NGAN'GI LANGUAGE

demem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Scrape oneself (with a stick to remove dried sunburned skin).

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Wring something dry, squeeze something to get water out of it.

Kurungurr Example:

Walipan kinyi yemingindi syirr pagu?

Can you squeeze this dress out for me?

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Spring up (of water).

Kurungurr Example:

Kuri dangin syirr bulbulfi.

Hot water is bubbling up out of the ground.

demem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Scratch yourself.

Kurungurr Example:

Dengngi dudu ngemen syirr.

I scratched a mosquito bite.

wirribem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Sweat, be made to sweat.

dingin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Scream hysterically (as a group), be worked up into a state.

Kurungurr Example:

Werreny syirr.

They're all screaming hysterically.

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Swear.

Kurungurr Example:

Nyinyi ninggi yariny syirrsyirr!

It was you now, swearing like that!

wirribem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Fall, of rain.

Kurungurr Example:

Kuri wirringe syirr syirr tje tyip.

Rain was falling all day.

syirre

Word Class:

time noun

Meaning:

In the future, behind now.

Kurungurr Example:

Wik syirre nawa pagu wani ngini.

He'll be coming here next week.

syirre ... muy

Word Class:

mem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Glance behind you, look back at something.

Kurungurr Example:

Syirre ngim muy, a nemta!

I glanced behind me, and it was him!

syirrsyirrtyerr

Word Class:

Meaning:

Crystalline.

syisyi

Word Class:

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Water something, spray water over something.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngupun syisyi wurr.

I'm watering the grass.

nagan

Word Class:

Meaning:

Get up from sleep.

dim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Shiver.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngiriny syisyirr lirrmem wurru.

I'm shivering from it being too cold.

wirribem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Shake, quake, quiver.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngirribem syisyi nganmerr yety, walfaga mengginngi kal.

I'm shaking with fear, a buffalo chased me.

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Paddle, move in water by paddling.

syisyip

Word Class:

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Jealous, be jealous, feel envious of someone.

syitiny

Word Class:

Meaning:

Windbreak.

syiwurr

Wumirri Headword:

tyiwurr

Word Class:

Meaning:

Spring.

syu

Word Class:

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Wet someone, splash water onto someone.

Kurungurr Example:

Wupungngi syu.

He wet me.

syunggun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Grey hair.

syurr

Kurungurr Reduplication:

syurrsyurr

Word Class:

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Pluck feathers.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngupun syurr abalarr angani.

I'm plucking the goose.

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Jerk back and forwards.

Kurungurr Example:

Tyagannimbi mudiga minde yubu ngambananyerri nime wulekwulek dagan syurrsyurr ninde nime.

Why won't this car go properly, it's jerking backwards and forwards on us.

syutypin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Saucepan.

ta

Word Class:

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Develop blisters on your hands.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngerin ta deme.

I've got a blister on my hand.

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Hit, slap, cane something.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngupun ta nem wuni yawul ninggi.

I caned him with a spear.

nagan

Word Class:

Meaning:

Develop blisters on your feet.

Kurungurr Example:

Defirr ngayi nide nganan ta.

I've got a blister on my foot.

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Open up (of flowers).

Kurungurr Example:

Walkity den ta.

The flower opened.

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Phone, make a phone call.

Kurungurr Example:

Falmi ngayi ngunge ta ngini.

I'm going to phone my wife.

wim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Let something go, leave it alone.

Kurungurr Example:

Wimi ta, dede wirrim waddi leli nimbi. Wimi ta, dede wannimngirr pirr.

Leave it as it is. From the old people walking around on that country, they've left it to us now.

wim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Right, be right.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngani ngimi ta, wetimbi?

Am I right?

ta dirr

Word Class:

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Teeth missing, be 'gap-toothed'.

Kurungurr Example:

Yenin tadirr.

His teeth are missing.

ta pal

Word Class:

bodypart + coverb

demen

Word Class:

coverb + bodypart + bodypart

Meaning:

Fold up its wings.

Kurungurr Example:

Demen tapal, yenin tu kana.

It folded up its wings, and went to sleep then.

ta tyerr nguri

Word Class:

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Be a slut, fuck anyone (lit: have an open-mouthed cunt).

Kurungurr Example:

Yenin tatyerrnguri!

She's got a cunt like an open mouth!

tada

Word Class:

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Peel the skin or outer layer off something.

Kurungurr Example:

Migarrfuri kinyi ngemi tada ngini mimuy.

I'm going to peel the skin off these yams.

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Have a rash.

Kurungurr Example:

Dangim panmitada.

He's got a rash between his legs.

demen

Word Class:

Meaning:

Shed your skin, peel your own skin off (eg. as a snake does).

Kurungurr Example:

Demeni tada tye dini.

It was shedding its skin.

wudupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Burn right through an area (eg. of a low temperature bushfire), clear up country by burning out all the kindling.

Kurungurr Example:

Kinyi wudupun tada!

It's burned right through here!

taktakma

Word Class:

Meaning:

Bush passionfruit.

tal

Word Class:

disen

Word Class:

Meaning:

Stretch one's back, stretch out flat on ground.

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Dry something out, make something go stiff and hard, preserve something by reducing its water content.

Kurungurr Example:

Gagu ngupun mi wat yenggi, wupun tal dadirrimade.

I hung the beef over the fire, to make it hard.

wayim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Dry something out.

Kurungurr Example:

Wayin tal wibem fiti nide.

It's drying out in the sun.

disen

Word Class:

Meaning:

Unconcious, be unconscious, be knocked out.

tal pi

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Tap something on the head.

Kurungurr Example:

Detyerr ninggi dangin tal pi, e misi yenim.

