An-ngale makka kah-ngeyyo?

March 30, 2013 By Filed Under: cultural text, environment, language, plants, vocabulary

An-ngale makka kah-ngeyyo?

What's the name of that plant?

Ma, ngurri-wokbimbu! A transcription exercise.

Note that the Kundedjnjenghmi dialect of Bininj Kunwok is used in this video (spoken on the Arnhem Land plateau around Manmoyi).

In this video made by Warddeken Land Management Ltd (and used with their permission here) you can hear Ngal-wakadj Lillian Guymala from Manmoyi teaching younger family the names of plants that grow in the rock country. If you want to know the English or scientific names of these plants, you can contact us (on the main menu contact tab). The transcript is for you to complete. All of the words are given below in the list after the transcript template, you have to pick them out of the list and fit them into the blanks after the time code. We have started the first few lines and the outline of some words. Now watch the video and see how you go. We'll post our version of the transcript (with English translation) in a later post.

[00:00:00] Someone: Ma!

[00:00:02] Lillian: An-bunbarr, ngurrurdu kabarri-kerribun.

[00:00:05] Lillian: B_ _ _ _ _

[00:00:06] Lillian: M _ _ _  an-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

[00:00:09] Lillian: M_ _ _  _ _ _ _ _

[00:00:10] Terrah: An-_ _ _ _  kun-_ _ _ _

[00:00:11] Lillian: An- _ _ _ _

[00:00:12] Terrah: K_ _ _   barri-_ _ _ _ _ _ _  ng_ _ _ _ _ _ _

[00:00:13] Lillian: Woh, namekke.

[00:00:14] Lillian: Mani njamed, an-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

[00:00:16] Lillian: Ng_ _ _ _ _ _

[00:00:18] Lillian: M_ _ _ nj_ _ _ _ an-_ _ _ _ _ _ _

[00:00:23] Lillian: An-_ _ _ _ _ _

[00:00:23] Lillian: An-_ _ _ _ _ _

[00:00:26] Lillian: An-_ _ _ _ _

[00:00:27] Lillian: An-_ _ _ _ _

[00:00:29] Lillian: Mani...

[00:00:31] Terrah: An- _ _ _ _ _ _ _

[00:00:32] Speaker 3: eh ee

[00:00:33] Lillian: njamed an-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

[00:00:35] Terrah: an-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

[00:00:36] Lillian: M_ _ _ nj_ _ _ _, an-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

[00:00:40] Lillian: an-_ _ _ _

[00:00:41] Lillian: Dj_ _ _ _ _

[00:00:43] Lillian: k_ _ _ _ _ _ _, k_ _ _ _ _ _ _

[00:00:44] Lillian: b_ _ _ _ _ _

[00:00:46] Mani njamed...

[00:00:47] speaker 3: (inaudible) yerre dja mani njamed...

[00:00:50] speaker 3: mani yi-ngeybom man-yungki

[00:00:51] Terrah: Mani yi-_ _ _ _ _ _ _  M_ _ _!

[00:00:53] speaker 3: yoh, mani yi-ngeybom,

[00:00:55] Terrah: An-ngale mak yi-ngeybom bu bolkkime.

[00:00:57] speaker 3: bu korroko yi-ngeybom

[00:00:58] Mahni, manu?

[00:00:59] Terrah: yo

[00:00:59] Lillian: Man-nuk man-_ _ _ _ _ _

[00:01:01] someone: man-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

[00:01:02] Lillian: b_ _ _ _ b _ _ _ _

[00:01:03] Terrah: Yo, an-bulng... an-b_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

[00:01:05] Lillian: b_ _ _ _ b _ _ _ _

[00:01:06] Terrah: _ _

[00:01:06] Lillian: _ _ _  b_ _ _ nga-_ _ _ _w _ _ _ _w_ _ _

[00:01:07] Terrah: (ka-djekme 'laughs')

Here is the word list of all words used in the transcript.

an-bulngbulng

An-bulu

An-bunbarr

An-bunbarr

An-djoh

An-djedj

An-djoh

an-djungkurrk

An-dudjmi

an-karnbirr

An-kawalh

An-korlh

an-lerrelerre

an-marnanj

An-ngale

an-ngunngun

baleh

barri-biddukkani

bu bolkkime

bu korroko

bulngbulng

bulngbulng

bunbarr

Burdah

dja

Dja

Djarduk

eh ee

kabarri-kerribun

karrbirlk

karrbirlk

Kunj

kun-yarl.

