NGAN'GI LANGUAGE

Meaning:

School.

kuwulbuy

Word Class:

Meaning:

Schoolboy.

kuwulewuty

Word Class:

Meaning:

Classroom, school buildings.

kuwulgel

Word Class:

Meaning:

Schoolgirl.

kuy

Word Class:

interjection

Meaning:

Hey!

Kurungurr Example:

Kuy, kide pefi ya?

Hey, where are you going?

kuyin

Word Class:

kinterm

Meaning:

Affectionate term of address (a bit like 'dear') used between husband and wife, and also between distant cousins.

Lafuganying

Word Class:

placename

lala

Word Class:

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Take something apart with your hands, disassemble something, break something into its parts.

Kurungurr Example:

Orange kinyi ngemi lala ngiwi ngini.

I'm going to break this orange into its segments.

wudupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Break something into bits and pieces by throwing it on the ground.

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Break up into bits and pieces, crack open.

lalirr

Word Class:

dim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Eat something.

Kurungurr Example:

Tyagani yirim lalirr?

What are you eating?

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Eat (habitually).

Kurungurr Example:

Miyi kana yenim lalirr?

Is she eating solid food yet ?

lalirrdirr

Word Class:

Meaning:

Sharp (of blades).

lambarra

Word Class:

kinterm

Meaning:

'Uncle', father-in-law, any man whose daughter you could marry.

lamurity

Word Class:

Meaning:

Happy.

lan

Word Class:

Meaning:

Divisions of meat, meat divided into parts
for distribution between people.

larrk ... muy

Word Class:

coverb + bodypart

mem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Keep a wary eye on someone.

Kurungurr Example:

Larrk mengngindi muy.

She's watching me carefully.

larrwa

Word Class:

Meaning:

Old-style bamboo smoking pipe.

lasyafa

Word Class:

Meaning:

Person who camps from place to place.

lawa

Word Class:

Meaning:

Flour, bread, damper.

Kurungurr Example:

Madiket dege lawa ngini ngirim.

I'm hungry for bread.

lawarr

Word Class:

Meaning:

Echidna hole with signs of lots of residents, and lots of tunnels leading from it.

le

Word Class:

Meaning:

Crying, tears.

Kurungurr Example:

Le wirrim.

They all cried.

lek

Word Class:

weyim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Lick something, suck something.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngayi nawa ngi lek ngini!

Let me have a lick!

diwem

Word Class:

reflexive verb

Meaning:

Lick yourself.

Kurungurr Example:

Wuwu yaga diwe ngurilek dini tye.

The dog was licking its balls.

lelewaty

Word Class:

Meaning:

Edible.

leli

Wumirri Headword:

lali

Word Class:

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Walk around aimlessly, wander about, go somewhere by a roundabout route.

Kurungurr Example:

Tyagannimbi yaganim leli?

What are you wandering about for?

yetyin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Take something for a walk, wander around carrying something.

Kurungurr Example:

Tyagani yagatyin leli?

What are you carrying round?

lenggerrk

Word Class:

Meaning:

Shiny, glistening (of dew, etc.).

lenggirr

Word Class:

nominal as coverb

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Make a mistake, do something wrong.

Kurungurr Example:

Yemi lenggirr nimbi, yemi tyek !

If you make a mistake, rub it out !

lentya

Word Class:

Meaning:

Message.

Kurungurr Example:

Lentya werri pagu yirrini tye.

He came with a message.

lete

Word Class:

Meaning:

Paper, letter, writing.

lilirr

Word Class:

mem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Sore, be sore all over, feel bruised, be stiff in your joints.

lilirrfiny

Word Class:

Meaning:

Fishy smell.

Kurungurr Example:

Lilirrfiny kirri ep kide nawa yedi wewe tye awarrapun.

There's this fishy smell like a crocodile has vomited somewhere.

lirr ... muy

Word Class:

coverb + bodypart

mem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Pretty, have a pretty face, be cute.

mem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Tame, be tame.

lirrga

Word Class:

Meaning:

Dance style owned by Ngen'giwumirri, Marrengarr and Wagiman people.

lirri

Kurungurr Reduplication:

lirrilirri

Word Class:

mem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Build up (of the wet season), become humid.

Kurungurr Example:

Lirri mem wurru!

It's really humid now!

lirrimem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Season name: the very humid period during the build up, before the thunder begins (usually November/December)

lirrmem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Cold.

Kurungurr Example:

Lirrmem wurru bengingngi perrety!

I'm freezing cold!

lit

Word Class:

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Block someone's view, be in the way.

litpala

Word Class:

time noun

Meaning:

Late in the night.

Kurungurr Example:

Tawun nimbi litpala demenggem.

He came back late from Darwin.

lulu

Word Class:

webem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Swear at someone.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngebinyi lulu ngini.

I'm going to swear at you.

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Scratch something.

lung

Word Class:

wudem

Word Class:

reflexive verb

Meaning:

Hurt yourself.

Kurungurr Example:

Wudem balung.

He's hurt his arm.

Lunying

Word Class:

placename

lurrity

Wumirri Headword:

lurruty

Word Class:

Meaning:

Fast, quickly, strong.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngan'gi lurrity pefi yeningngindi tyerrakul.

She always speaks too fast for me.

lurrkuny

Word Class:

Meaning:

Corner (as in a house).

luty

Word Class:

mem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Lose at playing cards.

Kurungurr Example:

Minmi, nyinyi nawa luty yimi ngini!

No way, it's you who's going to lose!

mabuk

Wumirri Headword:

mebuk

Word Class:

Meaning:

Many, lots.

madada

Word Class:

disen

Word Class:

impersonal verb

Meaning:

Be in labour.

Kurungurr Example:

Disengnge madada.

She's in labour.

madewetimbi

Word Class:

time noun

Meaning:

Long ago.

Kurungurr Example:

Madewetimbi Keptinkuk yirrini pagu tye.

A long time ago Captain Cook came here.

madi

Word Class:

bodypart as coverb

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Hide someone, put someone underneath something.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngambi madi ngini.

I'll hide you underneath.

madi bang

Word Class:

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Scoop out the inside of something, hollow something out.

madi bat

Word Class:

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Give someone room, make a space for someone to join a circle.

Kurungurr Example:

Yune madibat!

Make room for him!

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Spread out a flat layer of something.

Kurungurr Example:

Miringgi yerrden yenggi nide yu madibat, e miyi kana ya fimadityutyuk.

You spread out a bed of eucalyptus leaves in the fire, then place food for roasting on top of the leaves.

webem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Cut marks on someone's chest.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngebinyi madi bat madiwanggi.

I'm going to cut cicatrices into your chest.

madi baty

Word Class:

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Get out of the way of someone.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngumbu madi baty ngini.

I'll get out of your way.

demen

Word Class:

reflexive verb

Meaning:

Fold your arms across your chest.

madi bebi

Word Class:

dinyinggin

Word Class: