• Source: Turrbal language

Turrbal is an Aboriginal Australian language of the Turrbal people of the Brisbane area of Queensland.
Alternate spellings include Turubul, Turrubal, Turrabul, Toorbal, and Tarabul.




Classification


The four dialects listed in Dixon (2002) are sometimes seen as separate Durubalic languages, especially Jandai and Nunukul; Yagara, Yugarabul, and Turrbul proper are more likely to be considered dialects. Turrbal (E86) has been variously classified as a language, group of languages or as a dialect of another language. F. J. Watson classifies Turrbal (E86) as a sub group of Yugarabul E66, which is most likely the language Yagara E23. Norman Tindale uses the term Turrbal (E86) to refers to speakers of the language of Yagara E23. John Steele classifies Turrbal (E86) as a language within the Yagara language group. R. M. W. Dixon classifies Turrbal as a dialect of the language of Yagera, in the technical linguistic sense where mutually intelligible dialects are deemed to belong to a single language. Bowern considers Turrbal to be one of five languages of the "Turubulic" language group, the others being Nunukul, Yaraga, Janday and Guwar.




Phonology






= Consonants

=

Stop sounds may also be heard as voiceless [p, t, c, k].




= Vowels

=

Vowel length is also distinctive.
A lax /a/ can also be heard as [ə].




Vocabulary


Some words from the Turrbal / Yagara language include:

Bigi: sun
Binung: ear
Bugwal: wallaby
Buneen: echidna
Bangil / bungil: grass
Buhn: knee
Buyu: shin
Deear : teeth
Dhagun: land
Dhambur : mouth
Dharang: leg
Dhiggeri: belly / stomach
Dinna: foot
Dyrrbin: bone
Gahm: head
Giga: shoulder
Gurumba bigi: good day
Gujah / guttah: snake
Gagarr / guyurr: fish
Juhrram: rain
Juwahduwan / juwahnduwan / juwanbinl: bird(s)
Killen: finger
Kundul: canoe
Marra: hand
Dumbirrbi / marrambi: koala
Mil: eye / eyes
Guruman / murri: kangaroo
Muru: nose
Nammul: children
Nggurrun: neck
Ngumbi: home / camp
Tahbil: water (fresh)
Towan: fish
Tullei: tree
Waiyebba: arm
Wunya: welcome / greetings
Yilam: forehead
The literary journal Meanjin takes its name from the Turrbal name for the land centred at Gardens Point on which Brisbane was founded. This name is sometimes used for the greater Brisbane area.




Loanword yakka


The Australian English word yakka, an informal term referring to any work, especially of strenuous kind, comes from a Yagara word yaga, the verb for 'work'.




References






Further reading


Indigenous Language Wordlists: Turubul Body Parts, published by State Library of Queensland under CC-BY license, accessed 14 June 2022
Indigenous Language Wordlists: Yugarabul Body Parts, published by State Library of Queensland under CC-BY license, accessed 14 June 2022
Indigenous Language Wordlists: Yugara Everyday Words, published by State Library of Queensland under CC-BY license, accessed 14 June 2022




External links


Yuggera djarra-na - Mission

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Turrbal language
• Turrbal
• Brisbane
• Jagera people
• Brisbane River
• List of Australian place names of Aboriginal origin
• Dhuwal language
• Noongar language
• Arrernte language
• Ngugi people