NGAN'GI LANGUAGE

Meaning:

Fingernail.

Kurungurr Example:

Yemi milulu ma, mengari ninggi!

Go on, scratch his face with your fingernails!

menggin tyerrtyatyip

Word Class:

adjectival noun

Meaning:

Stutterer, someone who habitually stutters.

menisya

Word Class:

Meaning:

Manager, boss.

mentyikanbi

Word Class:

Meaning:

Throat, windpipe, upper trachea.

menyirr

Word Class:

Meaning:

Salt, sugar, sand. Any fine crystaline substance.

menyminy

Word Class:

coverb

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Look alike, be like someone, resemble someone.

Kurungurr Example:

Falmi wuni wannunggu ngani ngenike ngayim gimi wanninggi menyminy.

Those two women over there, each one looks just like her sister.

dim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Awake, be awake, be alert.

menytyenimba

Word Class:

Meaning:

Diving Shag, darter.

menytyi

Word Class:

bodypart as coverb

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Spread something (like dough) out longer, work something sideways.

Kurungurr Example:

Yemi menytyi pefi!

Try making it longer!

menytyi asyi

Word Class:

Meaning:

Uvula, the small soft end of the palate that hangs down at the back of your throat.

menytyi bang

Word Class:

diwen

Word Class:

Meaning:

Drink the whole lot, polish off a drink that was meant to be shared.

Kurungurr Example:

Yiwem menytyibang nginde!

You've drunk the whole lot on me!

menytyi baty

Word Class:

dagum

Word Class:

Meaning:

Follow a pathway.

Kurungurr Example:

Wannanggu mentyi baty mumba.

They followed the track.

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Hold something by the neck.

Kurungurr Example:

Eferri deme menytyibaty pagu tye yedi.

He came along holding a bluetongue lizard by the neck.

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Choke someone, grasp someone around the throat.

menytyi fel

Word Class:

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Cross a pathway.

Kurungurr Example:

Yenim menytyifel mumba.

He crossed the road.

menytyi ket

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Cut a passage through something, force a pathway through some obstruction.

Kurungurr Example:

Dede kinyi fepi girribem, aminyalak dangim menytyi ket.

This is the place where Ancestral Bony Bream cut a passageway through the hill.

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Have breakfeast.

Kurungurr Example:

Nginimem ngupun menytyiket!

I've had breakfast already!

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Cut someone's throat.

menytyi tu

Word Class:

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Lie across a road, block a road.

Kurungurr Example:

Yewirr bengim baty yenim menytyitu.

A tree fell and lay across the road.

menytyi tum

Word Class:

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Lodge in your throat, become stuck in the throat.

Kurungurr Example:

Ku menytyitum!

It might get stuck in your throat!

menytyi tyerr

Word Class:

webem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Meet someone.

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Wait for someone.

Kurungurr Example:

Yaningindi menytyityerr.

Wait there for me.

menytyi wap

Word Class:

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Wait for someone, sit in a place where you know someone will come to.

menytyifuke

Word Class:

Meaning:

Windbreak, shelter built for protection from the wind.

menytyigirriny

Word Class:

Meaning:

Mobbed up on your neck, carrying stuff draped over your shoulders.

menytyingapa

Word Class:

Meaning:

Nape of neck, that part of the shoulders and neck that is the bearing surface for carrying things.

menytyityirr

Word Class:

Meaning:

Cramp, stiffness, 'pins 'n needles'.

mepi

Word Class:

place noun

Meaning:

Summit, on the very top.

meringgi

Word Class:

Meaning:

Shade, shadow.

Kurungurr Example:

Yerrwunifirr nide nawa meringgi yubu.

There's better shade under that tree over there.

merrelikin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Very tall person.

Merrepen

Word Class:

placename

merriny

Word Class:

adverb

Meaning:

Maybe.

Kurungurr Example:

Detyengi merriny wani pagu ngini.

Perhaps today she'll come here.

merrit

Word Class:

Meaning:

Married, be a married person.

Kurungurr Example:

Minde detyengi nimbi merrit wirringgu.

They've been married for ages.

merritmen

Word Class:

Meaning:

Married person.

Kurungurr Example:

Dede muyeyi yenim fili merritmen yenim.

She's gone off to a strange place now that she's married.

metbaga

Word Class:

Meaning:

Crazy person, 'mad bugger'.

metyarrapu

Word Class:

Meaning:

Clever, smart.

meyeninggi

Word Class:

numeral noun

Meaning:

Five. A hand's worth.

mi bebi

Word Class:

dinyerrem

Word Class:

Meaning:

See each other.

Kurungurr Example:

Winyerrenggu mibebi.

They saw each other.

dinyerrem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Become lovers, fall in love with each other.

Kurungurr Example:

Winyerrenggu mibebi.

They became lovers.

dinyerrem

Word Class:

Meaning:

See yourself, catch sight of your own face in any reflective surface.

Kurungurr Example:

Mira nide mungumunggi nginyerrem mibebi.

I saw my reflection in the mirror.

mi birr

Word Class:

wayim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Half cook food, half kill something, stun something.

Kurungurr Example:

Gagu kinyi wayim mibirr.

This meat's only half cooked.

mi bubu

Word Class:

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Put someone to sleep.

Kurungurr Example:

Yemi mibubu!

Put him to sleep!

mi di

Word Class:

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Make something cry out, do something with your hands that causes something to make a noise, especially to start up an engine.

Kurungurr Example:

Dem midi, wudem wul dedanggurr.

He started up (the car) and headed home.

webem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Make someone cry by thumping them, make someone cry out while having sex.

dingim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Make someone cry by talking to them.

mi dudu

Word Class:

webem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Spotted, be spotted, be blemished (or diseased).

Kurungurr Example:

Yewirr kinyi meringgi bengim mi dudu.

This tree's got diseased leaves.

mi fafa

Word Class:

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Make someone scream.

mi fala

Word Class:

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Sign to someone, make handsigns.

Kurungurr Example:

Deme wupungngi mifala.

She was signing to me.

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Show something to someone, hold something up in front of someone's face.

Kurungurr Example:

Yerr kinyi ngeminyi mifala ngini.

I'm going to show you this.

mi ferr

Word Class:

coverb

dinem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Warm, heat up (eg. food)

Kurungurr Example:

Ngine miferr ngini miyi kinyi.

I'll warm this food up a bit.

mi filfil

Word Class:

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Wake someone up by touching them.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngerimbi mifilfil.

I woke you up.

weyim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Wake someone up (by speaking, shouting, or making a noise with your mouth).

Kurungurr Example:

Ngembi mifilfil.

I woke you by talking (my talking woke you.)

mi fili

Word Class:

bengim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Run around helter-skelter, race around everywhere against someone's wishes.

Kurungurr Example:

Werrbenin mifili nana, kinde wirri.

They'll race around all over the place on us, make them stay here.

mi gurrgurr

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class: