NGAN'GI LANGUAGE

Tyangala

Word Class:

Tyangari

Word Class:

tyanikik

Word Class:

Meaning:

'Johnnycake', a kind of sweet damper or scone.

tyaniti

Word Class:

Meaning:

Tea without sugar.

tyap

Word Class:

menggin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Attach something to something else, stick something on, fasten one thing to another.

Kurungurr Example:

Adiny menggingngi garrityap.

There's a leech stuck to my leg.

tyapaty

Word Class:

Meaning:

Big, really huge (of weather things, like storms, rain, clouds, cyclones, etc.).

Kurungurr Example:

Kuri tyapaty nawa nyinda gaganim.

There's a really big storm coming now.

tyarrada

Word Class:

Meaning:

Love song style.

tyarrama

Word Class:

Meaning:

Temporarily, for a short while.

Kurungurr Example:

Tyarrama ngini wurru ngudi miwul

I'll bring it back shortly.

tyarrangandiman

Word Class:

Meaning:

Evil spirit with big bug eyes.

tyarrung

Word Class:

Meaning:

Long roll of fabric used in funeral ceremonies.

tyatit

Word Class:

yirripin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Set up wood for a fire.

Kurungurr Example:

Nganmerr tyatit.

I'd set up wood for a fire.

wudupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Shake out a swag to get the dust off, grab one end of a swag and flick it.

tyatma

Word Class:

nominal as coverb

weyim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Say the right thing, be correct in what you say.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngeny tyatma!

See, I was right!

tyatyalak purr

Meaning:

Walk with a soft-buttocked motion. Have squishy bum cheeks.

Kurungurr Example:

Kene wuni ganany tyatyalakpurr!

Who's that with the squishy-arsed walk!

tyatyap

Word Class:

mem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Scull, drink beer quickly with the intention of getting drunk.

Kurungurr Example:

Kuri tyatyap ngimi ngini.

I'm gonna scull these beers.

tyatyarrmu

Word Class:

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Grow, of grass.

tyaydi

Word Class:

Meaning:

Thursday.

Kurungurr Example:

Tyaydi nimbi pub yedi tye kuri ngini.

He's been down the pub since Thursday.

tyebenay

Word Class:

Meaning:

Playing card numbered 'seven'.

tyefifala

Word Class:

Meaning:

Intelligent, smart person.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngayim ta yarri tyarrpu, wur tyefifala wurru yenim.

Ask her, she knows everything.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngayimendimirri yarri tyarrpu, wur tyefifala wurru yenim.

tyek

Word Class:

dagum

Word Class:

Meaning:

Wipe away something with your foot, erase your footprints as you walk by smearing them sideways.

dem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Erase marks, rub something out.

Kurungurr Example:

Yemi lenggirr nimbi, yemi tyek !

If you make a mistake, just rub it out !

tyelewuty

Word Class:

Meaning:

Prison, police lockup.

tyem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Jam.

tyembity

Wumirri Headword:

ngurmeringgi

Word Class:

Meaning:

Male circumcised 'white man's way' (no age implied).

tyeme

Word Class:

Meaning:

Mother's father, daughter's son.

tyeme buymen

Word Class:

Meaning:

Term of address for a tyeme who is a very old grey-haired man.

tyemerrmerr

Word Class:

Meaning:

Cabbage palm.

tyen

Word Class:

Meaning:

What kind of X?, Which X?

tyen'ga

Word Class:

Meaning:

What kind of gagu? (which animal?, what money?, which ancestral being, etc).

Kurungurr Example:

Tyen'ga yinynyinggin?

What kind of animal did you mob see?

tyen'gawawu

Word Class:

Meaning:

'Who mob?', which group of people?

Kurungurr Example:

Tyen'gawawu wuni wanning garrbu eplen nimbi?

Who are those people who got off the plane?

tyende

Word Class:

Meaning:

What place is that?, Which place?

Kurungurr Example:

Dede kinyi tyende?

What country is this?

tyendi

Word Class:

Meaning:

Week, one week.

Kurungurr Example:

Tyendi syirre pagu yudingindi miwul.

Bring it back to me next week.

tyenmi

Word Class:

Meaning:

What kind of bush tucker?

tyenmirring

Word Class:

Meaning:

What meeting?

Kurungurr Example:

Tyenmirring kana?

What meeting?

tyennewirr

Wumirri Headword:

tyennawurr

Word Class:

Meaning:

What kind of thing?

Kurungurr Example:

Tyennewirr kinyi?

What is this thing?

tyentaym

Word Class:

Meaning:

What time?

