NGAN'GI LANGUAGE

Have a quality, to be X. Yenim combines with nominals, like 'happy' and 'lonely' in the examples below, to attribute that quality to a person. Note that the choice of yenim 'go' implies that this quality is fairly permanent or habitual. See dim 'sit' for the attribution of transitory qualities.

Kurungurr Example:

Felfi yenim.

He lives alone, he's unmarried.

yeninggisi

Wumirri Headword:

keninggisi

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Canoe.

Kurungurr Example:

Kultyinimbi engelin ngaddi tye yeninggisyi werri.

Yesterday we went fishing in the canoe.

Kurungurr Example:

Kultyinimbi agarrtyinytyi ne ngaddi tye keninggisyi werre.

yeninggu

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Person whose child has died (especially recently).

yerifun

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Dry.

Kurungurr Example:

Walipan yani kurr pagu, yerifun kana.

Bring in the clothes, they're dry now.

yerifunmuy

Word Class:

adjectival noun

Meaning:

Reliable, quiet, easy to get along with.

Kurungurr Example:

Wayerifunmuy kirri.

He's real easy to get along with.

yerramire

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Lily species.

yerranemuni

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Love potion, yellow and white clay used magically to make someone love you.

Kurungurr Example:

Yerranemuni ngemimbi baty ngini.

I'll get you some of that love potion.

yerrapukek

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Undies, knickers, any kind of underwear.

Kurungurr Example:

Yerrapukek kinyi kene nem?

Whose undies are these?

yerratatngini

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Banksia.

yerrbarrir

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Tree species (unidentified).

yerrdadirrityerr

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Tree species.

yerrdagarri

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Message stick.

yerrdamurri

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Tree species.

yerrdebi dityunggurr

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Short trousers.

yerrden

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Coolibah tree.

yerrdepi

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Hat.

yerrderrimurri

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

The base spine part of a dillybag that is the first bit you make.

yerrdetyerikerre

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Tree species (unidentified).

yerrdetyirri

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Power point.

yerrdinytyi

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Smoke Tree.

yerrdirrinybuk

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Tree species.

yerrdirrngirr

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Bush species (unidentified) with prolific purple flowers. The forks are used for woomera hooks.

yerrefenggu

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Shooting star.

yerrfagu

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Tree species.

yerrfengge

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Tree species.

yerrfinbin

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Tree species.

yerrfini

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Bloodwood.

yerrfiny

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Sap, juice of a tree, any liquid coming out of a tree, including honey.

yerrfirr

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Foot of a tree, base of a tree trunk.

yerrfiti

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Tree species (unidentified).

yerrfulimurri

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Wattle species.

yerrfurra

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Tree species.

yerrganggi

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Upright firestick, the firestick that you rub in your hands (as opposed to the horizontal one that you drill into).

yerrgarrfuri

Wumirri Headword:

yerrgarrfuru

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Bark of a tree.

yerrgeminyminy

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Bush Apple.

Kurungurr Example:

Yerrgeminyminy awin deti wannin lalirr.

Bush apples are eaten by Black bream fish, too.

yerrgererr

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Tree species (unidentified).

yerrgi

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Ridge pandanus.

yerrgirriny

Word Class:

noun

Meaning:

Wattle species.

Kurungurr Example:

Yerrkirriny kirri nyinnin yewirr nginifiny. Kirriny yebi garritada, kuri kana yemipul, i warrangari fungguli nide ngambi fimadityat.

Yerrgirriny is the name of the tree itself. You can peel the inner bark of this tree, wash it in water, then when it's clean, use it to poke into sugarbag (honey).