NGAN'GI LANGUAGE

weben

Word Class:

Meaning:

Concentrate, understand what you hear, take the meaning in.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngan'gi mengngindi warra, epe minde ngebine tyeriyilil tye.

He told me alright, but I didn't take it in.

tyeriwundi

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Ear wax.

Kurungurr Example:

Yangi tyeri wityi i tyeriwundi yungi tyeri watit?

Can you clean my ears for me, can you hook that ear wax out?

tyerr

Kurungurr Reduplication:

tyetyirr

Word Class:

bodypart as coverb

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Feed someone, place something in someone's mouth.

Kurungurr Example:

Warrimbirrki tyerr wirrim membirr.

They are feeding the two kids.

mem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Exude liquid, leak.

Kurungurr Example:

Milmil wimi tyerr nimbi mipiyagany minde milalirr.

When they exude pearly liquid, cheeky yams can't be eaten.

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Rain, start raining.

Kurungurr Example:

Kuri yenim tyerr kana.

It's starting to rain.

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Adjust the sound of a radio, or TV, etc.

Kurungurr Example:

Yemi tyerr weti!

Turn the sound down!

tyerr baty

Word Class:

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Lead someone along, direct or point someone in the right direction.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngerinne tyerrbaty.

I led him along.

tyerr biny

Kurungurr Reduplication:

tyerr binybiny

Word Class:

wusyim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Kiss someone.

Kurungurr Example:

Wusyingngi tyerrbiny.

She kissed me.

tyerr birr

Word Class:

diwem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Share food between two people

Kurungurr Example:

Ingga, miyi kinyi yirrwegu tyerrbirr!

Here take this, but the two of you will have to share it!

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Close up an opening, lock up a door, etc.

Kurungurr Example:

Duwa kinyi deny tyerrbirr

This door's locked.

tyerr bubu

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

impersonal verb

Meaning:

Drool at the thought of eating something, have your mouth water.

Kurungurr Example:

Mingugurr wityi yune wuty danginy tyerrbubu ka.

Give some tamarinds to him, his mouth's watering.

tyerr fal

Word Class:

webem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Sprout up (of seeds).

Kurungurr Example:

Midamuy webi tyerrfal ngini.

This seed's going to sprout soon.

tyerr filfil

Word Class:

wudem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Be tired of speaking with no result (eg. be tired of constantly calling out to kids, but being ignored). (literally: 'to be red lipped').

tyerr fulirr

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Rub something onto a 'mouth', eg. apply lipstick, or dab medicine specifically onto a wound.

Kurungurr Example:

Mirrityin kinyi ngambi tyerrfulirr ngini.

Let me dab this ointment on for you.

tyerr fuyfuy

Word Class:

wayim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Dry up, for heat to dry up something round and 'mouth-like', eg. when the water is all evaporated from the surface of a pot of boiling rice, or when a sore heals up from the sunshine.

Kurungurr Example:

Raty kinyi wayiny tyerrfuyfuy kana!

This rice has had all its water evaporated away now!

tyerr gat

Word Class:

dingin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Answer someone, reply to someone.

Kurungurr Example:

Minde tye wengi tyerrgat.

He didn't answer me.

bengin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Catch the mouth of something by mistake, eg. to get a fishhook stuck in a dog's mouth).

tyerr gerrgirr

Word Class:

wayim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Heat up a 'cool' fire, get flames going again.

Kurungurr Example:

Wamanggal nimbi yebi da, yiwe tapup a meringgi nide. Weri yu kurr, i yenggi yafi tyatit i fepi ya fimityutyuk. Wa tyerrgerrgirr i wamanggal kana yine wu wakay.

After you've shot a wallaby you carry it and place it on a bed of leaves. You dig a hole, build a fire in it, and heap in rocks. Get the fire going again, and then singe the fur off the wallaby.

tyerr gulgul

Word Class:

diwen

Word Class:

Meaning:

Talk loudly and happily.

Kurungurr Example:

Yinyirri, mene ngayim nimbi mene yedi fayam tye, giweny tyerrgulgul girim.

Look, it's like they'd bought the food themselves, they're all being chirpy and garrulous.

tyerr ket

Word Class:

dim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Be bogged, be stuck in a 'mouth'.

Kurungurr Example:

Mudiga diny tyerrket ngityirr abarri nide.

The car is bogged in the soft soil.

wudupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Place something where it is then stuck (eg. bog a car).

Kurungurr Example:

Mudiga kinyi ngudi tyerrket ngini.

I'm going to bog this car.

dinem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Light a cigarette.

Kurungurr Example:

Yinengindi tyerrket!

Light me a cigarette!

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Cut up (eg. meat).

wayim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Burn (of fire).

Kurungurr Example:

Yenggi wayin tyerr ket yewirr, yewirr wayim genket.

The grass fire burned the tree right through.

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Come open (of a 'mouth', eg. for the outer edge of a dillybag to unravel or come loose).

Kurungurr Example:

Warrgadi yaga yenim tyerrket wurru.

Your dillybag's unravelling around the opening.

tyerr kum

Word Class:

webem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Join two things together 'end to end', attach the 'mouths' of two things together.

Kurungurr Example:

Yawul kinyi ngebem tyerrkum.

I've joined up two sections of bamboo spear shaft.

tyerr kuri

Word Class:

bengim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Throw something into a container of water.

Kurungurr Example:

Yebi tyerrkuri!

Throw it in the water!

tyerr lala

Word Class:

weben

Word Class:

Meaning:

Chop sectioned pieces of tree trunk into smaller pieces.

Kurungurr Example:

Yewirr ngeben tyerr lala.

I chopped the wood.

tyerr lek

Word Class:

disen

Word Class:

Meaning:

Lick your lips.

tyerr pal

Word Class:

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Make the noise of passing through long grass, make a swishing sound.