(The butcher bird) taps it on the head with his beak, and then it's dead.

tamambirr

Wumirri Headword:

damenbirr

Word Class:

Meaning:

Shoulder blades, bony plates in shoulder.

Tamaya

Word Class:

placename

tanggaw

Word Class:

sound noun

Meaning:

Sound of a shotgun being fired.

Tanytyarra

Word Class:

placename

tapala

Wumirri Headword:

dafala

Word Class:

Meaning:

Deaf person.

Kurungurr Example:

Minde nana kimbi tyeribaty, wa tapala wurru.

He won't be able to hear you, he's deaf.

taptap

Word Class:

Meaning:

Thongs, sandals.

Kurungurr Example:

Yakarra taptap ngayi wundeyerre tyip nginy tyeri, ngan engelin ngindini gatit nime tye!

Oh shit, I forgot my thongs back there where we were fishing!

tati

Word Class:

wayim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Throw a spark.

Kurungurr Example:

Yenggi wayin tati!

The fire has thrown a spark!

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Strike a light, make a spark fly off something.

Kurungurr Example:

Yenggi ngemi tati tye ngini.

I was striking sparks.

tatil

Word Class:

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Fasten something (screw a nut up, twist a lid onto a jar, etc).

taty taty

Word Class:

sound noun

Meaning:

Sound of prickly heat blisters popping as you scrape them with a stick.

tawun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Town, Darwin.

Kurungurr Example:

Tyawurru kinyi tawun ngani pe.

I'm going to Darwin right now.

teful

Word Class:

Meaning:

Table.

tenyyo

Word Class:

sound noun

Meaning:

Sound of a rifle being fired.

Terrinybele

Word Class:

placename

ti

Word Class:

Meaning:

Tea, as a drink.

tidi

Wumirri Headword:

didi

Kurungurr Reduplication:

titidi

Wumirri Reduplication:

dididi

Word Class:

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Push someone or something by hand.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngerin tidi dirrkuri.

I pushed her up the bank.

wudupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Push something, propel something into motion by giving it a push.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngudupunynyi tidi.

I pushed you.

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Swallow food.

Kurungurr Example:

Wupun tidi wurrity pepi.

He really gulped it down.

bengin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Push someone or something in a downwards direction, make someone fall down by giving them a push.

nagawan

Word Class:

Meaning:

Die.

demem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Push yourself onwards, get going again after a rest, set off on a trip.

bengim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Push food down your oesophagus, swallow liquid in order to wash stuck food down your throat.

wim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Flap your wings (of a bird).

Kurungurr Example:

Wim titidi.

It flapped its wings.

tikaran

Word Class:

Meaning:

Good hand (in card games).

tilip

Word Class:

Meaning:

Tea, as the dry product, rather than the drink.

tilit

Kurungurr Reduplication:

tilitit

Word Class:

dangin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Come back for more.

Kurungurr Example:

Dangin tilitit, mindemi kana wurru!

Why does she keep coming back, there's no food left now!

tinbuli

Word Class:

Meaning:

Canned meat.

tinggifut

Word Class:

Meaning:

Dingy or small open boat.

tingityirr

Word Class:

Meaning:

Hibernating, holed up (of animals, eg. turtles burying thenselves in mud, wasps holing themselves up inside sealed nests, etc).

Kurungurr Example:

Kinyi wibeng nganmadi tingityirr kana.

It's lying inside here, it's hibernating.

tintinma

Word Class:

Meaning:

Quiet, retreating (of people and animals).

tip

Kurungurr Reduplication:

tiptip

Word Class:

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Catch something, grab something in your hands, arrest someone.

Kurungurr Example:

Wanyinin ngerin tip.

I'm grabbing him.

wirribem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Catch something, pick up things, record language (of a tape recorder, etc.).

tipek

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Follow someone.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngarin tipek nganmerr.

I'm following him.

tisit

Word Class:

dinyinggin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Jealous, be jealous of someone.

Kurungurr Example:

Dinyingginngi tisit.

She's jealous of me.

wudupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Spoil someone, especially spoil a child.

tisyari

Wumirri Headword:

syari

Word Class:

adjectival noun

Meaning:

Dry (of plants), withered, dead (of wood).

tit

Kurungurr Reduplication:

tittit

Word Class:

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Pull something up, pluck something out.

Kurungurr Example:

Wusye kinyi yemingindi tit pagu?

Can you pluck this hair out for me?

wudupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Leave something alone, leave something untouched.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngudi tit ngini, kene nem nawa yeninbi.

I'll leave it, but whose is it, I wonder; it's someone else's.

beyin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Cover yourself up, place a cover over yourself.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngebingindi tit blengkit.

I'll cover myself with this blanket.

daram

Word Class:

Meaning:

Get up, awaken, arise.

Kurungurr Example:

Wangirrngirrmuy, daran tit syirre kana.

He's a real sleepy head, he's (always) last up.

dingim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Choke on something, be choked by something.

Kurungurr Example:

Dinging ngi tit.

It choked me.

wudupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Prise something up, use a lever to raise something.

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Be full of food, be sated.

Kurungurr Example:

Dangingngirr tit.

We're full up.

bengim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Knock a piece off something raised above the ground (eg. chip a piece off an antbed, knock something off a branch).

tittit

Word Class:

wayim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Smoulder (of fire).

Kurungurr Example:

Yenggi wayin tittit kana.

The fire's still smouldering.

wudupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Dust sand off a blanket, shake a rug to clean it.

Kurungurr Example:

Kaliku yudi tittit pagu!

Give this rug a shake!

dinem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Straighten something by applying heat or fire to it.

Kurungurr Example:

Yenggi ninggi yawul winnem tittit.

They're straightening the spearshafts using fire.

daram

Word Class:

Meaning:

Shiver.

tittit derri

Word Class:

nagan

Word Class: