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
87 core words in Ngunnawal
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Pama-Nyungan
| Meaning | Ngunnawal | Wiradjuri | Nhanda | Martu Wangka | Pintupi-Luritja | Pitjantjatjara | Djambarrpuyngu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kungal /kuŋal/ | galing /ˈɡaliŋ/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | kapi /kapi/ | gapu /ɡapu/ |
| Fire | warba /waɻba/ | wiiny /wiːɲ/ | warla /waɻla/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | waru /waɻu/ | gurtha /ɡuɻt̪a/ |
| Sun | winyu /wiɲu/ | yiray /ˈjiɻaj/ | wurʼa /wuɾʔa/ | jirntu /ciɳʈu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tjintu /cintu/ | walu /walu/ |
| Moon | birrang /biɻaŋ/ | giwang /ˈɡiwaŋ/ | kanyala /kaɲala/ | panyalpa /paɲalpa/ | pira /piɻa/ | pira /piɻa/ | ŋaḻindi /ŋaɭindi/ |
| Star | dyurra /ɟura/ | giralang /ˈɡiɻalaŋ/ | indiya /indija/ | kurtalya /kuʈaʎa/ | kililpi /kiˈlilpi/ | kililpil /kiˈlilpil/ | ganyu /ɡaɲu/ |
| Night | kaku /kaku/ | ngurung /ˈŋuruŋ/ | maru /maru/ | munga /muŋa/ | munga /muŋa/ | munga /muŋa/ | gämuk /ɡaːmuk/ |
| Rain | garrit /ɡaɻit/ | — | pundu /pundu/ | — | — | mina /ˈmina/ | waltjaṉ /walcaɳ/ |
| Earth | dhaura /d̪auɻa/ | dhaagun /ˈd̪aːɡun/ | — | manta /manta/ | manta /manta/ | manta /manta/ | munathaʼ /munat̪aʔ/ |
| Stone | wullung /wuluŋ/ | walang /ˈwalaŋ/ | — | yapu /japu/ | puḻi /puɭi/ | apu /apu/ | guṉḏa /ɡuɳɖa/ |
| Mother | guni /ɡuni/ | gunhi /ˈɡun̪i/ | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | yipi /jipi/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | ŋäṉḏi /ŋaːɳɖi/ |
| Father | pumba /pumba/ | babiin /ˈbabiːn/ | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | bäpa /baːpa/ |
| I | ngaya /ŋaja/ | ngadhu /ˈŋad̪u/ | ngayi /ŋaji/ | ngayu /ŋaju/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ | ŋarra /ŋara/ |
| You | ngindu /ŋindu/ | ngindhu /ˈŋind̪u/ | nyini /ɲini/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nhe /n̪e/ |
| We | gulanyin / gulanyilla /ɡulaɲin / ɡulaɲila/ | ngiyani /ŋiˈjani/ | ngayinu /ŋajinu/ | — /—/ | nganana /ŋanaɳa/ | nganana /ŋanaɳa/ | limurr / ŋanapurr /limur / ŋanapur/ |
| Name | yini /jini/ | yuwin /ˈjuwin/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | ini /ini/ | yäku /jaːku/ |
| Person | wurrunbill /wuɻunbil/ | gibirr /ˈɡibir/ | arnmanu /aɳmanu/ | martu /maʈu/ | yanangu /janaŋu/ | aṉangu /aɳaŋu/ | yolŋu /jolŋu/ |
| Head | guddagong /ɡuddaɡoŋ/ | balang /ˈbalaŋ/ | — | kata /kata/ | kata /kata/ | kata /kata/ | ḻiya /ɭija/ |
| Eye | mil /mil/ | mil /mil/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | mel /mel/ |
| Ear | guri /ɡuɻi/ | wuudha /ˈwuːd̪a/ | wurtka /wuʈka/ | pina /pina/ | pina /pina/ | pina /pɪnɐ/ | mäkiriʼ /maːkiɻiʔ/ |
| Nose | nyigity /ɲiɡiɟ/ | muurruu /ˈmuːruː/ | muttha /mut̪a/ | mulya /muʎa/ | mulya /muʎa/ | mulya /ˈmulja/ | ŋurru /ŋuru/ |
| Mouth | dhambir /d̪ambiɻ/ | ngayn /ŋajn/ | ngarnmanu /ŋaɳmanu/ | jaa /caː/ | tjaa /caː/ | tjaa /caː/ | dhä /d̪aː/ |
| Tooth | weera /weːra/ | yirrang /ˈjiraŋ/ | idaji /idadʒi/ | yirra /jira/ | katiti /katiti/ | katiti /katiti/ | ḻirra /ɭira/ |
| Tongue | dalang /dalaŋ/ | dhalayn /ˈd̪alajn/ | thalanyu /t̪alaɲu/ | jarlinypa /caɭiɲpa/ | tjalinypa /caliɲpa/ | tjalinypa /caliɲpa/ | matha /mat̪a/ |
| Hand | mara /maɻa/ | marra /ˈmara/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | goŋ /ɡoŋ/ |
| Foot | dyinang /ɟinaŋ/ | dhinang /ˈd̪inaŋ/ | yina /jina/ | jina /cina/ | tjina /cina/ | tjina /cɪnɐ/ | ḻuku /ɭuku/ |
| Heart | gauar /ɡauar/ | giiny /ɡiːɲ/ | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | kurturtu /kuʈuʈu/ | kututu /kututu/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | ḏoṯurrk /ɖoʈurk/ |
| Bone | wiak /wiak/ | dhabal /ˈd̪abal/ | mambu /mambu/ | tarrka /tarka/ | tarrka /taɾka/ | tarka /taɻka/ | ŋaraka /ŋaɻaka/ |
| Blood | guruba /ɡuruba/ | guuwayn /ˈɡuːwajn/ | nguba /ŋuba/ | miji /miɟi/ | milkali /milkali/ | milkali /milkali/ | gulaŋ /ɡulaŋ/ |
| Poop | gunung /ɡunuŋ/ | guunang /ˈɡuːnaŋ/ | wuna /wuna/ | — | kuna /kuna/ | kuna /kuna/ | guḻaʼ /ɡuɭaʔ/ |
| Love | marmit /maɻmit/ | — /—/ | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | mukulyu /mukuʎu/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | djäl /ɟaːl/ |
| Tree | warabi /waɻabi/ | madhan /ˈmad̪an/ | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | warta /waʈa/ | punu /punu/ | punu /punu/ | dharpa /d̪aɻpa/ |
| Dog | mirri /miɻi/ | mirri /ˈmiri/ | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | wuŋgan /wuŋɡan/ |
| Cat | poosi /puːsi/ | — /—/ | paka /paka/ | — /—/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | butjikit /bucikit/ |
| Fish | kuya /kuja/ | guuya /ˈɡuːja/ | wiitya /wiːca/ | yurta /juʈa/ | piitji /piːʈi/ | antipina /antipina/ | guya /ɡuja/ |
| Bird | budyan /buɟan/ | buujaan /ˈbuːɟaːn/ | — | pilurnpa /piluɳpa/ | tjuḻpu /cuɭpu/ | tjulpu /ˈcuɭpu/ | — |
| Egg | gubbong /ɡubboŋ/ | gabuuga /ˈɡabuːɡa/ | — | ngampu /ŋampu/ | ngampu /ŋampu/ | ngampu /ŋampu/ | mapuʼ /mapuʔ/ |
| House | kuni /kuni/ | ngurang /ˈŋuɻaŋ/ | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | ngurra /ŋura/ | ngurra /ŋuɾa/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | buṉbu /buɳbu/ |
| Honey | kawangkal /kawaŋkal/ | ngarruu /ˈŋaruː/ | — | jurtipirri /cuʈipiri/ | ngalypuru /ŋaʎpuɻu/ | tjuratja /ˈcuɾaca/ | guku /ɡuku/ |
| Eat | daring /daɻiŋ/ | dharra /ˈd̪ara/ | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | ngalku- /ŋalku/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | ḻuka /ɭuka/ |
| Drink | nyu /ɲu/ | widyarra /ˈwiɟara/ | nyuna /ɲuna/ | jikirnu /cikiɳu/ | tjikini /cikini/ | tjikini /cikini/ | ḻuka /ɭuka/ |
| Sleep | ngambori /ŋamboɻi/ | — | wuupata /wuːpata/ | kunyalarri- /kuɲalari/ | kunkunpa /kunkunpa/ | kunkunarinyi /kuŋkunaɻiɲi/ | ŋorra /ŋora/ |
| One | meddhung /med̪uŋ/ | ngumbaay /ˈŋumbaːj/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kuju /kucu/ | kutju /kucu/ | kutju /kucu/ | waŋgany /waŋɡaɲ/ |
| Two | bula /bula/ | bula /ˈbula/ | wuthada /wut̪ada/ | kujarra /kucara/ | kutjarra /kucaɾa/ | kutjara /kucaɻa/ | märrmaʼ /maːrmaʔ/ |
| Three | bula mittong /bula mitoŋ/ | bula-ngumbaay /ˈbulaŋumbaːj/ | marnngurdu /maɳŋuɖu/ | yurri /juri/ | tjirripala /ciripala/ | maṉkurpa /maɳkuɻpa/ | ḻurrkunʼ /ɭurkunʔ/ |
| Hello | yumalundi /jumalundi/ | yaama /ˈjaːma/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | Nhämirri nhe? /n̪aːmiri n̪e/ |
| Thank you | miyamala /mijamala/ | mandaang guwu /ˈmandaːŋ ˈɡuwu/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | — /—/ |
| Good | walunga /waluŋa/ | marang /ˈmaɻaŋ/ | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | manymak /maɲmak/ |
| Red | dhiram-dhiram /d̪iɾamd̪iɾam/ | girri-girri /ˈɡiriɡiri/ | marniwidi /maɳiwidi/ | miji-miji /miɟimiɟi/ | yulpa /julpa/ | tjitintjitinpa /tʃitintʃitinpa/ | mikuʼ /mikuʔ/ |
| White | daguru-gurag /daɡuɾuɡuɾaɡ/ | barrabarra /ˈbarabara/ | wilidi /wilidi/ | piirlpiirl /piːɭpiːɭ/ | piranpa /piɾanpa/ | piranpa /piɾanpa/ | watharr /wat̪ar/ |
| Black | buru-bura /buɻubuɻa/ | buudhang /ˈbuːd̪aŋ/ | — | — | maru /maɻu/ | maṟu /maɻu/ | gurrŋanʼ /ɡurŋanʔ/ |
Page 1/7
Open the interactive map: Word Map · HanMap · Name Map · Word Order · Tree
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.
Made by Heuron Inc. · GitHub · cho@heuron.com · LangMap home