1
2
3
6
7
8
9
12
16
C.J. Annear Of Fitzroy, West Kimberley Magisterial District WarraNarrie Tribe |
| Baby | gigenja |
| Blackfellow | womba (yooalah) |
| Blackwoman | coonbo |
| Boy | cambia |
| Brother | marnee |
| Child | gigenja |
| Daughter | mullah |
| Father | narboo |
| Girl | malara |
| Grandmother | chadja |
| Husband | yowlie |
| Man | coong garlame |
| Mother | gnari |
| Old greyheaded men | boolga |
| Old greyheaded women | bun-dan-yee |
| Orphan | Gwam meenyee |
| Sister | moorloo |
| Young woman | yumbra |
| Young man | yarbun-yee |
| Widow | carlarrah |
| Wife | caringnee |
| Young married man | billuwarra |
| Ankle | lingallie |
| Arm (left) | barndee |
| Arm (lower) | chingarie |
| Arm (right) | barndee |
| Arm (upper) | noonga noongada |
| Back | weela |
| Back-bone | win-garlie |
| Beard | towrie |
| Blood | wa arrie |
| Bone | beerdee |
| Bowels | jowla |
| Breast | carma |
| Breath | woolawarra |
| Breathe, to | tingagaree |
| Calf of Leg | jindawa |
| Cheek | neeralie |
| Chest bone | meme |
| Chin | towra |
| Coition | moonin binya |
| Copulate, to | moonin binya |
| Cry, to | wirrwaree |
| Drink | woolock billarrie |
| Cough | callalleroo |
| Ear | manga |
| Eat | tungandee |
| They appear positive that they do not distinguish between left and right. (Later note: right side = juddabingie, left side = jumby jumby left or right arm would be spoken of as barndee) | |
| In many cases it is found when tribes mix they often forget words of their own language. | |
| Elbow | nungarie |
| Eyeball | moola |
| Eyebrow | onebinya |
| Eyelash | waramallie |
| Eyelid | jongalbie |
| Eye | mool |
| 4 | |
| Face | mearnee |
| Fat | jimmenba |
| Fatigue | pittarlame |
| Finger | marla |
| Finger nail | leera |
| Foot | tinga |
| Forehead | moola |
| Frowning | gnun gnungeera |
| Generative Organ (female) | naninya |
| Gums | naanda |
| Hair of armpit | yeerawah |
| Hair of head | meera |
| Hand | marla |
| Head | mir'aa (don't recognise different bones of head) |
| Hearing | tangmalu warangee |
| Heart | cerva |
| Heel | tinga |
| Hip bone | meerala (As an instance of names given, I give relief to an old woman called Meerala tinga. (by natives on account of deformity of hip.) |
| Jaw | tungandie |
| Kidney | koondonda |
| Knee | kim-marnie |
| Leg | coogee |
| Lip | mulawardie |
| Liver | meerlee |
| Lung | co or ko |
| Moustache | moonja moonja |
| Mouth | moonja |
| Navel | |
| Neck | woongarra |
| Nipple of breast | mooloo |
| Nose | narnalie |
| Nostril | tore |
| Palm of the hand | same as hand |
| Penis | pinda |
| Perspiration | jooardee |
| Perspire | waarie |
| 5 | |
| Pregnant | choogoo |
| Puberty (age of) | No age recognised |
| Rib | warlambie |
| Rump | munba |
| Seeing | wadcoora |
| Semen | terlear |
| Shin | jowla |
| Shoulder | lowardie |
| Sinew | joolawar |
| Skeleton | narandee |
| Skin | joongalbe |
| Skull | wagee |
| Sleep | moorya |
| Smell | wabbi |
| Sneeze, to | nadg geerie |
| Sole of the foot | campbeena |
| Speak | gidja coora |
| Spit | congoo |
| Stink | tooenda |
| Stomach | jooloo |
| Taste | kilwangie |
| Tears | mooraloo |
| Teeth | munjee |
| Temple | neeralie |
| Thighbone | beedee |
| Thirsty | kiningin |
| Throat | woolah |
| Thumb | namboree |
| Toe | tenga |
| Toenail | miljarnie |
| Tongue | taling |
| Urinate, to | coomboo |
| Vein | gilawa |
| Walk, to | warkara |
| Windpipe | cunna cundad |
| Wink, to | nim mick |
| Wrinkle | wyadie |
| Wrist | coogee |
| Yawn, to | narbaray |
| Whiskers | towrie |
| Bandicoot | quenda |
| Bat | bingerme |
| Cat, native | gonah |
| Dingo | maranyee |
| Dingo, female | namaree |
| Dingo, male | kilengwa |
| Dingo, puppy | wooroo gigenga |
| Flying fox (bat) | keenmah |
| Horse | yoweda |
| Kangaroo, generic | wangeen |
| Kangaroo, big | tear.u = tearu |
| Small Kangaroo | coombarna |
| Kangaroo, young, in pouch | woodoo |
| Opossum, Black | chambindie |
| Bird's egg | cambbeen |
| Birds' Nest | bidja |
| Bustard, Wild Turkey | kalamuda |
| Cockateel, Cockatoo Parrot | warangoona |
| Cockatoo, Black, red tail | taremulla |
| Cockatoo, Galah, grey and pink | coolooloo |
| Cockatoo, white, northern | larba |
| Cockatoo, white, Sulphur-crested | coorarie |
| Crane, Blue | chaida |
| Crow | wonggana |
| Dove, little | marrawee |
| Duck | lowla. Ducks scarce now; cannot get different names. |
| Eagle | cunbare'a |
| Eagle, Little | yawle-yalla |
| Emu | cunan ningie |
| Flycatcher | gondaw errie |
| Hawk, Fish (Osprey) | cowanba |
| Hawk, Sparrow | kir kinyee |
| Magpie, Mud lark | dear dear |
| Mopoke | coorawanda |
| Native Companion | cooranda |
| Pelican | myada |
| Swamp-hen, Coot | july |
| Fish, Catfish | killawar |
| Crab | carkardee |
| Crayfish | talagee |
| Fish (generic) | cowie |
| Barramundy | bulga |
| Shark | narngoo |
| Alligator | cullaroo |
| crocodile | walwaranga |
| Turtle | tooee |
| Swordfish | culwanyee |
| Frog (generic) | wurgee |
| Frog, large green | bunoonda |
| Iguana (generic) | wowandie |
| Scorpion | milalawa |
| Snake (generic) | bullanyee |
| Turtle | tooee |
| Ant (common small) | mickey |
| Ant (sergeant) | gnil laddie |
| Ant (white) | lungallie |
| Bee | widda. The Kimberley bee, a species of housefly without sting. |
| Blowfly | weerallie |
| Butterfly | wallemalgu |
| Caterpillar | tarmangallie |
| Centipede | yourangie |
| Dragonfly | kilingoo |
| Fly (generic) | neerinya, also housefly |
| Grasshopper, flying | chartoo (Hoppers = coomoongo) |
| Grub | bindy |
| Hornet | beerinyowla |
| Louse | you'ee |
| Mosquito | indarlie |
| Spider | barndee (see left and right arm) |
| Blossom | juga |
| Breeze | kingarlie |
| Cave | toowee |
| Cloud | noomera |
| Cloudy | wooderdee |
| Cold | mardie |
| Country (burnt) | meeadie |
| Country (desert) | jeelyee |
| Country (hilly) | gnara |
| Country (open) | cowendie |
| Country (stony) | woonamie |
| Creek, creeks | weerie |
| Dark | mananga |
| Dawn | rowamme |
| Day | teranie |
| Daylight | rowamme |
| Dew | boolinee |
| Duststorm | joodoo |
| Evening | manga |
| Feather | warla |
| Fig (Native) | coonanga |
| Fire | wyandie |
| Floods | waramba |
| Flowers | see blossom |
| Gorge | loomba loomba |
| Grass | jarie |
| Grass (tall) | marlie |
| Grass (young) | boonggalie |
| Ground (surface of) | babarunga |
| Gum | narla |
| Gum tree, white | walarie |
| Heat | malivala |
| Hill | gnara |
| Hole | toora |
| Island | moodaree |
| Coolebah tree | warwurlie |
| Chestnut tree | gnarla |
| mimosa | jooloogie |
| 10 | |
| Lake | wingarra |
| Light | cunara |
| Lightning | wanara |
| Manna | pinga |
| Moon | charleengie |
| Mountainous Country | oneanarrie |
| Mud | kalamunda |
| Muddy | yowada |
| Night | maninja |
| Paper-bark tree | cadjebut, coorembah |
| Plain | cowendie |
| Pool | gnarna |
| Pool in River | nanna |
| Quartz | walawanyee |
| Rain | youendil |
| Rainbow | meereeandie |
| River | wallaberrie |
| River, bank of | mooderie |
| Rock | narrie |
| Running water | cudgenee |
| Rush (a fibre) | youie |
| Sand | joodoo |
| Shade | gnarlee |
| Shower, a | spring juma |
| Sky | beerenyee |
| Southern cross | not recognised here |
| Spinifex | kil-lina |
| Star | warda; shooting stars = wanara |
| Small stone | narrie; black stone = mardungee |
| Sun | mary |
| Stony hill | narrie choolgoo |
| Summer of hot season | barrungara |
| Swamp country | coorala |
| Swamps | bindarie |
| Thunder | coolermooroo |
| Tree | yarawara |
| Tree, Bark of | bulgna |
| 11 | |
| Tree, Gum of | gnarla |
| Water | campia |
| Water (deep) | mummungeerie |
| Water, good | junandee |
