NGAN'GI LANGUAGE

fi me tyuk

Word Class:

fi + bodypart + coverb

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Hand something out to people, distribute rations or gifts.

fi mi lit

Word Class:

fi + bodypart + coverb

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Block someone's view of something.

Kurungurr Example:

Dangingngi fimilit.

He's blocking my view.

fi mi pek

Word Class:

fi + bodypart + coverb

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Inset the 'eye' (or hook) into a woomera.

Kurungurr Example:

Wanni fimipek yagama.

They were fitting the 'hooks' into woomeras.

fi misin wurity

Word Class:

fi + fire + coverb

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Throw something into a billycan which is already sitting in a fire.

fi ninytyi

Word Class:

fi + bodypart as coverb

daram

Word Class:

Meaning:

Kneel on one knee (have one foot and the opposite knee resting on the ground).

Kurungurr Example:

Tyety ngaganim wirr i ngaram fininytyi.

I went into the church and knelt on one knee.

fi pal

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Pull something back towards you (especially the action of stripping fan palm leaves for their fibre for spinning).

Kurungurr Example:

Merrepen detyeri ya fipal!

Strip back the edge of the palm leaves!

daram

Word Class:

Meaning:

Return home, take yourself back.

Kurungurr Example:

Etye yara fipal pe?

When are you going home?

fi pi dudu

Word Class:

fi + bodypart + coverb

daram

Word Class:

Meaning:

Curl up (into a foetal position).

fi pulpul

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Make up stories about someone, spread malicious gossip, repeat bad stories about someone, bring up past events inappropriately.

Kurungurr Example:

Dangingngi fipulpul.

She said bad things about me.

fi purr

Word Class:

fi + bodypart as coverb

wudem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Intrude on someone's space, be too close, barge in uninvited.

Kurungurr Example:

Ya kinyi napa wudem fipurr wirribem! Wunninggi gimin wanayerri.

Hey, this woman's standing in my space! She should go over there.

fi purr tyat

Word Class:

fi + bodypart + coverb

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Use all of something, drain something completely, empty something right to the bottom.

Kurungurr Example:

Yarim fipurrtyat nginde!

You've finished off my drink (when I only offered you a sip)!

fi sul

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Rise (of the sun).

Kurungurr Example:

Dangim fisul mirri mengge tet kana.

The sun's rising now.

fi tal

Word Class:

dagum

Word Class:

Meaning:

Grow up.

fi tit

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Raise something up, jack up a car.

Kurungurr Example:

Nganyi fitit ngini.

I'm going to help you up.

daram

Word Class:

Meaning:

Stand up, arise, get up from sleep.

Kurungurr Example:

Nyinyi yaram fitit kana.

So, you're standing up again?

daram

Word Class:

Meaning:

*Become airborne*, *rise into the air (of planes and birds)*.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngaddi tye palat, yeniny gulirr, dagum felfil, ngarrany fitit.

We drove along the airstrip, (the plane) turned around, it raced along, and then we were airborne.

fi tyat

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Put something in a place, build a house, erect some structure, stand something upright, set up a business or association.

Kurungurr Example:

Wembem warrim fityat

They built a house.

daram

Word Class:

Meaning:

*Stand yourself up*, *get to your feet*.

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

*Construct*, build up, *set up (by hand)*.

Kurungurr Example:

Daba kana ngerim fityat.

Then I built up the handles (of the dillybag).

fi tyatit

Word Class:

bodypart + coverb

dingin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Tell people of your plans, announce your intentions.

Kurungurr Example:

Dingim fityatit warra, epe minde yenim kana.

He'd announced it (that he was going), but now he's not going.

fi tyerr kuduk

Word Class:

fi + bodypart + coverb

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Pour a drink into someone's mouth, make someone drink.

Kurungurr Example:

Kuri weti ya fityerrkuduk!

Tip a little water in his mouth!

fi tyerr pek

Word Class:

fi + bodypart + coverb

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Stick something long into the opening (mouth) of something else, eg. stick a spearhead into a spear shaft.

Kurungurr Example:

Waya ngarim fityerrpek.

I attached the spearhead.

fi tyerr wuty

Word Class:

fi + bodypart + coverb

wudem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Arrive in big groups (as in truckloads of people coming for a ceremony).

Kurungurr Example:

Elifela yedi falmi wurrde fityerrwuty ngini.

In the morning the men and women will arrive in groups.

fi tyuk

Kurungurr Reduplication:

fi tyutyuk

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Move something to a different place, send things from one place to another.

fi wanytyirr tyat

Word Class:

fi + bodypart + coverb

daram

Word Class:

Meaning:

Carry a weight on your hip, stand with something (eg. a child) balanced on your hip.

fi wap

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Leave someone sitting somewhere.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngarim fiwap.

I left him sitting there.

fi way

Word Class:

wupun

Word Class:

impersonal verb

Meaning:

Hungry, feel hungry.

Kurungurr Example:

Madiket wurru, wupungngi fiway!

I'm starving!

fifili

Word Class:

wibem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Roll over (in a lying position).

Kurungurr Example:

Membirr wibem fifili kana!

I just felt the baby roll over (in utero).

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Search for something, look around for something.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngu fifili ngini yenggi.

