Guugu Yimidhirr
Guugu Yimithirr
Pama-Nyungan (Paman, eastern Cape York)
Guugu Yimithirr (also Guugu Yimidhirr; ISO 639-3: kky) is a Paman language of the Pama-Nyungan family, traditionally spoken in country around the Endeavour River in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is now centered at Hope Vale and nearby communities north of Cooktown. The language is widely known for a spatial-reference system that frequently uses absolute cardinal directions, such as north and south, where many languages use speaker-centered terms like left and right. Research on this system has made Guugu Yimithirr important in studies of language, cognition, and spatial orientation. The English word “kangaroo” derives from gangurru, a Guugu Yimithirr word recorded from local speakers by members of James Cook’s expedition at the Endeavour River in 1770.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Guugu Yimithirr
Sources
- Haviland (1979) "Guugu Yimidhirr" in Dixon & Blake (eds.) Handbook of Australian Languages vol. 1, pp.27-180
- Haviland (1979) Guugu Yimidhirr Sketch Grammar (ANU Press)
- Levinson (1992, 1997) "Language and Cognition: The Cognitive Consequences of Spatial Description in Guugu Yimithirr" J. Linguistic Anthropology 7:1
- Glottolog: Guugu Yimithirr (gugu1255)
- Ethnologue: kky
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Pama-Nyungan (Paman, eastern Cape York)
| Meaning | Guugu Yimithirr | Lardil | Olkol | Nhanda | Dyirbal | Walmajarri | Wiradjuri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | buurraay /buːraːj/ | nguka /ŋuka/ | ok /ok/ | kapi /kapi/ | bana /ˈbana/ | ngapa /ˈŋapa/ | galing /ˈɡaliŋ/ |
| Fire | yugu /juɡu/ | nyuda /ɲuda/ | alhu /al̪u/ | warla /waɻla/ | buni /ˈbuni/ | warlu /ˈwaɭu/ | wiiny /wiːɲ/ |
| Sun | ngalan /ŋalan/ | warrka /waɾka/ | ugnga /uɡŋa/ | wurʼa /wuɾʔa/ | garri /ˈɡari/ | purangu /puɻaŋu/ | yiray /ˈjiɻaj/ |
| Moon | giidha /ɡiːd̪a/ | kirdikir /kiɖikir/ | oda /oda/ | kanyala /kaɲala/ | gagara /ɡaˈɡara/ | yakarn /jakaɳ/ | giwang /ˈɡiwaŋ/ |
| Star | dawaar /dawaːɻ/ | kuwa thungal /kuwa θuŋal/ | el idnban /el ˈidnban/ | indiya /indija/ | gijiny /ɡiɟiɲ/ | wirl /wiɭ/ | giralang /ˈɡiɻalaŋ/ |
| Night | nilawudurbe /nilawudurbe/ | nata /nata/ | unyjir /uɲɟir/ | maru /maru/ | jagun /ɟaɡun/ | pukanya /pukaɲa/ | ngurung /ˈŋuruŋ/ |
| Rain | madyi /maɟi/ | — | — | pundu /pundu/ | gambal /ˈɡambal/ | yurrikarra /jurikara/ | — |
| Wind | daan.gaay /daːnɡaːj/ | — | — | uudinu /uudinu/ | gulubu /ˈɡulubu/ | walypa /ˈwaʎpa/ | girrarr /ˈɡirar/ |
| Earth | bubu /bubu/ | — | — | — | jaju /ˈɟaɟu/ | nguwa /ˈŋuwa/ | dhaagun /ˈd̪aːɡun/ |
| Stone | nambal /nambal/ | — | — | — | diban /ɟiban/ | pamarr /ˈpamar/ | walang /ˈwalaŋ/ |
| Mountain | manydyal /maɲcal/ | — | — | — | gambil /ˈɡambil/ | — | — |
| Sea | dhalun /d̪alun/ | — | — | — | — | jawurlata /ˈɟawuɭata/ | — |
| Mother | ngamu /ŋamu/ | ngama /ŋama/ | amadh /amad̪/ | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | yabu /ˈjabu/ | ngamaji /ŋaˈmaɟi/ | gunhi /ˈɡun̪i/ |
| Father | biiba /biːba/ | kantha /kan̪t̪a/ | ichadh /itʃad̪/ | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | nguma /ˈŋuma/ | ngarpu /ŋaɻpu/ | babiin /ˈbabiːn/ |
| Daughter | ngudhurr /ˈŋut̪ur/ | — | uwadh /uwad̪/ | yurdu /juɖu/ | daman /ˈdaman/ | kurntal /ˈkuɳʈal/ | ngamurr /ˈŋamur/ |
| I | ngayu /ŋaju/ | ngada /ŋada/ | ay /aj/ | ngayi /ŋaji/ | ngaja /ŋaɟa/ | ngaju /ŋaɟu/ | ngadhu /ˈŋad̪u/ |
| You | nyundu /ɲundu/ | nyingki /ɲiŋki/ | inag /inaɡ/ | nyini /ɲini/ | nginda /ŋinda/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | ngindhu /ˈŋind̪u/ |
| We | nganhdhaan / nganhdhanun /ŋan̪d̪aːn / ŋan̪d̪anun/ | ngakuli / nyali /ŋakuli / ɲali/ | apul / anhdhan /apul / an̪d̪an/ | ngayinu /ŋajinu/ | ngana /ŋana/ | ngalimpa / nganimpa /ŋalimpa / ŋanimpa/ | ngiyani /ŋiˈjani/ |
| Name | gadil /ɡadil/ | nyunda /ɲunda/ | ukal /ukal/ | yini /jini/ | yidyi /jiɟi/ | yini /jini/ | yuwin /ˈjuwin/ |
| Person | bama /bama/ | — | — | arnmanu /aɳmanu/ | — | piyirn /ˈpijiɳ/ | gibirr /ˈɡibir/ |
| Head | ngaabaay /ŋaːbaːj/ | — | — | — | — | jurlu /ˈɟuɭu/ | balang /ˈbalaŋ/ |
| Eye | miil /miːl/ | kuwa /kuwa/ | ele /ele/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | gayga /ˈɡajɡa/ | mil /mil/ | mil /mil/ |
| Ear | milga /milɡa/ | — | — | wurtka /wuʈka/ | manga /ˈmaŋa/ | pina /ˈpina/ | wuudha /ˈwuːd̪a/ |
| Nose | budhiil /bud̪iːl/ | — | — | muttha /mut̪a/ | guwu /ˈɡuwu/ | punul /ˈpunul/ | muurruu /ˈmuːruː/ |
| Mouth | barrgaar /barɡaːɻ/ | — | — | ngarnmanu /ŋaɳmanu/ | — | — | ngayn /ŋajn/ |
| Tooth | muliir /muliːɻ/ | kadma leman /kadma leman/ | algnga /alɡŋa/ | idaji /idadʒi/ | dirra /dira/ | lirra /lira/ | yirrang /ˈjiraŋ/ |
| Tongue | nganhdhaar /ŋan̪d̪aːɻ/ | jalda leman /dʒalda leman/ | inhdhun /in̪d̪un/ | thalanyu /t̪alaɲu/ | jalnggulay /ɟalŋɡulaj/ | jalany /ɟalaɲ/ | dhalayn /ˈd̪alajn/ |
| Hand | mangal /maŋal/ | marlda /maɭda/ | anngul /anŋul/ | mara /maɻa/ | mala /ˈmala/ | kurrapa /kurapa/ | marra /ˈmara/ |
| Foot | dhamal /d̪amal/ | jaa /dʒaː/ | ebmal /ebmal/ | yina /jina/ | jina /ˈɟina/ | jina /ˈɟina/ | dhinang /ˈd̪inaŋ/ |
| Heart | dadhali /dad̪ali/ | bulja /buldʒa/ | orol onmon /oɻol onmon/ | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | rulgu /ˈɻulɡu/ | kurturlu /kuɭˈtuɭu/ | giiny /ɡiːɲ/ |
| Bone | badhibay /bad̪ibaj/ | kadma /kadma/ | elgnggel /elɡŋɡel/ | mambu /mambu/ | wurmbur /ˈwurmbur/ | kiji /kiɟi/ | dhabal /ˈd̪abal/ |
| Blood | ganbi /ɡanbi/ | kanda /kanda/ | olpong /olpoŋ/ | nguba /ŋuba/ | waguli /waɡuli/ | nungu /nuŋu/ | guuwayn /ˈɡuːwajn/ |
| Poop | mangga /maŋɡa/ | — | — | wuna /wuna/ | guna /ɡuna/ | kura /ˈkuɻa/ | guunang /ˈɡuːnaŋ/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | yugu /juɡu/ | thungal /θuŋal/ | uku /uku/ | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | yugu /ˈjuɡu/ | mana /mana/ | madhan /ˈmad̪an/ |