| Whirlwind | warnara |
| Wind (East) | ningmong |
| Wind (North) | poorong |
| Wind (South) | minalie |
| Wind (strong) | ju-una |
| Wind (West) | moongawala |
| Winter or cold season | moongala |
| Yam | billah |
| Afraid | yowi |
| Aged man | boolga |
| Anger | karlardie |
| Ashes | camboondoo |
| Ask, to | yangenbah |
| Assault, to | cardboodeerie |
| At once | cutina |
| Attentive | taingmilewar |
| Back, to go | bangoorie |
| Bag | warranee |
| Bag (in which a child is carried) | Baskets made of grass used for carrying, or a trap for catching fish = carragee Infants carried in cooleman which is piece of wood hollowed out canoe-shape. |
| Bald | bindidee |
| Bandy legged | bal gnan agna |
| Bark, as a dog, to | roong geera |
| Bathe, to | poopoorie |
| Battle | yowanberan |
| Beat, to (thrash) | bunginboo |
| Beautiful | yunandee |
| Behind | ballewar |
| Betray, to | nagbarra |
| Between | billagar |
| Big | namanee |
| Birth | yanagobegana |
| Bite, to | woodgoo |
| Bitter | tandala |
| Black | cooncoondoo |
| Bleed, to | wyaree |
| Blind | tamada |
| Blow with the mouth, to | booma |
| Blue | beeree |
| Blunt | tummunbarnie |
| Body (dead) | nangwannie |
| Boomerang | nowarlee |
| 13 | |
| Bring me | bunbungmarra |
| Bruised | tooinbingwa |
| Bundle | mudgma |
| Burn | nabganna |
| Bury, to | tardberry |
| Call him back | bowing'gama |
| Camp, native | rooee warring garrie |
| Cannibalism | narbarjoogo |
| Careful | mangaree carrangronga |
| Careless | bunda warinja |
| Carry | wandadjba |
| Carry, to, on the shoulders | marneewa |
| Cataract (film over eye) | nargaree |
| Change, to | warwarie |
| Cheat, to | ginberry |
| Chew, to | nooraboolah |
| Choke, to | terddee |
| Cinder | pierie |
| Circle | julgoo |
| Circumcision | jungalme; operation of cutting penis which occurs some time after circumcision = meandy |
| Clean | mangaree |
| Close (near) | carah |
| Concealed | booree arrie |
| Cooked | moolah |
| Cool | mowardie |
| Uncooked or half cooked | kiljallie |
| Corroboree | junba |
| Covered | tunma |
| Crawl, to | carrararrarie |
| Creep (to creep on game) | loommarrie |
| Dance | charrarree |
| Dead | numb barnie |
| Deaf | wongalla |
| Destroy or break | curringba |
| Dig, to | wir ritbah |
| Direct (in a straight line) | jud'oo |
| 14 | |
| Dog's tail head-dress | gnowa |
| Dream | coonie |
| Dried up | curda |
| Drink | wool looh billarnee |
| East | karkara |
| Egg-shell | minderoo |
| Embrace, to | loowra winna |
| Fall, to | cadbarnie |
| Far away | bunugrun |
| Fast | coorit bumbarnie |
| Fear | yuarrie |
| Few | gnarlado |
| Fig | coon nunga |
| Find | towra ullidie |
| Finish, to | tub guinie |
| Flesh (of animals) | gnardie; of human beings = gnaraee |
| Float, to | bumrumbara |
| Food | munyee |
| Flood | war'ram'bra |
| Frightened | yualla nung gie |
| Full (satisfied) | gnum manee jilolee |
| Full of holes | lilit barrie |
| Half caste | marlgnarie |
| Lot, a (anything over 5) | woolwa |
| No | mungarry |
| North | kialie |
| One | uanee |
| Putrid | tuenda |
| Quick | cudgana |
| Quiet | beerda |
| Quartz stone | mungala; spearhead = gimbla |
| Slow | bunba |
| Smoke, of fires | wangee |
| Soft | culba |
| Sore (or boil) | cudgee |
| South | cooleera |
| Sparks | tilma |
| Spear (generic term) | genala |
| 15 | |
| Spear, to throw a | wooditma |
| Spider's web | barndee (see arm) |
| Steal, to | neelabowar |
| Three | gnarloodoo |
| Two | cundawaddie |
| Tomahawk, stone | chumandie (very seldom seen nowadays) |
| West | karla |
| What | unica |
| Where | gnunya |
| Whistle | winbillma |
| Dry country or country without water | gillyee |
| Well watered country | cooralah |
