Noongar Glossary
We’d like to say yaankga (thank you) to Brenda and George who have graciously recorded the following Noongar terms and phrases used throughout this course.
George has taught conversational Noongar waangkaniny for many years. He is the expert cultural advisor and senior consultant for this course. | Brenda is passionate about preserving and strengthening Noongar languages, and has been instrumental as a senior waangkinany advisor in this course. |
Click on any word to listen to George or Brenda speak it or download a copy of the Noongar Glossary for your own reference.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Phrases
alidja (over there) |
baalang (they/them) Baalgaara/Paalaagara (Bull Banksia) balga (grass tree) baranginy (becoming/ getting/ making (doing word used often)) bardi (witchetty grubs) barna (animal) benang (tomorrow/sometime soon) Bibbulmun (man or person) bidit (ants) bilya/beeliar (river) bindi-bindi (butterfly) Birak (Birak season) bonar (season) bonitj (knee) boo book (owl) boodj-ak (ground-on) boodja (country) boodjari (pregnant) bookal (lower back) bookas/bwoka (animal skin cloaks used for warmth) boola (many or big) boola boola maalak (very/big big cold) booladalung/boodalung (pelican) boola kaalang (very/big big hot) boola kala (colourful) boondong (money) booraanggaa/boraanga (totems) boorda/ boordawan (goodbye) Boordiya (Elders (boss person, leader, kaadadjan holder)) boorn (tree) booro-nginy (rain falling) booron (rains) booyi (turtle) boya (money) Bunuru (Bunuru season) bwoka (kangaroo cloak) |
daa (mouth) daardi (pretty cool) daat-koorliny (falling down (as in rain)) daatj/daadja (meat) dabakarn (slowly) dambart (three) dandjoo (coming together) darp (knife) Deman (Cousin) Derbarl Bilya (Swan River) Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan Estuary) djaa (mouth) djaaliny (tongue) djardak (white) Djarlgarro Beelier (Canning River) djedari (brown) djen (foot) djena (feet) djendal (grey) Djeran (Djeran season) djerap (bird) Djerpan/ djoorabin/ djeraban (happy/ like) Djerpaniny/ djoorabininy/ djerabininy (happiness/ liking) djiba djobaliny (swimming) djidi-djidi (willy-wagtail bird) Djilba (Djilba season) djildjit (fish) djinang (look or see) djinanginy (looking) djinda (stars) Djiraly (northern dialects) djoodarak (song) Djook/Djookan (Sister) djoorabiny (means happy, but also something people say when they like something… e.g. are you djoorabiny for that fella?) Djoowaalindjarap (Dwellingup) doodja (heat of (e.g. the sun) dwank menditj (earache) dwert (dog) dwonk (ear) |
gaada/kaada (hills) Gabbi Darbal (Perth) |
jenang (good spirits) jennak (bad spirits) |
kaa-kaa (kookaburra) kaada/gaada (hills) kaadadjan/kaaditjin (knowledge) kaadi (silly in the head (meant in a non-judgemental way)) kaalak (traditional winter shelter) kaalang (hot) kaalang-koorliny (becoming hotter) kaaleepga (homeland) kaat (head/hill) kaat menditj (headache) Kabarli (Grandmother) kakarook (dance) Kambarang (Kambarang season) kanangoor (bright/shining) kar (spider) karda (racehorse goanna) karil (crabs) kaya/kiya (hello or yes) kedala (daytime) kedalak (night time) kep (water/rain) kertikert (quickly) keyen (one) koboorl menditj (stomach ache) Kongk (Uncle) koobalong/koornis (frogs) koodjal (two) koodjal koodjal (four) koolbardi (magpies) kooldji (hip) koomal/goomal (possum) koomba (big) koondart (cloud) Koongal-Boyal (south-eastern dialects) Koongal-Marawar (south-western dialects) koonyi (affirmation of something silly/that’s no good/not good) koora (long ago or the past) koora koora (long, long ago) koorat (shorter) koorbal (stomach) Koorlaangka (children) koorliny (coming/going (added hand gesture will clarify)) koort (heart) Koorta (Husband or Wife) kwila (shark) kwillena (dolphin) kwob (good) kwobidak (very good/good or beautiful) kwoliny (wrist) kwon (buttock) |
maalak (cold) maali (black swan) maam (man) Maam yok (Aunty) Maaman (Men or Father) maar (five or hand) maar koodjal koodjal (nine) maar maar (ten) maar-dambart (eight) maar-keyen (six) maar-koodjal (seven) maat (leg) Maambart (Father) madjitil (magical/magic) Makuru (Makuru season) malark (bush) malark mereny (bush food) Mambart (Father) Mandjoogoordap (Mandurah) manitj/maanitj (cockatoo) maar-keyen bonar (six seasons) marr (wind) marron (crayfish) menang (bloodroot) menditj (sick) mereny (food) mereny ngaarn (food to eat) mia-mia (tents) mika or miyak (moon) mirda (red) mirda-mokiny (purple) miyak or mika (moon) miyel (eye) miyel menditj (sore eye) mokiny (almost like or mixed) moodjar (Christmas tree) mooly (nose) moordin (back) moorditj (solid/strong/great/excellent) moorlany (shoulder) moorn (black) moort (family) Moyron (Grandfather) mungite (banksia) |
Nap (Daughter) natj (what) Ngaangk (Mother) ngalak (we) ngalang (ours) Ngangk (Mother) ngank (sun) ngany (I/I am/me/ mine) ngardanginy (hunting) ngarlak (teeth/seagull) ngarna (ours) ngininy (sitting) Ngoon (Brother) ngooyoo (elbow) ni (listen) nidja (the/here) Nobiny (Son) nodjam dordong (green) noonakoort (everyone) Noongar (Noongar) noonoo-kadiny (you all) noonook (you) noorook (eggs) noort (fly) nop (boy) norn (snake) nyidiny (cold times) nyin (live) nyininy (living) nyit (small) nyorn (sorry (I’m sorry, that’s sad to hear)) nyumbi/numbi (dance) |
poragnan (painted up) |
unna (acknowledgement/ agreement) |
waangkaniny/wangkaniny (language) waardiny (searching) wadjelas (white people) wandjoo (welcome) Wanjemup (Rottnest) wara (bad) warbin (play) warbininy (playing) wardarn (ocean) wardung/waardung/warding (crow) weitj/weitch (emu) wer (and) windji/windja (where) winyarn (unfortunate (but not meant in a derogatory way)) Wirin/wirrin/wirn (spirits of those who have passed) Woggaal/Waakal (Rainbow Serpent) wongka (story) woolah (Celebration (as woohoo! Yippee!)) woora (longer) woort kool (going) woort/wort (throat) woort menditj (sore throat) wooyan (blue) worl (sky) wooyan-mokiny (dark purple) wungeniny (healing) |
yaakiny (standing) yaankga (thank you) yaat (chin/jaw) yey/yeyi (present moment/ today) yira (up in) yirra yaakin (stand tall/up) Yok/Yorg (Woman) yongka/yongker (kangaroo) Yoont (yellow) yoont-mirda mokiny (orange) Yoornaa (bobtail) yoowart (no) yorga (women) yumbi (dance) |
Baalang koorl koolaangka warbininy . (They been children playing.) Benang-benang booron-koorliny. (Sometime soon the rain will come.) Boola kaadadjan doyntj doyntj baranginy. (Lots of (more of) knowledge together sharing OR Let us share more knowledge.) Boola moort yongka ngaarn. (Many families kangaroo eat.) Boordawan djinang. (See you later.) Bunuru yey boola kaalang. (It is very hot today in this time of Bunuru.) Djidi-djidi boodja-k yaakiny. (Willy wagtail ground-on standing.) Gnalang boodja kwobidak. (Our good country.) Hello lubbly seng. (Hello lovely thing (flirtatious).) Kaya deadly maaman. (Hello awesome/fabulous men!) Kaya deadly yorga. (Hello awesome/fabulous women!) Kaya kakarook moorditj. Nidja nop boola moorditj kakarookiny. (Yes, dance great. These boys are very great dance.) Kaya lubbly seng. (Hello lovely thing (flirtatious).) Kaya ngany kakarook djoorabiny? (Were you liking the dance?) Kaya ngany kwob. (Yes I’m good.) Kaya ngany moorditj! (Yes, I’m great!) Kaya, kedala kaalang-koorliny. (Yes, today is getting hot.) Kaya, ngany boodjari. (Yes, I pregnant.) Kedalak-ngat boola boola djinda kanangoor. (In the night time, the stars are shining a lot.) Kelada worl-ak kep-koorliny. (Today rain is falling from the sky.) Koolbardi boorn-ak nyin-iny. (Magpie tree-in sitting.) Koora koora kaadadjan. (Knowledge from long ago.) Maaman yongka ngardanginy. (Men kangaroo hunting.) Maar-keyen Noongar bonar. (six Noongar seasons.) Makuru woora kedalak koorat kedala. (This time of Makuru has longer night and shorter days.) Makuru yey, booron daat-koorliny. (The rain is coming in this time of Makuru.) Moorditj marri boorn (Awesome marri tree.) Naatj kala nidja? (What colour is?) Naatj kedala kaalang-koorliny? (Is it becoming hot today?) Naatj kedala nyindiny? (Is it cold today?) Naatj koorl? (What is your name?) Naatj nidja barna? (What animal is this?) Naatj nidja noonook barna djinanginy? (What animal are you seeing?) Naatj noonook djerabin ngarniny? (What you like eating?) Naatj noonook djinanginy? (What you looking/seeing?) Naatj yeyi kedala? (What is the weather like today?) Ngaalak koorl moort mereny ngarniny. (I go family food eating.) Ngala djerabin noonok ni kaadadjan Noongar waangkin! (We are happy you are learning this Noongar knowledge!) Ngalak alidja wardarn djiba-djobaliny. (We’re going swimming over there in the ocean.) Ngalak djerapiny noonook djinaniny. (We happy you looking OR We are happy to see you!) Ngalak djinaniny kaadadjan baranginy moorditj boodja. (We are looking, knowledge sharing wonderful country OR Let us share more about this beautiful country.) Ngang djinanginy booron daat-koorliny. (I’m looking at rain falling/coming down) Ngangy boodja Balardong boodja. (My country is Balardong.) Ngany koboorl menditj. (I stomach sick.) Ngany Australia boodja. (I am from Australia.) Ngany bilya djiba-djobaliny. (I am river swimming.) Ngany boodja Binjareb boodja. (My family country is Binjareb.) Ngany boodja. (My country.) Ngany boyal koorliny. (I east going OR I am going east.) Ngany djerapaniny. (I am happy.) Ngany djerapin yongka daatj ngarniny. (I like kangaroo meat eating.) Ngany djinang noonook boorda. (I will see you later.) Ngany djinanginy booron ata-koorliny. (I’m looking at the rain falling down.) Ngany dookoorniny baranginy. (I doctor getting.) Ngany kaat menditj. (I head sick OR I have a headache.) Ngnay kongal koorliny. (I south going OR I am going south.) Ngany koodjal koodjal koorlaangka barang. (I have four children.) Ngany koorl moort djinanginy. (I go family seeing.) Ngany koorl warangka djinanginy. (I go song seeing.) Ngany koorlbal wirrt. (We stomach eating OR What shall we eat?) Ngany koorliny Australia. (I’m going to Australia.) Ngany koort wara. (My heart bad.) Ngany kwobadiny. (I good-getting OR I am getting better.) Ngany maalak. (I am cold.) Ngany marawar koorliny. (I west going OR I am going west.) Ngany menditj? (You sick?) Ngany moort mereny ngarn koorliny. (Me family food eat going.) Ngany ngorlak wara. (I teeth bad.) Ngany yabaroo koorliny. (I north going OR I am going north.) Ngany weitj ngarniny. (I’m emu eating.) Ngany yoowart daatj ngarn. (I no meat eat.) Ngany yoowart djildjit ngarn. (I no fish eat.) Nganyang djerapin djerap daatj ngarniny. (Mine love/ very like bird meat eating.) Nganyang kabarli maat menditj. (My grandmother leg sick.) Nganyang koorl… ( My name is…) Nganyang moort Jones. (My family is the Jones.) Ngardang wer ngaarn. (Hunted and eaten.) Nginyany miya-k nyininy… (In my house I have…) Ngiyan noonan miya-k nyininy? (Who lives in your house?) Ngiyan noonan moort? (Who is your family?) Nidja kedalak miyak boola boola. (Tonight, the moon is very big.) Nidja mereny moorditj! (This food great!) Nidja ngany yoowart djildjit djerapiny. (This I no fish liking.) Nidja noonook djerabiny. (This you liking.) Nidja noonook mereny warniny? (This you food make?) Nidja yey ngany moort kaalak baranginy. (My family are making a winter shelter today.) Noonang wungeniny. (You're healing.) Noonook boodjari? (You pregnant?) Noonook boorda djinang. (See you later.) Noonook menditj? (You sick? OR Are you sick?.) Noonook moorditj? (You good? OR How are you?) Noonook nyumbi djoorabiny? (You dance happy?) Noonook yoowart wirnitj. (You no bad-feeling/ bad emotions.) Nyorn baal winyarn. (Sorry he unwell/not good.) There goes a lubbly seng. (There goes a lovely thing (flirtatious).) Wandjoo wandjoo noonakoort! (Welcome welcome everyone!) Wandjoo wandjoo. (Welcome, welcome.) Windja baal koorliny? (Where he going?) Windja koorliny. (Where are you going?) Windja noonok-adiny koorliny? (Where are you all going? Or Where are you all coming from?) Windja noonook boodja? (Where are you from?) Windji booron? (Where is the rain?) Windji gabi ngany koolbal wirrt. (Where water, I stomach hungry OR I am thirsty.) Windji noonook koorliny? (Where you going OR Where are you going?) Yaangka noonook. (Thank you everyone.) Yeyi booroniny. (It’s raining today.) Yeyi Kambarang ngany djerban. (This Kambarang weather is making me feel happy!) Yeyi kedala worl-ak boola koondart. (Today there are many clouds in the sky.) Yeyi kedala worl-ak yoowart koondart. (Today there are no clouds in the sky.) Yeyi ngalak koori kaadadjan. (Now (in this moment) we the past knowledge OR Now we will learn about the past.) Yeyi ngalak Noongar moort kaadadjan. (Now (in this moment) we Noongar family knowledge OR We will now learn about Noongar family.) Yeyi ngalak Noongar waangka. (Today (in this moment) we Noongar talk OR Now let us talk Noongar.) Yira worl ngangk kaalang-koorliny. (The sun is getting hotter in the sky!) Yoowart kakarook wiyarn. Kakarook dabakarn koorliny. (No, dance not good. Dance slow going.) Yoowart ngany menditj. (No, I’m not good.) |