Jingili people facts for kids
The Jingili or Jingulu are an Indigenous Australian people. They come from the Northern Territory in Australia. Their traditional lands are in the central part of the Northern Territory.
Contents
Jingulu Language
The Jingili people speak the Jingulu language. It is part of the Mirndi language family. This family is different from most other Australian Indigenous languages.
Scientists have studied the Jingulu language for many years. An early list of words was made by F. A. Gillen. Later, Robert Pensalfini wrote a grammar of Jingulu. He worked with the last people who spoke the language fluently.
Jingili Country
The traditional lands of the Jingili people were very large. They covered about 15,280 square kilometers (5,900 square miles). Their country stretched from Renner Springs in the south. It went north to Newcastle Waters. It also included the Ashburton Range.
To the east, their land reached Cattle Creek and Ucharonidge Station. To the west, it went almost to Lake Woods. These areas are important parts of their history and culture.
Jingili Social Life
The Jingili people had special ways of organizing their society. They had rules for who could marry whom. These rules helped keep their community strong and connected. An early researcher named R. H. Mathews studied these social systems.
Jingili History
According to stories passed down through generations, the Jingili people originally came from the Great Western Desert. This shows how different Indigenous groups moved across Australia over a long time.
Other Names for Jingili
The Jingili people have been known by several different names. These include:
- Chingalee, Chingalli
- Djingili, Djingali, Djinggili
- Leechunguloo
- T(h)ingalie
- Tjingale, Tchingalee
- Tjingilli, Tjingali, Tjingalli
- Tjingilu
Jingili Words
Here is an example of a word from the Jingulu language:
- mowija: These were pieces of special shiny quartz stone. They were used in traditional practices and were believed to have power for certain purposes.