| A native, once he commences to mix with other tribes or with the whites, seldom, if ever, afterwards pronounces his language in its original state. It is always cut short. As as instance, I may mention the original name for Esperance Bay = Cabcalup. Years afterwards ot became Cabicile. Similarly here "fast" originally = cooritbunbarnie. Now it is coorit or cooritbun. | |
| Come here | minalie |
| Cut firewood | wyandie cardjina |
| Follow up | billate bingie |
| Go back | boonga pooh |
| Little higher | landee |
| Move, or get out of way | bunu gnow |
| No more or not yet | mungarry |
| 1. Unable find out had no actual cases to put before them. | |
| 2. Circumcision, subincision, "cutting, tearing or forcing" vagina to ease confinement. | |
| 4. It is not correct. | |
| 6. During corroborees here the hair is tied up into a bunch by string made of hair or failing this, pieces of rag. | |
|
7. a. kiley called kiley here. b. spear = genal c. small sticks for throwing = nowarlie d. long sticks fourfeet long = cooderoo e. shields = carwina f. spearthrower = noweealie g. "canoes" for carrying food or water. used in fighting as well as for game. |
|
|
8. Baskets made of grass used for catching fish, other methods viz. stirring up mud and making water thick also used. Kangaroo and emu captured by crawling on to them. |
|
| 9. Not known to these blacks. | |
| 11. There is no recognised head or leader of any tribes here. | |
| 12. Malarial fever, ague and influenza. | |
| 13. Arms and legs when broken were strapped and bandaged similar to methods adopted by ourselves. Malarial fever, influenza, the most common, were allowed to take their course. | |
| 15. Corroborees consist of singing and dancing. Their amusements are devoid of any meaning. Natives do not know meaning of any of their songs. | |
| 16. Unable say definitely but about two years ago 200 assembled close here. | |
| 19. I mention the following which may be accepted as specimens of how they compile short sentences. I tell one to tell another to cut firewood. The first will call out "Wyandie cardgma" = cut the wood. Another asking where are the horses says "Horses gnunya." | |
|
20. Tribes used to meet once or twice yearly to fight. The meeting might last two days. After fight which generally occurred first day of meeting any little nicnacs might be exchanged. During these meetings women were exchanged and cohabited freely with the males of opposite tribes till meeting broken up. |
|
| 21. Fish, kangaroo, snake, crocodile, iguanas, grasshoppers, white ants, native oranges, berries figs, gum, water-lily bulbs, frogs, mussels, crabs, lice. | |
| 17 | |
| 22. None before advent of white man. | |
| 23. Was known amongst the tribes here before whitescame into district. About four years ago a deceased child was eaten close here. | |
| 24. Soft and hard round sticks. The soft piece has hole made in it and is held on ground by feet and the other stick is twisted bu being worked to and fro between palms of both hands, viz. the friction causing soft wood to burn;grass is then held over this hole and blown upon till it ignites. | |
| 25. No occasion for it in this plentifully watered country. | |
| 27. When flesh leaves bones, deceased are said to become devil-devil and speaks to his tribe from long distances, but is sel-dom seen though occasionally natives will assert they have seen devil devil but don't know its name. | |
| 31. Only ordinary smoke made to signalise natives coming in or for others to be on look out for police etc. | |
| 32. No system or idea of calculating anything beyond five, which is done thus; 1= uanee, 2 = cundawaddie. Thus when they wish to say five it is cundawaddie, cundawaddie, uanee :2 & 2 & 1. No name for anything beyond three. | |
| 33. Not with certainty. | |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The moral rights of the speakers are asserted