▼ Document details

Title: Compiled from various Ooldea notebooks; informants - Karrerrga , Wilgidi , etc.

Language: Ooldea

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365/ 60/37

Ooldea Camp 1918-1935

XII 2G, 8c

Native Vocabulary

Compiled from various Ooldea notebooks; informants - Karrerrga, Wilgidi, etc.

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Man, his relationships, etc.
Betrothed Nugara guara
Brothers Kurdararra
Brother-in-law Narrumba
Girl, little Dhoogoo-dhoogoo
Grandson Dhoordoo (Koga's term)
Wife (temporary)

Mulba (woman), kuri

Gurilyarra, nganjurara, ungarara; waliji = . coast term (Spencer's term = pirannjura)

Woman

Nyun-nga (Wongai-i wonga, also badu wonga)

Koongga (Maaloo nungga) Ooleroo group

(dialectic terms)

Warrbail, warbil (Urrongoo)

Wia (West coast, S.A.)

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Parts and Functions of the Body
Back

Muju widambi

Your back = widabi nyoorala

Belching Nyirdarn guni
Brains Koogoo
Dysentery, diarrhoea Djoori
Eyes, giving feeble sight Kuru bau-al (Wailguri used this term when he saw my eyes failing while sewing dresses for the children.)
Fat man with big stomach Juni bilu
Fingers Marra anggula
Hair, curly straight Muli muli Joorgooli
Hair wash Kata balgini
Hand

Clapping hands =marra dhabboo bungana; dhabboo bunganyi

Hand biting = marra bajani

Hands wipe = gurarra gulbin

Heel Karrjul
Muscle (or vein) cramp Marrbain barlarin
Placenta Dharndul (If dog ate it, either dog or baby died)
Puberty (age of) Anggal bulganggoo = hips and buttocks growing bigger, when girl is growing.
Skin Iraji, gooloo, ilyirdi
Skull Miri
Smelling Kūnjelu, guyur-guyur
Smell, to make

Unurn mannainyi

Unurn barndi = taking bad smell or making smell good. These two terms were used at Jajjala's grave before it was closed in (12/8/24)

Taste it Argarni, argarndau, arganau
Tears, big Murda murda gujura
Toes Jinna anggula

Great toe = mammudra (karrerrga's term)

Jinna ngogo = "foot cheek", the great toe joint - "sole"

Jinna nganju = the "sole" part of the heel (Nganju is the native name for horse - is it because the hoof makes a nganju track?)

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Animals
Bandicoot, banded, different species

Gooldoo moroolyain (white banded)

Walmurding (walilya or "mate")

Walilya (black banded)

Wailburdi

Cat carrying kittens Bijara kalligi
Dog, thin Wa wurlana
Hedgehog Echidna = yoobaroo (goobaroo, term for spinifex)
Kangaroo skin Maaloo bandoo
Kangaroo Rat Mulgara (like a kangaroo rat)
Mouse (generic) Mouse-like animal = ilyi gari
Rabbits, fat

Joola joola

Gone rabbiting = guyanoo

Sandburrower, blind

Arrajarrajoo, arr'ajarajoo

A curious white (yellowy white) furred animal 4" long with stumpy pink bare tail, bare flat snout, pointed hands and feet, two-toed, like a guinea pig (Notoryctes typhlops)

Wallaby, Banded

Wilba and mala = 2 names for one species.

Jialbi = very small marsupial with very ears, long hind legs and long tail with "brush" at the end (jerboa?)

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Birds
Bird's egg (to lay eggs) unbu
Eagle Hawk

joolboo, walja

yarda (also "doctor") maling is a Kalgoorlie yarda (very old).

Finch (yellow) jijiarra?
Hawk (species with four rather peculiar notes) urja gulgul
Honey-eater (yellow-headed) Jimbin-jimbin
Mallee-hen

Ko-rordain, gunaingi = mallee hen's eggs with almost full-fledged young ones inside.

Bilyulyu = fresh eggs (mallee hen's)

Gorordarn, gorordain inggiri, nyiljara = all these terms are applied to mallee hen's eggs which are beginning to hatch.

Gorardarn = sturt pea (scarlet). Has this name applied to the Scarlet Sturt Pea any relation to the blood and foetus of egg?

Shell of mallee hen's egg = mirr, mi-irr

Pelican Ngau-uru
Swallow, whiteheaded, rain bird Gungilga
Species of bird Murdinja
Species of bird Burling (has many pretty notes)
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Reptiles
Frog's mouth Taa binggili
Iguana

Short-banded iguana or lizard = mida = went wilurara to Bojarrga.

Long-tailed ngannana, milbarli; m. munyan = young milbarli

Stump-tailed = mida (see above)

Lizard Linga, jimbi, dhaddi (little), anggarda and ngabbula or kāno, one "bearded", "frilled", other spike-backed, are cousins.
Lizard, Horned (York Devil)

Mingari (ngandi dhaldha = little lump behind his head.)

Gecko = birurr; nyudago = monitor. Women call it jiliwari, biria (also spring or early autumn)

Snake

kondung (magic)

Insects
Ant's eggs

Ibilga (edible), womma = "honey" of ant Ili-ili = honey

Sergeant ant = ganbagura (large black vicious)

White ant = argoolyoo

Beetle

Barlan-barlan (sp.)

Burn-burn, durdu-durdu = brown beetle

Grub

(from ilgawarra tree) = munda mogu (large)

Agūlyū and boola = 2 species of edible grub

Witchetty = kaia mogu; ilbara mogu = Ngad-habi's & Kaiali's name) barrabirdi - grub.

Insect Small tunnelling insect like grasshopper, curious feet and antennae, bites = burldarl
Moth, grey, large (from boggurda) Wanburing
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The Elements, etc.
Acacia, species of Boolara
Aquila Kaanga-Wia
Bluebush Boondara
Birch, species of Ingiri; bushes = ngana kooargoo
Bush, flowering Guyeroo, walgula, gailburr, sp.
Clay, white pipe- Goonarn
Clouds, cirro-stratus "Stippled cirrus Yooroonga (brilliant yellow in sunset sky) Gabbi idari walganarra
Colder later on Bununda
Creeper, edible Būya (grass and pods)
Cyclone Wanadara; walbungoo jalya warning = a great cyclone or storm.
Delphinus Kaanga -wandi crow children.
Desert oak Kernel of (midurdoo) = ngogur
Desert Rose (Sturt) Wongga (Native food)
Everlasting (white sp.) Joodoorooroo, jiddarn-jiddarn
Fire burning (flames given out by the wood) Warbala manggoola yooarno waroo balo
Flowers, small yellow Bundara
Flower gathering Jidururu mannainyi
Fog Araroo gooril = heavy dew or fog
Fungus Walilwalilya, "mate" to Thammuna, edible, eaten only when young; winjinara = green edible fungus (thammuna)
Honeysuckle shrub (red) Minjinji (edible)
Hop, native (pink flowering) Gidi gidi (emu food) Arrauin, also emu food. Sweet eating, like peppermint.
Mallee, water Nabbari, warilya, kuringana, kongoo, nalla
Manna Yaggala birarr (gum-bearing womma, manna)
Meteor Gilelbi, kattana, ganba (snake)
Mica Wina
Midday Kallala goobal goobal (summer time)
Milk bush Ibi ibi
Mist Arū, yarrgoo
Pods of mallee Boduil, binari, yaldar, dhaddagooloo, buduilba, jinjooloo, binbin
Mulga Bondoolha, sp., koorrgoo = fruit of = koondoondoo yararn, sp. malaurning
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Ochre, yellow Oondarna
Ochre, red Moordurba
Peach, native

Quandong trees = durdoo, boolara, burnburn

White quandong = kanūgu mai (Balyari's term)

Plain, gibber Murwil, mureuil "(as in Jau-teuil") gibbera means Turkey" not "plain"
Root of boggurda Thammun, jirgali
Scum, green, on rockhole or other fresh water

Muldhandu (Dhambu's name)

Ogari (Jillia's name)

Sheoak No species grows plentifully
Shrub, red flowering Tharndaling
Southern Cross & Pointers Walja jinna
Spinifex Goobaroo, bila
Vega in Lyra Gibbera (turkey)
Water bush Wilbala
Water (salt) Gabbi walgu wura
Winter Nyingangga, nyinnga = ice
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General Vocabulary
Abuse, expressions of abuse and contempt

1. Guna wabbinya manu

2. Mura nau

3. Ngunji nongainyi (squinting, "lie" seeing)

4. Murngga, munggau

Act of (doing, going, etc.) Mannainga
Aeroplane (first one ever seen over Ooldea, 1/12/20) Mungardoo, ilgarere kadjoo = afraid
Bachelors Dhauarija; single men's camp = dhauara ngarrinyi
Bag (kangaroo skin) Kangala gulu
Beat, to (women with club) Jūrding ju, jurding gu
Below, under, deep Kanninjerra
Belt (of human hair) Kalbaling
Better (ref. to a sore place, healed, all right, gone away) Darnoo
Bitter Darnu
Bullroarer Nyooloo
Burn Waru kombanau
Bury, to (in tree) Murdi windur
Cannot (nothing see or find) Burdu
Carry (baby) on small of back Moojangga
Carry (baby)on upper part of rump Widambi
Circumcision Tharburda (Di-inggi's name)
Cool (Water) Boorrgoo
Come up Wala
Cooking Bauarni
Cooked Waruja; uncooked = kana
Cover Waldurning
Cypress, dark broad spreading Midurdoo
Damper Mix damper = tjunguni; flatten it = kundula; damper making = runggarni, waldurni, ngarradura = process of making
Dance, to go out and Buringga nyinna gadding
Doctor Male = nganggari; female = mobburn kungga
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Enough, one is Goorong ngooan
Everybody (mob) Thanamba thana (t̲h̲ hard)
Exclamation (surprise, wonder, astonishment) Irr! irr!!!
Fall, to, down Battongain
Female Kamina, wanyi
Finish, to; nothing more left; "Here, you eat it" Inya ngalgu lau-arni
Fire-stick Waru dhaggoolyu
Friends

Dhunadjain (the babbingur of the west)

Waldha, waljajarra, mulba, (mates), ngurgundarri, friendly

Frightened Bgulda bunginyi; mulgoo wiloo nguluringin = cat frightened
Fur Indoo
Flatten it Kundula
Flints, for cutting human flesh

dark hard flint milgardoo

Food (my mai) Ngannanaba mai
Food (Yours) Nyuramba gogu; nyura mūgagu
Food (ours) Ngallijagu, ngallijugu
Ghost

Miri dhagooldharra

Spirit, sorcerer, the dead (mamoo)

Gloves 2 names Wana dharina; (digging stick) ? marra bukati - hand boot (corruption)
Go back, to Gulba
Go on? Yanini
Greedy Bongarn
Grind, to

Boloo bungini runggura oolooba

Upper grindstone = jungari

Lower grindstone = waloo, jiwa walu

Growl, to, growling, grumbling, scolding Warrginyi
Hammer (native) (temporary) kandi addurn dau-u
Headdress of owl's feathers (wirongaroo) junboo
Head on forehead ornament of leaves, worn by nganggari (medicine man) barrga
Headdress of cockatoo's feathers dhalyoor
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Hide, to Barni; hide it quickly = waldula kurala; hiding heads = waldurna katta
Hit it (alluding to potstick and boiling of clothes) Woggarni, woggadha or wogga angana.
Hopping Waraura gadding, balgara gadding
Hungry Juni wari - stomach empty, juni algiri
In (within) Bura
Later on or colder time Bununda (referring to period when blind sand burrowers may be found)
Look out Wandi
Lying (down) moolgoo, moonggara
Male Kardoo, mama
Marriage in the right line Kuri yarriring; married = kuju kudhana; wrong marriage = manoo; wrong man = waddi koogoo boogoo or Waddi koojoobaga
Mean fellow Ngunjoo kugoolyoo
Meat eating Kuga ngalgula; good meat =mindooroo
Mention, can't Ngoorba
More Gurdunggoo
No Ngoorrba
ochre Murdar, julga
Old, no good Urna iridija; old man = jilbi old woman = koongga womba
Outside shell Gunbar
Parasite (on thalyura)

Thalyura nganja, nyiruin, barrga-barrga

Flower of thalyura = boolara

Plant, to Plants = arrawin, warrgina, oonmurda, tharndaling, guyeroo (Some edible), jilgala = "roly poly", thorny bushes
Playing Inggarining
Plume, a (turkey) gibbera barool
Pointing bone (human)

= guroo bunganyi

Push, to, it in Dharbidhura
Quarrels, camp Badha bilbarn
Quiet Burain
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Quietly Widi junain
Relations (blood) Yirgabi
Round and round Barraguin muin, barra wijuin, mannain, barra gurdilgini
Run, to (quick runner) Wala dhangara
See! Look! nyuara (alluding to Wilgidi's seeing and taking an object I held out to her)
Shadow Wilgaroo
Shake dish (wirra) to separate rice & sugar Kan-ini
Shelter Bangga
Shiver, to (with fear) Yuri yuring
Shout, to (like a dingo) Babba balgoomunung
Shut up Kanmar
Silly, stupid Wabbalwabbalba (Koga's term)
Sit down, to Nyinnagaddi
Sleep Angoo
Slippers, make

Jinna muldharra woggarno

Slippers = jinna arda (feet hidden)

Slow to eat Bringju ngalgurning
Smell, bad Oonurn mannaing, oonurn barndi
Spear (of dark wood) Nalbarara
Stand, up Baga ngara, boggara ngarrain
Stem Malyu
Stop! Ngararnyi
Straight Speech Joorrgool wongga
Straight go Dhoorgul yarrain
String, made into Boordooroo indoo
Talking, talking Wonggilga, wongganyi
Tent poles Joolai-ooring
Tobacco Bulyandoo, ugiri
Tribes that meet and "mix" (friends) thunadha, tjunadja
Vulvatomy Ilgabiri
Wait a little Ngarra warnini
What Nago
Wrong; taking wrong woman Annaura mannainyi (manninyi)
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Short Sentences
Ants (black) no good Minga moroo
Bind the knee Junda koojurning
Bring it (I will) by and by Wanyoo manainyi
Bring two Koojara marrain
Camp, going to

Gulbara warning

Nguragoo warning

Gulbi nguragu

Camp, I sit in my Ngaui dharrba
Camp, We go Goolbandhagoo or goolbanyi
Cat very angry Moolgoo bajjalgoo
Cat's food eaten and finished Mulgugu mai ngalguga wianu
Come here Ngalla gulba; Dhu - Gindigi's method of calling his woman to him, also his dog.
Come and Speak Wonggan dhagu
Come and see Nagun dhagu
Come, We will, tomorrow Jindunya ngalli anning
Country, What is the name of your? Yangga yallurdi anning
Damper make Damper bauarndala
Don't eat that And joo bala (said to a child when eating parasite)
Father, Gives to Mama yungadha
Father made it Mama dhadding
Fall, don't Bata ngaragoo
Fire, Make (sawing method) Balbar; sharpened stick for sawing = ginli ginli; bun bun = wedge and sawing process
Fire making

Warū runggani

Upright method = walarr, woods used

Drill and socket piece - burn-burn-ba (burn wood)

Sawing method - mūngain - mūngain

Laljir mugu - wedge, putting in wood burn burn

Fire blow Waru kalongarra
Food, Won't give Mai yungadha wia, ibidhanoo loo, ibi dhanoo
Plenty food given Mara balya (bal (dh)ya)
Little food given Mara kaarngga
Food, Bring some Mai ngala gadding
Food, Brothers Will give Kurdangga mai yunggoo
Food, I Will give Mai yung-gun-dhagu
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Give, You will Nyurano yuarno
Give to mother Ngunjini yua
Go away Mai ara, ngooloo waligin
Go first, You Nyura gaddi yarra
I come behind Ngaiuloo mallingga yanggundharra
Ground make smooth Barna dhanunai munda dooljooning
Hair (his or her) Mongga kata auru
Holding his head Waldurna katta
Hold it Widiling
Hit it hard Marra boolgagoo
Hurt it, don't Mukka bunganyi
Know, I do not Burdu kuleru
Leave it lying Ngarra gurdi
Lose it or forgot it, I Burdugarrigu
Mouth, Open (your) Thoo woo dhina, thagoodi
Meat plenty Kugadharra
Money plenty men have Money jurda waddi woogoo
Put it on fire to cook Kalaga
Put it on (dress, etc.) Jalboo (djalboo) joonain
Rain coming Gabbi yurnga, yaw
Rain bring Gabbi ngarrainya; nganggarli = rain boss
Saw, you Nyura nongoo
Scars with cutting flint, my brother made kurdaloo jibari kandingga
See, can't it Kooroo wiamba ("eyes nothing")
Show (you) by and by Wanyoo wara
Stir it up Rungga runggali
Tea, You have had your Thi joonija ngarrin (tea in your stomach lying)
Tea, I will drink Ngarooloo "tea" ngalgurning
Told me (You) Nyuragoo wongganoo
"Walilya" bring, I will hat give Walilya marra ngaiuluna muna yungain
Water, I smell Gabbi inyinji barnding
Way, Up that Nyarra gurdoo
What do you want? Nyura nagungalyanning
Where (is he) Yalgooda yannin
Who else has gone? Ngannindhana
Wood bring Burnu mannainyi
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Native foods in district
Ngauala or murun native seeds or pods, food
Thamdaling emu and native food
Jinning or thalbaraing - ngannamurra and karrbiji ma malle hen and species of wallaby food
Goomba - kulbir and waroo (2 species of kangaroo) food
Jiljarrbi native food
Mandhingga native food
Boondi grubs at root
Moonjoorn native food, moonyorn
Bīlarn white flowering and red flowering shrub
Bildarbi (Ranges, C.A.) term for edible mallee root that was nalla at Eucla and a totem of a group that called itself nallaum (Bark heated and eaten).
Ngura edible currant (Eucla). Totem & Totemists "ngura-um"
Kombarara (Ranges) also totem group there nurau-um

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