Noongar language facts for kids

Noongar (pronounced like "noong-ar") is an Aboriginal language spoken in the southwest part of Western Australia. It is also called Nyungar (pronounced "nyung-gar"). Many people from the Noongar community speak it.

This language is taught in schools and universities across Australia. You can even hear it on public radio. The Noongar people's home is the southwest corner of Western Australia. Many Noongar words have become part of English, especially names for plants and animals.

The first time Noongar words were written down was in 1801. This was done by Matthew Flinders, who made lists of words.

Different Noongar Language Styles

<mapframe frameless width=375 height=375 zoom=9 latitude=-31.9527121 longitude=115.8604796 text="Map of Perth showing Noongar names for places where recorded in the OpenStreetMap project, and English names where they are not. Names recorded for features such as Swan River, Perth Oval and Lake Monger are not shown in this map." lang="nys" />

Before Europeans arrived, there wasn't just one single Noongar language. Instead, there were many closely related "styles" or "versions." These versions were spoken by different groups of people in different areas. They also had some different cultural practices.

After European settlement, these different versions started to blend together. This formed the modern Noongar language we know today. Experts agree that the Noongar group included at least three main languages. For example, the 2011 Noongar Dictionary was based on the Yuat (Juat) version from the northwest.

This map shows the different Noongar language versions before Europeans arrived.

The map shows the area where Noongar languages were spoken. The smaller sections on the map show the individual versions. Today, these versions have mostly merged into one. Some people debate if all these versions were originally part of the Noongar group. Some might have been separate languages or belonged to other nearby language groups.

Most language experts believe that Amangu, the northernmost language shown, was not part of the Noongar group. They think it was part of the Kartu group.

However, many versions are definitely part of the Noongar group. These include Wudjari, Minang, Bibelman, Kaneang, Wardandi, Balardung, and Yuat. Wiilman, Whadjuk, and Pinjarup are also usually seen as Noongar versions. The Koreng people likely spoke a version of Wudjari.

How Noongar Was Recorded

People have been writing down Noongar words for a long time. In 1948, a book called Birds of Western Australia included Noongar names for birds. It even noted how the names changed in different areas. Later, a list of recommended spellings and pronunciations for bird names was made in 2009. Similar lists were made for plants (1983) and mammals (2001).

Early records of Noongar words were made when the Swan River Colony was first settled. For example, Robert Menli Lyon published a book in 1833. He learned a lot from Yagan, a Noongar leader. However, some people thought Lyon's work had mistakes.

In 1839, Lieutenant George Grey published a "Vocabulary" of Aboriginal languages. He studied Noongar languages for a year. He found that many words were similar across different Noongar areas. Grey also noted that Noongar did not use certain English sounds like "soft c" or "f."

More serious study of Noongar began in 1842. George Fletcher Moore published a large list of Noongar words. Later, in the 1930s and 1960s, Wilfrid Douglas learned and studied Noongar. He created a grammar guide and a dictionary.

Today, Noongar people are leading this work. Rose Whitehurst put together the Noongar Dictionary. Tim McCabe recently finished his PhD in Noongar. He now teaches the language to people in Perth prisons.

Experts like Peter Bindon and Ross Chadwick have also put together a big list of Noongar words. This list combines information from many different writers. It shows how spelling varied because different people heard and wrote down the sounds differently.

Noongar Today

Noongar is still spoken and is becoming more popular.

Neo-Nyungar

There is a special way of speaking English called Neo-Nyungar. It mixes English with some Noongar words. This is a common way the Nyungar people communicate.

How Many People Speak Noongar?

In the 2016 census, 443 people said they spoke Noongar at home.

Since the late 1900s, more people want to learn Noongar. It is now taught in many schools across Western Australia. As of 2022, Noongar is one of 24 Aboriginal languages taught in 68 schools. About 10,000 students are learning these languages. Curtin University also offers an online course to learn Noongar language and culture.

Noongar Language Centre

The Noongar Language and Culture Centre started in 1986. It has offices in places like Northam and Perth. Authors like Charmaine Bennell have published books in Noongar. Educators Glenys Collard and Rose Whitehurst began recording elders speaking Noongar in 1990.

In 1997, Noongar people met and agreed on a standard way to spell the language. This was for teaching it in schools. They decided to spell it "Nyoongar" at first. Later, they changed it to "Noongar" for teaching materials.

By 2010, 37 schools in the South West and Perth were teaching the language. In 2014, the Noongar Boodjar Language Cultural Aboriginal Corporation (NBLCAC) was formed. The Australian Government gave them money to set up the Noongar Language Centre.

Noongarpedia

In 2015, Professor Len Collard started a project called "Noongarpedia". This project records the Noongar language in a wiki format. It's like a Wikipedia for the Noongar language.

The project is still growing. It is the first Wikipedia in an Aboriginal Australian language. It is also bilingual, meaning it's in both Noongar and English. This helps people learn the language.

Noongar Through Arts

Singer-songwriter Gina Williams uses Noongar in her songs. She sings lullabies for children and has even translated the song "Moon River" into Noongar.

In 2020, a Shakespearean play called Macbeth was translated into Noongar. This play, named Hecate, was performed at the Perth Festival. An all-Noongar cast performed it. It took years to translate the play. This project has made more people interested in bringing the language back to life.

Noongar Vocabulary

Many Noongar words change slightly depending on the area. For example, the word for bandicoot can be quernt in the south or quenda in the west. The word for water might be käip or kapi. The word for fire can be kaall or karl.

Many place names in Western Australia end with -up. This is because in Noongar, -up means "place of." For example, Ongerup means "place of the male kangaroo." The word gur, ger, or ker meant "a gathering."

Some Noongar words have become part of English. These include the name Kylie and the word "boomerang." Other words are gilgie or jilgie, which is a type of freshwater crayfish. The word gidgie or gidgee means "spear." The word for smoke, karrik, led to the name for a group of compounds called karrikins. The word kodj means "to be hit on the head." It comes from the word for a stone axe. The animal called a quokka also gets its name from Noongar.

How to Say Noongar Sounds

Here are some Noongar sounds and how they compare to English:

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See also

• Boodjar Nyungar Placenames