Kurungurr Example:

Tyentaym kana?

What's the time?

tyeny

Word Class:

wupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Improve, come good, revert to its proper state.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngarin syibang mawuny ninggi, e wupun tyeny kana.

I pierced my nose with an ironwood stick, and it's all dried out now.

tyenytyenymuy

Word Class:

adjectival noun

Meaning:

Shy, quiet, retiring. Person or animal that won't come to you when you call them.

tyenytyim

Word Class:

mem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Dress in clothes, get changed.

tyenytyirri

Word Class:

Meaning:

Bubbles made by turtles.

tyepe

Word Class:

Meaning:

Just, no other alternatives, this is the only thing that can happen.

Kurungurr Example:

Tyepe ka ngirrim tyerrakul ngini.

OK, I'll just talk now.

tyepe ngini

Word Class:

Meaning:

A bit longer, a short time from here on.

Kurungurr Example:

Yedi tyerrmusye wannigi dirrgatit nimbi waddi. Errike nawa wannim leli dede kinyi. Yiba etye ngumbiwirrki wuty nime ngini, tyepe ngini wanni leli dede kinyi.

The old men used to walk along the riverbank. How many have walked this country. Before long it'll pass to us. They'll only be here a little longer.

tyeri

Word Class:

bodypart as coverb

webem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Promise someone in marriage. Make a betrothal of a child.

Kurungurr Example:

Falmi ngayi wuni werrbengngi tyeri.

They promised her to me.

dangim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Whisper, pass a message to someone privately.

Kurungurr Example:

Yangi tyeri pagu!

Whisper it to me!

daram

Word Class:

Meaning:

Whisper amongst yourselves.

Kurungurr Example:

Warranggi tyeri wirringgu.

Those two are whispering.

daram

Word Class:

Meaning:

Clean your ears, use a stick or cotton bud to get wax out of your ears.

dinyinggin

Word Class:

Meaning:

Look in someone's ear, examine someone's ear.

winy

Word Class:

Meaning:

Mind your own business, keep to yourself.

Kurungurr Example:

Yani pirr, nem pirri winy tyeri dim.

Leave him, he needs to be by himself.

tyeri baty

Word Class:

bodypart + coverb

wibem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Hear, hear something, listen to someone.

Kurungurr Example:

Yibengngindi tyeribaty?

Are you listening to me?

tyeri berk

Word Class:

bodypart + coverb

wudupun

Word Class:

Meaning:

Shout loudly in someone's ear.

Kurungurr Example:

Minde yudingi tyeriberk!

Don't shout in my ear!

tyeri bul

Word Class:

bodypart + coverb

wupun

Word Class:

impersonal verb

Meaning:

Feel comfortable, be relaxed and at ease.

Kurungurr Example:

Ya yubu yirim? Wupunnyi tyeribul dim?

Hey, are you OK? Are you comfortable?

tyeri fakurr

Word Class:

bodypart + coverb

dim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Stall, fail to be ready when everyone else is ready.

Kurungurr Example:

Kene wunu diny tyerifakurr, mumba kakana wurru!

Who's that stalling there, we're ready to go!

tyeri gurrgurr

Word Class:

bodypart + coverb

weyim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Fail to persuade someone, be unsuccessful in talking someone into doing something.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngem birrbirr tye epe ngeny tyerigurrgurr.

I tried to stop him, but I was unable to persuade him.

tyeri pup

Word Class:

bodypart + coverb

dingin

Word Class:

impersonal verb

Meaning:

Have a feeling about the availability of bush tucker, sense that the season is right.

Kurungurr Example:

Dinginnin tyeripup

We knew the time was right for it.

tyeri purity

Word Class:

bodypart + coverb

demem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Slip from your ear, have something that's perched behind your ear slip out.

Kurungurr Example:

A, kanggalang nyinnin yemeny tyeri purity.

Hey, your ball of chewing tobacco has slipped out from behind your ear.

tyeri syirr

Word Class:

bodypart + coverb

yenim

Word Class:

Meaning:

Crippled, be crippled.

Kurungurr Example:

Yenin tyerisyirr dagarri.

He's crippled in the leg.

tyeri wirr

Word Class:

bodypart + coverb

disen

Word Class:

Meaning:

Take something out of your ears, remove headphones from your head.

Kurungurr Example:

Ngisen tyeriwirr.

I took them out of my ears.

wudem

Word Class:

Meaning:

Insert something in your ear, pierce your ears.

Kurungurr Example:

Nguden tyeri wirr.

I pierced my ears.

Pages