Woiwurrung (sometimes spelt Woiwurrong, Woiworung, Wuywurung) and Taungurung (Taungurong, DaungwurrungDhagung-wurrung, Thagungwurrung) are Aboriginal languages of the Kulin nation of Central Victoria. Woiwurrung was spoken by the Woiwurrung and related peoples in the Yarra River basin, and Taungurung by the Taungurung people north of the Great Dividing Range in the Goulburn River Valley around Mansfield, Benalla and Heathcote. They are often portrayed as distinct languages, but they were mutually intelligible.[2] Ngurai-illamwurrung (Ngurraiillam) may have been a clan name, a dialect, or a closely related language.[3]
It is not clear if the two rhotics are trill and flap, or tap and approximant. Vowels in Woiwurrung are /a e i o u/.[4]
PronounsEdit
In the case of the Woiwurrung pronouns, the stem seems to be the standard ngali (you and I), but the front was suffixed to wa-, so wa+ngal combines to form wangal below.[5] In Kulin languages there is no grammatical gender.[6]
boorondara = shade, darkness, night (origin of the name of the City of Boroondara)
nyilum biik = poor soil / hard land (origin of the name of Nillumbik Shire)
wominjeka = hello / welcome (womin = come, je [dji] = asking to come, ka = purpose)
yabber = to talk (this word, with the same meaning, has made its way into informal English)[7]
yarra = flowing, (also means "hair"). It is thought to have been mistakenly given to the Yarra River (referred to as Birrarrung in the Woiwurrung language) by an early settler who asked a boy what it was called, who was confused and answered "it is flowing".
Number and sign systemEdit
A numbering system was used when Wurundjeri clans sent out messengers to advise neighbouring clans of upcoming events, such as a ceremony, corroboree, a challenge to fight or Marn grook ball game. Messengers carried a message stick with markings to indicate the number and type of people involved and a prop to indicate the type of event, such as a ball for a Marn grook event. The location of meeting was spoken, but neighbouring clans might not use the same language, so a sign language was used to indicate the number of days in the future when the people should assemble. The number was indicated by pointing to a location on the body from 1 to 16. After 16, at the top of the head, the count follows the equivalent locations across the other side of the body.[8]
Numeral
Spoken number
Sign of the number
Literal meaning
1
bubupi-muningya
little finger
child of the hand
2
bulato-ravel
third finger
little larger
3
bulato
middle finger
larger
4
urnung-meluk
forefinger
urnung means a direction, meluk means a large grub found in some eucalypti
5
babungyi-muningya
thumb
the mother of the hand
6
krauel
wrist-joint
7
ngurumbul
the divergence of the radial tendons
a fork
8
jeraubil
the swelling of the radial muscles
9
thambur
the inside of the elbow-joint
a round place
10
berbert
biceps
the ringtail possum and also the name of the armlet made from the pelt of that animal, worn on the bicep during festive occasions
11
wulung
shoulder-joint
12
krakerap
the collar-bone
the place where the bag hangs by its band
13
gurnbert
the neck
reed necklace, or place where the reed necklace is worn
14
kurnagor
the lobe of the ear
the point or end of a hill, or of a spur or ridge
15
ngarabul
the side of the skull
a range or the ridge of a hill
16
bundial
top of the head
the cutting-place, the place where the mourner cuts himself with some sharp instrument, from budagra meaning to cut
17+
From the top of the head, the count follows the equivalent locations across the other side of the body. 17 is the other side of the skull.
^Barry J. Blake. 1991 Woiwurrung In: The Aboriginal Language of Melbourne and Other Sketches, ed. R. M. W. Dixon and Barry J. Blake, pp. 31–124, OUP, Handbook of Australian Languages 4
^Blake, Barry. "Dialects of Western Kulin, Western Victoria Yartwatjali, Tjapwurrung, Djadjawurrung" (PDF). VCAA. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
Blake, Barry (1979). Handbook of Australian languages. Canberra: Australian National University Press. ISBN0195530977.
Morrison, Edgar (1981). The Loddon Aborigines: tales of old Jim Crow. Daylesford, Vic.: Daylesford and District Historical Society.
