Wemba Wemba language facts for kids

The Wemba Wemba language was an Aboriginal Australian language. It was once spoken by Indigenous people in North Western Victoria. It was also used in South Central New South Wales, along the Murray River.

The Wemba Wemba language is considered extinct. However, one of its forms, the Nari Nari dialect, is being brought back to life. This is part of a special project started around 2020. Other dialects of Wemba Wemba include Barababaraba and Wergaia. The Jardwadjali language, with its own dialects like Jagwadjali, Nundadjali, and Mardidjali, might also be related to Wemba Wemba.

How Wemba Wemba Influenced English

The Wemba Wemba language has given us some words we use in Australian English today. These words often describe plants or animals found in Australia.

• dilanj: This word means a plant called the nitre bush or dillon.
• lerep: This refers to lerp, which is a sweet substance. It is made by tiny insects on eucalyptus leaves.
• gambang: This is the word for a bulrush, a tall plant that grows in wet areas. In Australia, it's also called cumbungi.
• mali: This describes a type of mallee tree. These trees have many stems growing from a large underground root.
• The word yabby also comes from Wemba Wemba. A yabby is a type of freshwater crayfish found in Australia.

Bringing the Language Back to Life

As of 2020, the Nari Nari dialect of Wemba Wemba is one of 20 languages chosen for a special project. This project is called the Priority Languages Support Project. It is run by First Languages Australia. The goal is to find and record languages that are in danger of disappearing. These are languages where there might be very few or no recordings. The project helps to document them, especially if there are still people who speak them. This work helps keep Indigenous languages alive for future generations.

See also

In Spanish: Idioma wemba-wemba para niños