Ma!

Mahni

mak

man-bulngbulng

man-bunbarrmani

Mani

Mani

Mani

Mani

Mani

Mani

mani

mani

Mani

mani

Mani...

man-ngamed

manu

Manu

man-yungki

mula

namekke

nga-ngeywarrewong.

ngurrurdu

ngurrurdu

Nguyungu

njale...

njamed

njamed

njamed

njamed

njamed...

njamed...

nuk

Woh

yerre

yerre

yi-ngeybom

yi-ngeybom

yi-ngeybom

yi-ngeybom

yi-ngeybom

yo

Yo

yo

yoh

Bonj. That is all.

Season's Eatings from Warddeken

December 22, 2012 By Filed Under: language, plants, vocabulary Tagged With: ,

It's Kunumeleng season (first rains, spelt Gunumeleng in Gundjeihmi). It's also the summer holiday season.. Here is a festive season greeting card from our friends at Warddeken Land Management Ltd.

The card features two bush foods which are abundant in kunumeleng.

Man-dudjmi (Kunwinjku), An-dudjmi (Gundjeihmi and Kundedjnjenghmi dialects), man-moyi (Kune dialect). Scientific name Buchanania obovata. A short variety of the tree is known as an-wodberr. The photo below is an example of an-wodberr, a favourite food for both bininj dja ngurrurdu (people and emus, or in Gundjeihmi bininj dja alwanjdjuk).


As for the bush red apple, man-djarduk (or an-djarduk in Gundjeihmi and Kundedjnjenghmi), you can hear a song about this fruit here. The scientific name is Syzygium suborbiculare.

Bonj, that is all.

Ngalwalngurru 'chameleon dragon'

September 13, 2012 By Filed Under: environment, language, video Tagged With: ,

Ngalwalngurru

chameleon dragon Chelosania brunnea

photo ©: Australian Wildlife Conservancy/Andrew Morton

Nawu Warddeken kabirridurrkmirri, birringalkeng mayh nawu karringeybun ngalwalngurru. Yika mak kabirringeybun mak alwalngurru (Kundedjnjenghmi) dja walwalngurru (Kune). Konda kayolyolme Nabangardi Nabordoh ngalekke mayh alwalngurru.

The Warddeken rangers found a chameleon dragon which is called alwalngurru in Bininj Gunwok. This is its name in Kundedjnjenghmi but it is also called walwalngurru in Kune. In this post you can hear Nabangardi Terrah Guymala talking about this lizard which is culturally important for bininj.

But first how to say the name:

Bale karriyime karringeybun? al-wal-ngurru

Nabangardi Terrah kayolyolme alwalngurru-ken:

Nabangardi Terrah talks about the chameleon dragon. Follow the transcript below.

[00:00:05.08] yoh, njamed ngalwalngurru

yes, whatsit, the chameleon dragon

[00:00:09.10] kangeyyo namenge mayh

that's what this animal is called

[00:00:11.08] ngalwangurru, name kukbameng

the chameleon dragon has a light coloured body

[00:00:15.17] yika njamed ka-kurlah...bikahmen bu ngamed kore

and sometimes it can change its skin colour when its on

[00:00:22.21] bale karriyime nameke kurrulk o kuwardde

what is it, when its on a tree or a rock (changes to the colour of the background)

[00:00:25.00] sometime change kayime

sometimes it can change itself

[00:00:25.24] bad nameke ngalwangurru nakka bedberre djang

but the chameleon dragon is a totemic emblem for them

[00:00:29.00] Djordi-ken, kadjangdi kaddum Kodwalewale

the people from the Djordi clan and the sacred site for it is upstream in the Kodwalewale estate

[00:00:33.05] dja Nabelan kunred kayimarnedjangdi

an estate also referred to as Nabelan, that is the place where the sacred site is located

[00:00:38.20] alwalngurru ngalekke

she is the chameleon dragon

[00:00:41.07] djang

a totemic emblem/sacred site

[00:00:41.19] en korrokoni konda ngarridi ngarrinani bu ngarrimwam

long ago when we came here we used to see them all around wherever we went

[00:00:45.24] konda kaberrkdi kore redwakbuni bad bolkkime ngarriyawam

here they were everywhere running around the place but today we had to look hard for one

[00:00:49.12] bad ngarringalkeng wanjh boyen ngarriwam manekke ngamed

but we did find one and recently when we went to what's that place, um

[00:00:54.02] Ngangkan ngarrihyoy Ngurlken ngarridurrkmirri warridj kume ngarringalkeng

we went to Ngangkan, camping out for a few days, and we were working there also and we found one

[00:00:59.23] wanjh kahdi wanjh ngarrinjilngmakminj mane mak nawu birri-bih...

when we found it we felt glad because they

[00:01:02.05] nawu, nawu djang birridjangweleng birrinjilngmakminj bu birrinang

those people who are the owners of this totem, they felt very happy to see it

[00:01:05.12] karra-, karrarrkiddi

still alive and well

[00:01:07.15] bu name kayakmen wanjh njale wurdurd nawu birri-, birri-, birri-bika nawu kabirrimre nanih nawu

but if it was ever to disappear, then the next generation of children who grow up

[00:01:12.03] wurdurd nawu yiman kayime Bulanjngong

those children of the Bulanj subsection

[00:01:14.20] nawu kabindiyawbornan o Ngarridjngong yerre minj

whose fathers are of this clan or maybe all the Ngarridj subsection people, then they would not

[00:01:16.23] kabindimarnemulewan korre nani djang kadberre (ngunkurrmi?) njale djang ngarrkukwakwan

be able to tell those children about that sacred site and that totem, "what totem, we know nothing about it" (they would have to say)

[00:01:20.07] bad manek important to keep them alive, so we can tell story

so that's why it's important to keep them alive, so we can tell its story

Credits: All recordings by Alys Stevens, Biodiversity Conservation Unit, Northern Territory Government.

Bonj

That is all.

Beware: the following video contains an image of a recently deceased old lady from Kamarrkawarn and should not be shown to Bininj from that community and nearby outstations.

Konda Kabard

September 9, 2012 By Filed Under: cultural text, grammar lesson, language, plants, vocabulary Tagged With:

Konda Kabard

Here it stands (literally 'here it-knee/node')

(W) = Kunwinjku (Gdj) = Gundjeihmi

For those who have been learning their body part vocabulary and playing the Kunwinjku body part game you will have learnt the word for knee kunbard (W) gunbard (Gdj). The word also refers to nodes on the stem of plants such as bamboo mankole (W) an.gole (Gdj) and sorghum spear grass manbedje (W) anbedje (Gdj). In this sense (plants), the word will take a vegetal noun class prefix man-bard (W) an-bard (Gdj).

You might also come across another kind of construction where the noun stem -bard has a pronoun prefix ka- (W) ga- (Gdj) on it:  kabard (W) gabard (Gdj). This means 'it [the plant] is standing [by virtue of its 'knees/nodes']. An illustration of this 'predicate noun' usage is in a couple of songs of the Wurrurrumi song set of the kunborrk musical genre sung by Kevin Djimarr. In these songs Djimarr sings about wayarra 'spirit beings' from whom he receives his music. Djimarr talks about seeing wayarra holding the stems of manbedje 'Sorghum spear grass' in the wet season and they point out each of the nodes towards the seed head at the top. They say "here is a node, here is a node, here further up it is coming into seed'.

Konda kabard manbedje, kudjewk. Here the spear grass is standing, in the wet season.

You can hear Kevin Djimarr singing about wayarra spirits and their obsession with spear grass nodes here:

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/59213537" params="auto_play=false&show_artwork=true&color=cc6409" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]

The song text is:

Konda kabard konda kabard here it stands here it stands [the spear grass]

konda kabard konda kabard here it stands here it stands [the spear grass]

kumekke kumekke kabard there and there it stands

kumekke kumekke kabard there and there it stands

konda kabard konda kabard here it stands here it stands

 

In the next audio file, you can hear Djimarr chanting the final coda sequence when he performs the last song of the evening at Mamurrng ceremonies. Here he imitates the wayarra spirit beings chanting the spear grass nodes or 'knees'. The text is below the audio.

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/59213924" params="auto_play=false&show_artwork=true&color=cc6409" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]

konda kabard konda kabard konda kabard here it stands here it stands [the spear grass]

konda kabard konda kabard konda kaba... here it stands here it stands [the spear grass]

konda yungki kanganjboke here further up it is coming into seed

 

Bonj

That is all.

