The Bunurong: Their Language
The Bunurong languages have pleasant sounding words. If you are looking for a name for a
shopping centre, home, street then you may find it on this page.
| Plants and Animals |
| barraimal | bird, emu | bundjil | eagle | |
| darrang | tree | dharruwirrag | bird, kookaburra | |
| kuyim | kangaroo | gurruk | bird, brolga | |
| nar nar goon | native bear | nyora | cherry tree | |
| waang | bird, crow | ngayuk | bird, cockatoo | |
| warrin | wombat | wagil | bird, pelican | |
| wilurrt | possum | wirrap | fish | |
| wirrangan | dog, tame |
| barnibyrnong | place of the ringtailed possum |
| Land features | ||||
| binibiyal | rainbow | carrum | reed or bullrush swamp | |
| kooweerup | the great swamp | gagurruk | sand | |
| warraniit | river | warriny | sea | |
| wilam | camp /hut |
| Climate, Time | ||||
| barayip | spring | buruny | dark | |
| mirrnian | moon | manamidh | autumn | |
| murrnmut | wind | murrndabil | thunder | |
| yalinwa | day | wurra-wurra | sky | |
| yalunguwil | yesterday | yirrambuwi | tomorrow | |
| wygabil-ny-e-win | summer | perrin | winter | |
| manemit | autumn | pareip | spring | |
| Descriptive Words | ||||
| carbool | tall | cooyung | black | |
| kringun | sweet | maneyanin | smooth | |
| monamit | good | monamit | healthy | |
| wygabil | old | yen-yen | young | |
| ballarto | good, plenty | wurrdha | big |
| People | ||||
| baba | mother | baganurrk | nephew | |
| bubup | baby, children | didadjak | brother | |
| gagangak | uncle | bamburrik | aunt |
McCrae, George Gordon. 1917. "Westernport Vocabulary". A 'vocabulary' of the 'Western Port' Aborigines (with an introduction and notes by A.S. Kenyon.) Victorian Historical Magazine, 5:164-70. Copied from remains of a vocabulary of the tribe sometimes called the "Western Port", but inhabiting the country about Arthur's Seat, Port Phillip, in the forties and fifties. Mr McCrae says " The words in this vocabulary were carefully collected by my father and mother and family (including myself), and are so written as to give the English value to the letters."
| baam | waterhole | canbo | one | |
| kakurruk | sand | manemit | autumn | |
| mathalla | yours | mirambik | mine | |
| monamit | good | pareip | spring (season) | |
| perrin | winter | pin-beál | rainbow | |
| therang | trees | warrin | wombat | |
| weerap | fish | willam | hut | |
| woordy-yal-yal | greater than six | wygabil-ny-e-win | summer | |
| yan-né | walk | yawi | swim | |
| yen-yen | young | yewangé | his |
1. Aboriginal Flora and Fauna Names of Victoria:
http://www.vaclang.org.au/project-detail.aspx?ID=9
2. AIATSIS Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies website - Language Data Base