Vocabulary of Central Australian Tribes

(A tribe is an aggregate of groups)

(A group is an aggregate of families)

The tribes speaking the following dialect belong to the districts north and nor'west of the East-West-Line. It was also understood and spoken by the Fowler Bay S.A. Australian Bight S.A., and Eucla district W.A. natives, all of whom are now extinct.

It was spoken by the Ooldea group (extinct); the Boundary Dam group, border of S.A. and W.A. (about five members still living); through the Musgrave and Everard Ranges, C.A. the Mann Ranges and Petermann Ranges, the spinifex country west of the ranges and on and over the border of South and Western Australia

At the great gatherings held near permanent waters, tribes and groups from far east and west assembled with their boys for initiation ceremonies, the dialect was understood and spoken by the visitors from distant areas; their local variations being understood by the Central men, these local variations often supplying an extra name which was applied to the persons speaking them.

Some native names of groups: The situation of these groups is approximate.

Wonǵ-gai-i Wonǵa, Boundary Dam area (border of S.A. and W.A.)

(Wonǵ-gai-i is the local variation of wong-ga (wong -ga-speech)

Müńjinja Wong-ga, N or N.E. of Wonǵ-gai'-ī.

Mänǵ-gūn-jarra, near Müńjinja.

Thalla or Ngal′lia Wong-ga near Mang-gun-jarra.

Ūla or Jī-win Wong-ga, Ooldea Water (ūla and jī-win-local terms for 'boy'. Ula, North of jiwin wongga

Wâńbiri or Wâńmaraing wong-ga, Great Australian Bight.

Wī′ja boggani, or Wī′-jang′-ga north of Māng′-gūnjarra.

Gūn′bai-ija or Kū′larda Wong-ga, hill people north of Wī′ja boggani

Bī′janjarra, mixed with Ngal′lia, Mün′jinja, Mäng-ǵūndha..

Nyūn′dūnjarra N.W. of Ngal`lia and north of Mäng′-gūndha (Mang′-gūnjarra)

Yäng′-gūnjarra - north of Ranges area.

Yägga-ngura or Yäg′gawirr'ja būgäni near Yägga-`ngura.

Kär′jilarni Wong-ga

Wīr′ong-u Wong-ga, Taroola area (W. and W.S.W. of Tarcoola) extinct.

Thā (th hard as in thick) dhē′-ali Wongga W of Munjinja

Būng′-gal-īja S. of Thā dhē-ali

Dhūl′gu-gūdū N. of Thā-dhē-ali.

Mīŕī ngälgū (human flesh eaters) N.W. of Thā dhē-ali.

Bū′lū Wong-ga (būlū-local term for snakes) S.W. of Thā dhē-ali

Wöng-ga mürda or Mārdu wöngga (mardu local term for yes)

Mül′däl Wöng-ga, Eucla area (extinct)

Ngal′li-ngal′li, near Wong-gai-i

Kā′-lur wongga, Border area.

With′abon (th hard) Border area.

Some of the Central Waters amongst whose local groups the dialect was spoken.

Kat′ūrnūrna, Būrr′guna; Wân′dūnya; Gūl′binyana; Ngōb′arn

Lūn′dadhana; Būn′juna: Bū′būnya; Yū′lain;

Ming′-ana; etc. etc.

All permanent waters far north of the E.W. Line and the Great Plains Northern edge.

Mundalyu? These native vegetable foods seem to be confined to areas north of the Great Plains' edge. Gundagandi? Wing-gi? Kuja? Jundala? Kurrgu windalga (fruit of Kurrgu tree)

Bū'-ya, Winjūlain, grass creeper and pea, both edible.

Wong'-ūnū, grass seed.

Warr'darrga mai, pea pods of Warrdarrga tree. (Mai-generic term for all fegetable food)

Ngalda (kurrajong seed pods?) on pods of palcus as Hermansburg.

Thän'murda (th hard(,?

Il'gawara windalga (fruit of Ilgawara tree) also Ilgawara maw'gu

Guraara (pods of prickly acacia). It is an interesting fact that this name "follows the tree" from the West coast near Geraldton to Central Australia).

Thammulyuru ?

Wali-yalilya?

Thammunara ? Large greenish edible fungus or mushrooms. found near mallee

Kamburara?

Kaliwara?

Malung-ari?

Ngabboea - part of Canis Major (? tail) Eucla area.

Mammaingurra (Fathers) Orion, eucla area

Thani(Public Tassel) or Kala or Nambu ( ) Orion's sword and belt) Eucla

Kara (Spider) Rigel, Eucla

Yaggaingurra (Lot of women or mothers) Pleiades Eucla

Ngangabberla (connected with Yaggaingurra) Aldebaran; Eucla

Warrmula (Slippered men or murderers) Piscles Eucla

Kammin-gammin (? species of sinch) Corona b Eucla

Kaanga (Crow) Corona b ; Cent Aus.

Yanjungurra - Antares & part of Scorpio; Eucla.

Waruburdarra (Fire) Kung-ga (Women), Yirgabi (Boy's blood relatives at initiation)

Note: Both Eucla & Central Aus. tribes forbade young boys to look at Scorpio)

Kallaia (Emu) Dark spot in Milky way, Cent. Aus.

Yinma (Sacred long board - shadow of board only) - Dark spot in Milky Way. Eucla.

Munnarn's Yicara (Munnarn's "road") - Part of Serpens; Eucla.

Jiringa (Woman with navel, breasts & head) - Prassipe, Eucla.

Baduwudha's Kurda (Brother) - Rigel, Eucla.

Waldajudi - Magellan's Cloud; Wirongu Wong-ga.

Dhugurrlinjiri the Cold Country - Heaven, where the dead of the Andingiri Group go; it is Western

Kang-garara (the hot country - heaven where the dead of the Wirongu Wong-ga group go. It is Eastern.