NGAN'GI LANGUAGE

Language name, broadly an alternative for Ngan'gikurunggurr and Ngen'giwumirri. However there is quite a lot of variation in the reference of this term. Some people use it as an alternative for just Ngen'giwumirri, and others for both varieties.

Ngan'gi watypala

Wumirri Headword:

ngen'gi watypala

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

English, Aboriginal English, Kriol. Any variety of language that has a largely English based vocabulary.

ngan'gi wilewile

Wumirri Headword:

ngen'gi wilewile

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Bawdy, banter style of language, eg. between eke and yetyi (distant), between a woman and her yipe (mother's cousin).

ngan'gidirr

Wumirri Headword:

ngen'gidirr

Word Class:

adjectival noun

Meaning:

Teaser, someone who taunts and teases others.

ngan'giny

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Nuts of 'yerrgi' pandanus tree.

ngan-

Word Class:

verb prefix

Meaning:

At that place, to X, beside X (where X is a bodypart term). This prefix is a locative marker that attaches to bodypart terms deriving a coverb that specifies a location with respect to the body.

Kurungurr Example:

Nganinyi nganwantyirr ngini.

I'll come and sit at your side.

Kurungurr Example:

Kuru yedi pap tye, ngan ngarrgu nginni nganmadi tye.

The water came right up into that place where we prisoners were sitting inside.

Nganambala

Word Class:

placename

ngandak

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Prickly bush growing on riverbanks.

ngani-

Wumirri Headword:

ngini-

Word Class:

noun prefix

Meaning:

Kind, type. Attaches to nouns to indicate that they are an example of a class of thing.

Kurungurr Example:

Lawa pagu ngani yerrkinyi gimi yimingindi wa ngini.

Get me the same brand of flour as this packet.

Kurungurr Example:

Peke yerrnginikinyi minbe derrigidi ngerim, warrmadi wayim waty ngidde.

I don't like this kind of tobacco, it burns up too quickly for me.

nganigeme

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Good shot, good hunter.

nganime yerrkerre

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Morning star.

nganingetyi

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Mother's country.

nganingiyi

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Night time, darkness.

nganityerrngityirr

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Loud heavy sound (like bass woofers at a disco, jet engines taking off, etc).

ngannime yerrngugurr

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Milky Way. Thick band of stars visible across the night sky.

ngantyerrweri

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Big open space, a big room.

Kurungurr Example:

Wuni yarrini madiwirri ngantyerrweri wuni.

Go play over there in that big open space.

ngantyerrweripurr

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

'Big hole!', big roomy arsehole.

Kurungurr Example:

Nyinyi yaga, ngantyerrweripurr!

You now, you've got a big bum hole!

ngaramaty

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Spearhead with multiple backwards pointing prongs, so it can't be pulled out.

ngarapa

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Light (of weight), weak (of strength), smooth and fluent (of sounds).

Kurungurr Example:

Ngan'gikurunggurr nawa ngan'gi ngarapa yenim.

Ngan'gikurunggurr is the smoother language.

ngari garri

Word Class:

coverb + bodypart

dem

Word Class:

reflexive verb

Meaning:

Spread things out, distribute things over an area.

demem

Word Class:

reflexive verb

Meaning:

Spread yourselves out, space yourselves evenly over an area.

Kurungurr Example:

Yerrme ngarigarri, wunu palat yerrini madiwirri!

Spread out in the open and play separately!

ngarrngurrerri

Wumirri Headword:

ngarrnguwerri

Word Class:

place noun

Meaning:

Middle, in the middle, between two things, halfway.

Kurungurr Example:

Nganggidi tye ngarrnguweri fepi nyin, epe ngumbudam wul pagu mumba nyin deti.

We went halfway round that hill, but came back again the same way.

Kurungurr Example:

Datakinninggi nginyinggin yilil, nem were nyinyi girribem. Datawunninggi nem ngatya ngayi. Epe ngarrnguweri kene girribem?

The one on the near side, that's your brother. And the one on the far side, that's my daddy. So who's that in between them?

ngarrpngarrp

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Edible cartilage tube which is part of the windpipe of a cow, which makes a distinctive crunchy sound when you eat it.

ngaty

Word Class:

time noun

Meaning:

A long time, it took me a long time.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngaty nguninge fifili tye purityge.

After a long time looking for her, I gave up.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngaty wunnapa deti yenin tutu, minde detyengi nimbi yeningngi pirr.

He's been living over there since a long time ago now, he didn't just leave me recently.

ngatya

Wumirri Headword:

atya

Word Class:

kinterm

Meaning:

Father, Dad, dad's brothers.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngatya ngayi dede nem Malfiyin.

My father's country is Malfiyin.

Kurungurr Example:

Atya, ngani pefi?

Daddy, can I come?

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