I'm going to look for firewood.

daran

Word Class:

Meaning:

Dawdle, walk too slowly, frustrate other people by being too slow.

Kurungurr Example:

Wundeyirre garam fifili gaganim.

She's back there dawdling (eg. she's still poking around for turtles, but we're all ready to go now).

dim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Loose, be loose, move around, be unfastened.

Kurungurr Example:

Tyagannawa dim fifili syirre.

Something's moving round loose in the back.

fifilimuy

Word Class:

adjectival noun

Meaning:

Person who can't sit in one place, a wanderer.

fifilirr muy

Word Class:

coverb + bodypart

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Stagger, weave drunkenly from side to side.

figanggi

Word Class:

Meaning:

Well stocked with X, 'more X than you need'.

Kurungurr Example:

Tyilerre nganggin nime, gagu figanggi wurru.

We're going to Tyilerre, you'll just pull in one (turtle) after another.

fil

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Spoon something, scoop something up.

Kurungurr Example:

Menyirr ngarim firr ngarim fi madi tyuk penikin.

I scooped up the sugar and put it in the pannikin.

fil ... muy

Word Class:

coverb + bodypart

mem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Awake, be awake, be alert.

fil garri

Word Class:

coverb + bodypart

wirribem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Redden, become red (of grass stalks).

Kurungurr Example:

Wurr wirribem filgarri kana.

The grass stalks are reddening now.

fil tyerr

Word Class:

coverb + bodypart

wirribem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Glow red (of coals).

Kurungurr Example:

Yenggi girribem filtyerr.

The coals are still glowing.

filfil

Word Class:

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Fan (a fire).

filfilngini

Word Class:

Meaning:

Red, yellow, orange colours. 'Halfcaste' skin colour, a 'halfcaste' person of mixed Aboriginal and European descent.

fili

Word Class:

dim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Be in labour.

Kurungurr Example:

Dingnge fili.

She's in labour.

dagum

Word Class:

Meaning:

Stagger (walk unstraight).

Kurungurr Example:

Nganam fili wutitmi.

I staggered under that heavy weight.

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Walk around, move along, wander off (unmotivated, undirected motion).

Kurungurr Example:

Awapurrpurrk wannim fili miyi nide.

The children are always walking on my garden.

webem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Dizzy, have one's head spin, be made dizzy.

Kurungurr Example:

Depi beyin fili ngidde.

My head's spinning on me.

wirribem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Roll along, wander around.

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Look around for something/someone, wander about trying to find something.

filimap

Word Class:

mem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Fill something up.

filirr

Word Class:

daran

Word Class:

Meaning:

Grasp an opportunity, do something spontaneously.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngani kinda yani madiwap! Wunipirri kana yara filirr ngini yiwi!

Just climb on board (the plane) now! Grasp the opportunity and just go now!

fime tyat

Meaning:

Share out something between people.

Kurungurr Example:

Nga fimetyat ngini.

I'll share it out.

finy

Word Class:

Meaning:

'Skin', subsection system.

Kurungurr Example:

Finy nyinyi tyagani?

What's your skin?

finytyi

Word Class:

Meaning:

Banyan tree.

Kurungurr Example:

Yerrkinyi finytyi yerrgarrfuri yemi garritada tyungmem ninggi deti. Fi werrme way walipan ngini e warrgadi. Depi demewirr mitit werrbinyi wayirrbaty. Fi werrbe baty yawul. Fi dadirrityerr.

You can peel the bark of the banyan tree while it's wet. Then twist it into string to make netting and dillybags. People used to tie this string around their forehead to cure headaches, and also used it to attach spear heads. It's very strong.

firiny

Word Class:

Meaning:

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

firirri

Word Class:

Meaning:

Hollow (as in ground that has cavities or watercourses under it and sounds hollow when hit).

firr

Word Class:

yetyin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Lead someone along.

Kurungurr Example:

Wawamnin firr ngini.

He'll lead us.

firr ket

Word Class:

bodypart + coverb

webem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Trip someone up.

Kurungurr Example:

Bengingngi firrket yederri ninggi.

The log tripped me up.

firr ngal

Word Class:

bodypart + coverb

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Raise your feet up, have your feet elevated.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngarim firrngal ngirim.

I'm sitting with my feet up.

firr tum

Word Class:

bodypart + coverb

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Stick into your foot, be buried in your foot.

Kurungurr Example:

Wupungngi firrtum pindiyay.

There's a bindi-eye stuck in my foot.

firr tyityip

Word Class:

bodypart + coverb

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Evening, be evening.

firretyi

Wumirri Headword:

firratyi

Word Class:

Meaning:

Shoes.

Kurungurr Example:

Mene wa watypala kinyi firretyi werri!

He thinks he's a whitefella - wearing shoes!

firrfirrge

Word Class:

Meaning:

Noisy, continuous rumbling noise like people talking, or a generator running.

firri

Word Class:

Meaning:

Dream.

Kurungurr Example:

Last night I dreamt about my wife.

firrmadi

Word Class:

Meaning:

Sole of foot.

Kurungurr Example:

Pindiyay yungi firrwat ngini kinyi firrmadi kirrbem.

Pull out this bindieye stuck in the sole of my foot.

firrngari

Word Class:

Meaning:

Toenail, claw.

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