External linksEdit
Look up Woiwurrung in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages
Wurundjeri Cultural Group
Elders pass on songs in race to save languages
Woiwurrung calendar
September 15, 2023
woiwurrung, taungurung, language, woiwurrung, sometimes, spelt, woiwurrong, woiworung, wuywurung, taungurung, taungurong, daungwurrung, dhagung, wurrung, thagungwurrung, aboriginal, languages, kulin, nation, central, victoria, woiwurrung, spoken, woiwurrung, r. Woiwurrung sometimes spelt Woiwurrong Woiworung Wuywurung and Taungurung Taungurong Daungwurrung Dhagung wurrung Thagungwurrung are Aboriginal languages of the Kulin nation of Central Victoria Woiwurrung was spoken by the Woiwurrung and related peoples in the Yarra River basin and Taungurung by the Taungurung people north of the Great Dividing Range in the Goulburn River Valley around Mansfield Benalla and Heathcote They are often portrayed as distinct languages but they were mutually intelligible 2 Ngurai illamwurrung Ngurraiillam may have been a clan name a dialect or a closely related language 3 Woiwurrung TaungurungRegionVictoriaEthnicityWoiwurrung Wurundjeri Taungurung Ngurelban etc Language familyPama Nyungan KulinicKulinWoiwurrung TaungurungDialectsWoiwurrung TaungurungLanguage codesISO 639 3Either a href https iso639 3 sil org code wyi class extiw title iso639 3 wyi wyi a Woiwurrung a href https iso639 3 sil org code dgw class extiw title iso639 3 dgw dgw a DaungwurrungGlottologwoiw1237AIATSIS 1 S36 S37ELPWoiwurrungTaungurungThe five Kulin nations Woiwurrung proper is in yellow Taungurung is in the northeast in green This article contains IPA phonetic symbols Without proper rendering support you may see question marks boxes or other symbols instead of Unicode characters For an introductory guide on IPA symbols see Help IPA Marn grook football played by speakers of Woiwurrung from the Wurundjeri clan c 1857Welcome sign on Medley building University of Melbourne Contents 1 Phonology 2 Pronouns 3 Other vocabulary 4 Number and sign system 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksPhonology EditThe following is the Woiwurrung dialect Peripheral Laminal ApicalBilabial Velar Palatal Dental Alveolar RetroflexPlosive b p ɡ k ɟ c d t d t ɖ ʈNasal m ŋ ɲ n n ɳLateral l ɭRhotic r ɽGlide w jIt is not clear if the two rhotics are trill and flap or tap and approximant Vowels in Woiwurrung are a e i o u 4 Pronouns EditIn the case of the Woiwurrung pronouns the stem seems to be the standard ngali you and I but the front was suffixed to wa so wa ngal combines to form wangal below 5 In Kulin languages there is no grammatical gender 6 Person Singular Dual PluralWoi IPA Eng Woi IPA Eng Woi IPA Eng 1st Inc Wangal wa ŋal We two you Wanganyin wa ŋa ɲin We amp you 1st Exc Wan wan I Wangan wa ŋan We two not you Wanganyinyu wa ŋa ɲi ɲu We not you 2nd Warr war You Wabul wa bul You two Wat gurrabilWat gurrabillaWat balakWat wurdundhu wat ɡu ra bil wat ɡu ra bil la wat ba lak wat wu ɖun d u You3rd Munyi mu ɲi He She It Munyi gurrabil mu ɲi ɡu ra bil Those two Malu gurrabila ma lu ɡu ra bi la TheyOther vocabulary Editbiik land country boorondara shade darkness night origin of the name of the City of Boroondara nyilum biik poor soil hard land origin of the name of Nillumbik Shire wominjeka hello welcome womin come je dji asking to come ka purpose yabber to talk this word with the same meaning has made its way into informal English 7 yarra flowing also means hair It is thought to have been mistakenly given to the Yarra River referred to as Birrarrung in the Woiwurrung language by an early settler who asked a boy what it was called who was confused and answered it is flowing Number and sign system EditA numbering system was used when Wurundjeri clans sent out messengers to advise neighbouring clans of upcoming events such as a ceremony corroboree a challenge to fight or Marn grook ball game Messengers carried a message stick with markings to indicate the number and type of people involved and a prop to indicate the type of event such as a ball for a Marn grook event The location of meeting was spoken but neighbouring clans might not use the same language so a sign language was used to indicate the number of days in the future when the people should assemble The number was indicated by pointing to a location on the body from 1 to 16 After 16 at the top of the head the count follows the equivalent locations across the other side of the body 8 Numeral Spoken number Sign of the number Literal meaning1 bubupi muningya little finger child of the hand2 bulato ravel third finger little larger3 bulato middle finger larger4 urnung meluk forefinger urnung means a direction meluk means a large grub found in some eucalypti5 babungyi muningya thumb the mother of the hand6 krauel wrist joint7 ngurumbul the divergence of the radial tendons a fork8 jeraubil the swelling of the radial muscles9 thambur the inside of the elbow joint a round place10 berbert biceps the ringtail possum and also the name of the armlet made from the pelt of that animal worn on the bicep during festive occasions11 wulung shoulder joint12 krakerap the collar bone the place where the bag hangs by its band13 gurnbert the neck reed necklace or place where the reed necklace is worn14 kurnagor the lobe of the ear the point or end of a hill or of a spur or ridge15 ngarabul the side of the skull a range or the ridge of a hill16 bundial top of the head the cutting place the place where the mourner cuts himself with some sharp instrument from budagra meaning to cut17 From the top of the head the count follows the equivalent locations across the other side of the body 17 is the other side of the skull See also EditKulin nation WurundjeriReferences Edit S36 Woiwurrung Taungurung at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies see the info box for additional links Barry Blake 1991 31 S83 Ngurai illamwurrung at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Hercus 1969 Barry J Blake 1991 Woiwurrung In The Aboriginal Language of Melbourne and Other Sketches ed R M W Dixon and Barry J Blake pp 31 124 OUP Handbook of Australian Languages 4 Blake Barry Dialects of Western Kulin Western Victoria Yartwatjali Tjapwurrung Djadjawurrung PDF VCAA Retrieved 2 March 2022 Oxford Dictionary of English p 2 054 Howitt Alfred William 1901 Chapter 11 Native Tribes of South East Australia McMillan p 701 via Wikisource Further reading EditTaungurung liwik nganjin al ngula dhan yaawinbu yananinon Melbourne Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages 2011 ISBN 9780987133717 Blake Barry 1979 Handbook of Australian languages Canberra Australian National University Press ISBN 0195530977 Morrison Edgar 1981 The Loddon Aborigines tales of old Jim Crow Daylesford Vic Daylesford and District Historical Society External links Edit nbsp Look up Woiwurrung in Wiktionary the free dictionary Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages Wurundjeri Cultural Group Elders pass on songs in race to save languages Woiwurrung calendar Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Woiwurrung Taungurung language amp oldid 1153599950, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