| Dog | gudaa /ɡudaː/ | ngawa /ŋawa/ | uta /uta/ | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | guda /ˈɡuda/ | kunyarr /kuˈɲar/ | mirri /ˈmiri/ |
| Cat | buthigan /but̪iɡan/ | — /—/ | odhog /od̪oɡ/ | paka /paka/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Fish | guudyu /ɡuːɟu/ | yaka /jaka/ | uy /uj/ | wiitya /wiːca/ | jabu /ˈɟabu/ | kapi /kapi/ | guuya /ˈɡuːja/ |
| Bird | dyidyirr /ɟiɟir/ | — | — | — | dundu /ˈdundu/ | jiriki /ˈɟiɻiki/ | buujaan /ˈbuːɟaːn/ |
| Butterfly | walbuulbul /walbuːlbul/ | — | — | ngaabeera /ŋaːbeːra/ | — | pirrpirntipirnti /pirpiɳʈipiɳʈi/ | buuja-buuja /ˈbuːɟabuːɟa/ |
| Egg | gundil /ɡundil/ | — | — | — | bambu /bambu/ | kampiny /kampiɲ/ | gabuuga /ˈɡabuːɡa/ |
| Horse | yarraman /jaraman/ | — | — | — | — | dimana /ˈdimana/ | yarraman /ˈjaraman/ |
| House | bayan /bajan/ | ngambirr /ŋambir/ | — /—/ | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | mija /ˈmiɟa/ | mayaru /majaɻu/ | ngurang /ˈŋuɻaŋ/ |
| Milk | guyuu /ɡujuː/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Honey | mula /mula/ | — | — | — | — | karlaka /ˈkaɭaka/ | ngarruu /ˈŋaruː/ |
| Eat | budal /budal/ | jitha /dʒiθa/ | ichan /itʃan/ | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | janggay /ˈɟaŋɡaj/ | nga- /ŋa/ | dharra /ˈd̪ara/ |
| Drink | dyidyal /cical/ | kurdama /kuɖama/ | — /—/ | nyuna /ɲuna/ | gunyjal /ˈɡuɲɟal/ | nga- /ŋa/ | widyarra /ˈwiɟara/ |
| Sleep | waarrnggu /waːrŋɡu/ | — | — | wuupata /wuːpata/ | bungil /ˈbuŋil/ | manyan /ˈmaɲan/ | — |
| One | nubuun /nubuːn/ | warnge /waɾŋe/ | enongg /enoŋɡ/ | kuyu /kuju/ | yunggul /ˈjuŋɡul/ | layi /laji/ | ngumbaay /ˈŋumbaːj/ |
| Two | gudhiirra /ɡud̪iːra/ | kiyarrng /kijaɾŋ/ | uchir /utʃir/ | wuthada /wut̪ada/ | bulay /ˈbulaj/ | kurriny /kuriɲ/ | bula /ˈbula/ |
| Three | gundu /ɡundu/ | mungkalan /muŋkalan/ | errab /erab/ | marnngurdu /maɳŋuɖu/ | garbu /ɡaɻbu/ | mungkartu /muŋkaʈu/ | bula-ngumbaay /ˈbulaŋumbaːj/ |
| Five | gaguwarr /ɡaɡuwar/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | yaama /ˈjaːma/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | mandaang guwu /ˈmandaːŋ ˈɡuwu/ |
| Good | dabaar /dabaːɻ/ | kuba /kuba/ | olong /oloŋ/ | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | jigil /ˈɟiɡil/ | wulyu /wuʎu/ | marang /ˈmaɻaŋ/ |
| New | nhilaa /n̪ilaː/ | — | — | — | gunyu /ˈɡuɲu/ | jalangjalang /ˈɟalaŋɟalaŋ/ | — |
| Red | diini /diːni/ | kandukan /kandukan/ | elbmbelbmben /elbmbelbmben/ | marniwidi /maɳiwidi/ | gunggu /ɡuŋɡu/ | ngirljarti /ŋiɭɟaʈi/ | girri-girri /ˈɡiriɡiri/ |
| White | dyinggaa /ɟiŋɡaː/ | — | — | wilidi /wilidi/ | — | parpjarti /ˈpaɻpɟaɻti/ | barrabarra /ˈbarabara/ |
| Black | munhi /mun̪i/ | — | — | — | — | kurnkurn /kuɳkuɳ/ | buudhang /ˈbuːd̪aŋ/ |
| Tea | buurr /buːr/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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