 

 

Yirlinkirrkkirr

September 8, 2012 By Filed Under: cultural text, environment, language Tagged With: ,

Yirlinkirrkkirr / Djirnidjirnirrinjken

White-throated Grass Wren

(Amytornis woodwardi)

This post is about a bird endemic to the rock country of Bininj Gunwok speaking people— the white-throated grass wren or yirlinkirrkkirr (in most dialects). In Kune dialect it is called djirnidjirnirrinjken.

Nahni ngurriwokbekkan kobohbanj banibokenh kabarriyolyolme bu yirlinkirrkkirrk-ken.

    photo © Warddeken Land Management Ltd and Peter Cooke.

Click on the audio to hear how to pronounce yirlinkirrkkirr or the Kune version djirnidjirnirrinjken.

Yirlin-kirrk-kirr

yirlinkirrkkirr MaryK < yibiddjuyme ba yiwokbekkan yirlinkirrkkirr (click to listen)

Djirni-djirnirrinj-ken

3_IvanN_WTGW_Kune_11_04_2012_djirnidjirnirrinjken < yibiddjuyme ba yiwokbekkan djirnidjirnirrinjken

Nakangila Ivan Namarnyilk: Nane namekke kikkik name kangeyyo, njamed namekke, ngarringeybun nanih, djirnidjirnirrinjken, djirnidjirnirrinjken.

Nakangila Ivan Namarnyilk: This bird has a name and this is how we say its name— (repeated)
djirnidjirnirrinjken, djirnidjirnirrinjken

In the following 4 audio files and transcript, you can hear two senior knowledgeable women Kodjdjan Mary Naborlhborlh and Kodjdjan Mary Kolkkiwarra talking to their grandson and Warddeken land management ranger Nakamarrang Gavin Namarnyilk as he seeks to learn something about this special little bird only found in the rock country of Western Arnhem Land and Kakadu National Park.

Yirlinkirrkkirr audio 1of 4 yibiddjuyme ba yiwokbekkan (clear here to listen, file 1 of 4)

[00:00:00.00] Yirlinkirrkkirr

[00:00:01.22] GN: Bale kore karri bale kabolkyime laik yimulewa.

Where does it live, can you say something about it.

[00:00:05.00] MK: Kuwarddewardde karri.

It lives in the rock country.

[00:00:08.01] MK: Yiman kayime Kamarrkawarn karri kore kanjdjikanjdji, ankebkakebkali.

You can find them at Kamarrkawarn down on the river by the edge of the rocks where they meet the savanna.

[00:00:13.10] MK: Yiman kayime anywhere yiman kayime mani any side kore malayi wanjh start moving ngurrimang ngurrire.

Anywhere there, such as any side (near the rocks) so tomorrow when you start moving around there, that's where you go.

[00:00:20.21] MN: Yo

[00:00:21.12] MK: Kare kumeke kuwarddewardde ngurribekkan kayime "yirlinkirrk-kirrk-kirrk-kirrk" kawokdi.

In that rock country there, listen out for the call "yirlinkirrk-kirrk-kirrk-kirrk".

[00:00:24.00] MN: "yirlinkirrk-kirrk-kirrk-kirrk" kayime kawokdi...nungka.

It goes like that, "yirlinkirrk-kirrk-kirrk-kirrk", that's him.

[00:00:26.18] MK: Kamulewarren nakka woybuk namekke ngaleng ngurrimang name yirlinkirrkkir.

He is saying who he is; for sure you'll be able to find one, the white-throated grass wren.

[00:00:30.11] MN: Yo


Yirlinkirrkkirr audio 2 of 4 yibiddjuyme ba yiwokbekkan (clear here to listen, file 2 of 4)

[00:00:31.00] GN: mm

[00:00:32.00] MN: kamulewarren.

He's saying who he is (talking about himself).

[00:00:32.19] MK: Nanih (?) namekke kabimdihbimdi yirlinkirrkkirr nakka.

These pictures here (computer) are the white-throated grass wren.

[00:00:35.05] MN: Dja kune nawu dedjmudkuyengkuyeng.

And it has very long tail feathers.

[00:00:38.19] MK: Nahni.

This one.

[00:00:40.16] MN: Nane (something) njalenjale

and various other features

[00:00:42.01] MK: Namekkengong wanjh name yirlinkirrkkirr.

These birds (in the photos) are all the white-throated grass wren.

[00:00:42.22] MN: namekke nahni, ngoyo?? nani nawu

that one there, that's him

[00:00:45.15] GN: So Kamarrkawarn karri konda karri?

So it lives here at Kamarrkawarn?

[00:00:48.08] MK: Konda karri.

It lives around here.

[00:00:49.11] MN: Nganmoyi karri...konda karri.

It's also at Manmoyi... it lives here.

[00:00:50.24] MK: Wardi konda bu kare karri bad...

It must also be living around here...

[00:00:55.07] MK: wardi ngurridjalyawayawan dja ngaye mak ngadjalyime bu marrek kareh karri wardi o maitbi, karri, because kuwardde karri nakka.

Just try and have a look around. I'm only assuming you'll find there because it's the right kind of habitat in the rock country there.

[00:01:01.24] MN: mm karri ngurribekkan kawokdiwokdi.

It's there, just listen out for its call.

[00:01:03.07] MK: Mani Ankung Djang area kanjdji karri ankebkali yirlinkirrkkirr

It's also in the Ankung Djang (Honey Dreaming) area on the lowland areas by the edge of rocky escarpment lines, the white-throated grass wren.

[00:01:06.16] MN: Karri

It's there.


Yirlinkirrkkirr 3 of 4 < yibiddjuyme ba yiwokbekkan (clear here to listen, file 3 of 4)
[00:01:07.23] MK: Ngurrire ngurringalke.

Go there and you will find it.

[00:01:10.04] GN: Try namekke malayi ngarrire ngarriyawan ane ngaleh ngandibidyikarrme.

We'll try to go there tomorrow and look for it but we need your help (two elders).

[00:01:17.01] MN: Yo wanjh ngurriyawan ngurribekkan kawokdiwokdi.

Yes, go then and listen to its call when you are looking for it.

[00:01:20.21] MN: Bu karriwokbekkan. Kawokdi nungkakih.
(song)

Let's listen to it talking (on audio recording). It will speak, that's it now.

[00:01:29.01] MK: Yirlinkirrkkirr!

White-throated grass wren!

[00:01:29.19] MN: Nungkakih

That's it now.

[00:01:30.21] (kawokdi yirlinkirrkkirr)

(the white-throated grass wren calls)

[00:01:35.19] GN: (to ecologist Alys Stevens) Where did you record it?

[00:01:37.00] Alys: Kakadu

[00:01:40.01] MN: Nungkakih

That's it now.

Yirlinkirrkkirr 4 of 4 < yibiddjuyme ba yiwokbekkan (clear here to listen, file 4 of 4)

[00:01:43.02] GN: Yiwokbekkang?

Can you hear it speaking?

[00:01:44.19] (kawokdi Yirlinkirrkkirr yerre)

(the white-throated grass wren still singing)

[00:01:44.19] MN: Med yibekkan.

Hang on, listen.

[00:01:48.08] (bird)

[00:01:53.06] MN: Nungkakih ... yibekkan.

Listen... that's it now!

[00:01:56.12] MK: Kore kuwardde bawokmangi o bale kungarre?

Where did she (Alys) record it— in the rock country or where, in a thicket?

[00:01:59.03] GN: Kakadu.

[00:01:59.15] MK: Kungarre?

In thick bush?

[00:02:00.10] Alys: Gunlom

[00:02:01.17] All: Gunlom

[00:02:03.10] MN: Gunlom bawokmey.

She recorded it at Gunlom.

[00:02:04.16] GN: Gunlom bawokmey.

She recorded it at Gunlom.

[00:02:05.19] MK: Nungkakih

That's it now.

[00:02:06.10] Ngalbuyika: Nungkakih

That's it now.

[00:02:08.24] MN: mm nungkakih

mm, that's it now.

If you only want to hear the song of yirlinkirrkkirr, click below:

wtgrasswren < Konda yibiddjuyme bu yidjare yiwokbekkan namekke mayhmayh kawokdi.

Thanks to Alys Stevens from the Biodiversity Conservation Unit, Northern Territory Government for making these recordings and to the two Kodjdjan, Mary Kolkkiwarra (left) and Mary Naborlhborlh (right) for their knowledge about the birds. Thanks also to Peter Cooke for the excellent yirlinkirrkkirr photo and to Maningrida Djelk Ranger Ivan Namarnyilk for the Kune pronunciation.

Bonj

That is all.

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