Wangkiny / Language Glossary

Nyungar wangkiny or language, and the commitment to it, is central to Nyungar identity. As Nyungar language was not written prior to colonisation, there are many spellings of the word Nyungar itself (e.g. Noongar, Nyoongar) and many other Nyungar words.

Nyungar language is evident in place names, street names, plants and animals found throughout Nyungar boodjar. Nyungar words such as ‘gidge’ for spear have also been incorporated into the Australian-English language, Nyungar have remained faithful to our Nyungar wangkiny despite regressive policies and practices imposed upon us.

Nyungar wangkiny assists in restoring and preserving Nyungar ways of expressing culture and experience.1  As stated by the late Ballardong man Ralph Winmar (1996), Elder and “Keeper of the Stories”, “Nyungar language has a harmonious quality, and it is a real treat to hear two fluent speakers in conversation.”2 

This glossary does not include place names and other items. Click on these links for the Nyungar names for Placenames, Features of Derbal Nara, Plants and Animals, and the Six Seasons.

As mentioned above, there are often multiple names and/or multiple spellings of similar names. For example, ‘whale’ is written as mamang, mamung, mummung, mammang, mamong, meemonga or namang. As Nyungar was not a written language before colonisation, these spellings represent variations in the interpretation by various recorders of the pronunciation of a given Nyungar word. The pronunciation itself may also have varied from place to place or clan to clan. Here we include one spelling for each similar sounding name; hence for whale we present ‘mamang’.3 

There may also be names for a single species that are quite different. These different names could represent different stages in the life cycle, different sexes, different features of the species’ lifestyle or regional variations in usage. For example, for humpback whale we found the names recorded as goonga goombar (carrying a large neck or back), booga bidern (back of whale a creating trail in water as it jumps, i.e. breaching) and bugal-el-ngor (literally hillock on back) (personal communication, Clint Bracknell and Len Collard).

Click on the Nyungar word sound file to hear the word.

References

1. Collard, Harben & van den Berg. Nidja Beeliar Boodjar Noonookurt Nyininy, 13.

2. Winmar. Walwalinj, v.

3. Scott & Woods. Mamang.