Kurungurr Example:

Wupun tyerrpal pagu gaganim.

He's coming this way swishing through the grass.

tyerr palak

Word Class:

mem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Tired, be too tired to talk.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngim tyerrpalak.

I'm too tired to speak.

wudupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Prevent someone talking, shut someone up.

Kurungurr Example:

Tyety yimi ge, ngudinyi tyerrpalak!

Stop it, or I'll shut you up!

tyerr pap

Kurungurr Reduplication:

tyerr papup

Word Class:

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Talk over someone, dominate a conversation.

Kurungurr Example:

Minde yaningindi tyerrpapup!

Stop talking over me!

tyerr papup

Word Class:

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Dominate a conversation, not give other people a chance to talk.

Kurungurr Example:

Wuni wityi tyety wimige, yeniny tyerrpapup kirri!

I wish that person would shut up, they're taking over the conversation!

tyerr pek

Word Class:

wudupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Fill a container by repeatedly placing things inside it.

Kurungurr Example:

Yerrwasanderri nguddupun tyerrpek malarggu.

We filled the bag up with turtles.

tyerr pirr

Word Class:

wuden

Word Class:

Meaning:

Refuse food (as a sick person might).

Kurungurr Example:

Miyi nga fime tye, epe wudeny tyerrpirr nginde.

I tried to give him food, but he refused it.

tyerr pu

Kurungurr Reduplication:

tyerr pupu

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Ask someone a question.

Kurungurr Example:

Wa wani, dini tye kinyi kultyi nimbi, nga tyerrpu ngini.

That man who was here yesterday, I'm going to ask him.

tyerr pup

Word Class:

menggin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Burst into flames.

Kurungurr Example:

Yenggi wimi tyerrpup ngini yu filfil.

Fan it to make it burst into flame.

wayin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Burst into flames.

Kurungurr Example:

Yenggi wa tyerrpup ngini yu filfil.

Fan it , and the fire'll make it burst into flame.

dingin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Place one log on top of another in a fire.

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Fall face down in the dirt.

tyerr syisyirr

Word Class:

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Crumble something into tiny pieces.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngammuk ngerin tyerr syisyirr.

I crumbled the resin into crystals.

wudem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Shatter, fall and break up into bits, crumble on impact.

tyerr ta

Kurungurr Reduplication:

tyerr tata

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Open up the 'mouth' of something with some implement.

Kurungurr Example:

Ya tyerrtata can opener ninggi!

Open it with a can opener!

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Open up the 'mouth' of something with your hands.

tyerr tati

Word Class:

dem

Word Class:

impersonal verb

Meaning:

Yawn.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngayi dengngi tyattati dim, nganitu ngini.

I'm yawning, I'm going to sleep.

tyerr tittit

Word Class:

wudupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Resist someone's influence, refuse to change your mind, be stubborn about agreeing to something.

Kurungurr Example:

Wudupungngi tyerrtittit.

She refuses to be persuaded by me.

tyerr tum

Wumirri Headword:

tyerr dum

Word Class:

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Close a hinged opening or 'mouth', swing a door or gate shut.

Kurungurr Example:

Yu tyerr tum !

Shut the door!

wirribem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Sink.

tyerr tyatyalirr

Word Class:

webem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Joint a carcass, chop a body into jointed parts.

tyerr tyatyip

Word Class:

menggin

Word Class:

impersonal verb

Meaning:

Stutter, speak with some impediment.

Kurungurr Example:

Menggingngi tyerrtyatyip yenim.

I'm a stutterer.

tyerr tyuk

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Put something into a lidded container, place things into the 'mouth' of a container.

Kurungurr Example:

tyerr wawu

Word Class:

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Speak out loudly when you're upset, keep arguing a point to yourself even after the other person has gone, sound off angrily to no one in particular.

Kurungurr Example:

Tyagannawa yedi nge tyerrwawu tye?

What was she talking out angrily to herself about?

tyerr way

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Foretell of a death.

Kurungurr Example:

Afirirrpi ninggi danginnin tyerrway.

A kookaburra informed us of the death.

tyerr wirr

Word Class:

wudem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Put something in your mouth.

Kurungurr Example:

Kanggalang yerrweti ngudeny tyerrwirr.

I placed a small ball of chewing tobacco in my mouth.

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Move through an opening, pass through into an enclosed space.

tyerr wul

Word Class:

wuden

Word Class:

Meaning:

Change your mind.

tyerr wurr

Word Class:

menggin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Tie up the opening or mouth of something.

Kurungurr Example:

Yerrwasyanderri ngiminggin tyerrwurr.

I tied up the mouth of the sack.

tyerr wutit

Word Class:

weyim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Talk over the top of someone, overpower someone in talking, cut someone's flow of speech off.

Kurungurr Example:

Dingingngi tyerrwutit

He talked right over me.

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Cut off the flow of something using your hands, turn off a tap.

tyerr wutyit

Word Class:

wudem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Overflow, pour out of the 'mouth' of something.

Kurungurr Example:

Kinyi wudeny tyerr wutyit toilet.

This toilet here is overflowing.

tyerr yilil

Word Class:

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Interrogate someone, be forceful in finding out information.

Kurungurr Example:

Yu tyerryilil gimi, ngen'gi ityi wirringnge.

You 'll have to really interrogate her (to find out about) what they told her.

tyerrakul

Word Class:

coverb

dim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Talk, speak, have a conversation.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngan'gikurunggurr yiwingindi tyerrakul!

Talk Ngan'gikurunggurr to me!

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Talk habitually, speak a language.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngan'gi weti napa ngaganim tyerrakul.

I speak a little Ngan'gikurunggurr.

wirribem

Word Class: