Lower Burdekin languages
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
.
Australian Aboriginal languages
The Australian Aboriginal languages comprise several language families and isolates native to the Australian Aborigines of Australia and a few nearby islands, but by convention excluding the languages of Tasmania and the Torres Strait Islanders...
spoken around the mouth of the Burdekin River
Burdekin River
The Burdekin River in Queensland, Australia rises on the western slope of the Seaview Range and flows into the Pacific Ocean at Upstart Bay over 200 km to the southeast of the source. The river was first encountered by Europeans during the expedition led by Ludwig Leichhardt in 1845 and named...
in north Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. One short wordlist in each was collected in the 19th century, and published in the second volume of The Australian Race
The Australian Race
The Australian Race: Its Origin, Languages, Customs, Place of Landing in Australia, and the Routes by Which It Spread Itself over That Continent is an 1886 book by Edward Curr about the Indigenous Australian peoples....
in 1886. These languages have since gone extinct
Language death
In linguistics, language death is a process that affects speech communities where the level of linguistic competence that speakers possess of a given language variety is decreased, eventually resulting in no native and/or fluent speakers of the variety...
, with no more having been recorded. Due to the paucity of the available data, we know almost nothing of their grammatical structure
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
.
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 |