are the Blacks? | ondia murre? | ulba dalgul? | |
| I don't know | kurra mira | carbilbrather | |
| Plenty | qniarilla [sic] | murrgi | |
| Big | wiarra | yunga | |
| Little | wa-baw-au-boona | wabungam | arbooro |
| Dead | waulgoona | wolgoon | walgoon |
| By-and-by | thagoo | boodinhi | |
| Come on | kowa | kooa |
[edit] References
- Curr, Edward Micklethwaite (1886). The Australian Race: Its Origin, Languages, Customs, Place of Landing in Australia, and the Routes by Which It Spread Itself over That Continent. Melbourne: Government Printer.
- Dixon, R. M. W. (2002). Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development. Cambridge University Press. ISBN-10: 0521473780, ISBN-13: 9780521473781.
