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Boonwurrung language facts for kids

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Boonwurrung
Native to Australia
Region Victoria
Ethnicity Boonwurrung (including Yalukit)
Language family
AIATSIS S35

The Boonwurrung language is an Aboriginal Australian language. It was traditionally spoken by the Boonwurrung people. These people were part of the Kulin nation in central Victoria. This was before European settlers arrived.

The last people who spoke Boonwurrung as their first language passed away in the early 1900s. However, the Boonwurrung community is now working hard to bring their language back to life.

Where Was Boonwurrung Spoken?

Boonwurrung was spoken by six different groups of people. These groups lived along the coast of Victoria. Their land stretched from the Werribee River to Wilsons Promontory. This area included the Mornington Peninsula and Western Port Bay.

Languages Related to Boonwurrung

Boonwurrung is very similar to the Woiwurrung language. They share 93% of their words! It is also quite similar to Taungurung. Taungurung was spoken north of the Great Dividing Range, near the Goulburn River. Boonwurrung and Taungurung share about 80% of their words.

Experts who study languages believe that Woiwurrung, Taungurong, and Boonwurrung were once different ways of speaking one main language. This larger language covered a wide area of central Victoria. It went from almost Echuca in the north to Wilsons Promontory in the south.

In 1878, a writer named R. Brough Smyth noted how similar the languages were. He said that the languages of the Wooeewoorong (Yarra River) and Boonoorong (Coast) tribes were almost the same. He found that 23 out of 30 words were identical or very similar.

Place Names from Boonwurrung Language

Many places in Victoria have names that come from the Boonwurrung language. Here are some examples:

Placename Meaning or Origin
Allambee May mean "to sit and wait for a while."
Barerarerungar Means "Country."
Beenak Means "Basket."
Buln Buln Means "Lyrebird." This is also related to the Melbourne suburb Bulleen.
Bunyip Named after the mythical water creature, the bunyip.
Corinella Could mean "Running Water" or "Home of the kangaroo."
Dandenong Possibly from Tanjenong, the name of Dandenong Creek.
Darnum Some say it means "Parrot," specifically the crimson rosella. It might be linked to a parrot spirit in Kulin stories.
Dumbalk Means "Ice" or "Winter."
Eumemmerring Said to mean "agreement." Early settlers heard "um um" for "yes."
Korumburra Thought to mean "Blowfly."
Koo Wee Rup Means "Blackfish."
Koonwarra Means "Black swan."
Lang Lang Unclear. Maybe "stony" or a group of trees.
Leongatha From liang, meaning "teeth."
Meeniyan Means "Moon."
Moorabbin Unclear. Possibly "woman's milk," "resting place," or "people of the flat country."
Moorooduc Unclear. Some say "flat swamp," others "dark" or "night."
Mordialloc From Moordy Yallock. Yallock means creek or river. Moordy might mean "small" or "swamp."
Murrumbeena Unclear. Could be named after a native police member. It also meant "you" in 1851.
Nar Nar Goon Unclear. Said to be from a word for koala.
Narre Warren Unclear. Some link it to "no good water" or "hot." Others say "far away to the east."
Nayook From "ngayuk" meaning "cockatoo."
Neerim Means "High" or "long."
Noojee Often called "place of rest." It literally means "done" or "finished."
Nyora Means "Native Cherry."
Tarwin From dharwin meaning "thirsty."
Tonimbuk From the verb meaning "to burn."
Tooradin Named after a Bunyip-like monster from local stories.
Warneet One of the words for "river."
Warragul A word from the Dharug language around Sydney. It usually means "wild dog."
Wonthaggi Thought to mean "get," "bring," or "pull." Some say it means "home."
Yannathan A form of the verb yana meaning "to go" or "to walk."
Yarragon Thought to be short for Yarragondock, meaning "moustaches."

Animals and Plants in Boonwurrung

Here are some Boonwurrung words for animals and plants:

Plants

Birds

Mammals

Aquatic animals

Insects

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Idioma woiwurrung para niños

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