Yugambeh language facts for kids

Yugambeh is an Aboriginal language spoken by the Yugambeh people. They live in South-East Queensland, Australia. The language is found between the Logan River and the Tweed River. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Teviot Ranges in the west.

The Yugambeh language is also called Mibanah. This comes from the words Mibanah gulgun, which means 'language of men' or 'sound of eagles'. It is part of a group of four similar languages called the Bandjalangic branch. This branch belongs to the larger Pama–Nyungan language family.

What's in a Name?

In the Yugambeh language, the word yugambeh means a very strong 'no' or 'never'. It's a common name that others use for the people and their language.

However, the people who speak Yugambeh prefer to use the word miban. This word means 'man', 'human', or 'wedge-tailed eagle'. They call their language Mibanah. This means 'of man', 'of human', or 'of eagle'.

Other names for Yugambeh include:

• Yugambir or Yugambeh (Note: Yugambal/Yugumbal is a different language further west).
• Yubumbee
• Jugumbir, Jukamba
• Tweed-Albert language
• Nganduwal
• Ngarangwal
• Manaldjali (a name for a Yugambeh-speaking group)
• Minjanbal (likely from Minjungbal, another language term)

Where Yugambeh Is Spoken

Satellite image showing where the Tweed-Albert Language is spoken.

Yugambeh is spoken in the areas around several rivers. These include the Logan, Albert, Coomera, Nerang, and Tweed River basins.

How Yugambeh Sounds

Like all languages, Yugambeh has its own unique sounds. It uses a system of vowels and consonants.

Vowel Sounds

Yugambeh has four main vowel sounds. Each of these can be short or long. This means there are actually eight different vowel sounds in total! A long vowel is shown by adding the letter "h" after it.

Consonant Sounds

Yugambeh has fewer consonant sounds compared to many other Aboriginal languages. These sounds are made in different parts of the mouth. They include sounds like 'p', 'k', 'm', 'n', 'l', and 'r'.

How Yugambeh Works (Grammar)

The grammar of Yugambeh is very interesting. It uses many small parts, called suffixes, added to words. There are over 50 of these suffixes! They are added to nouns (names of things), verbs (action words), adjectives (describing words), and demonstratives (words like 'this' or 'that').

Word Order

In Yugambeh, the order of words in a sentence can be quite flexible. However, sentences often follow a pattern where the subject (who or what is doing the action) comes first, then the object (who or what the action is done to), and finally the verb (the action). For example, "The boy the ball kicked."

Words that describe nouns, like adjectives, usually stay right next to the noun they describe. For example, "that man" or "a red car."

Noun Suffixes

Nouns in Yugambeh change by adding suffixes to show their role in a sentence. These suffixes are placed in a specific order. A noun can only have one suffix from each order.

Here are some examples of what these suffixes can do:

• -gali (typified by) – This suffix shows a connection or link.

* For example, Jinanggali means 'shoe', but literally translates to 'typified by foot'.

• -gan (feminine) – This suffix is used to make nouns feminine.

* For example, Yarabilngingan means 'female singer'.

• -bur (diminutive) – This suffix makes a noun refer to a smaller version of something.

* For example, Baraganbur means 'toy boomerang'.

• -Nah (possessive) – This shows who owns something right now.

* For example, Ngalingah means 'our'.

• -Nahjil (past possessive) – This shows who owned something in the past.

* For example, Bilinahjil means 'was of the parrot'. This is where the place name Billinudgel comes from!

Verb Suffixes

Verbs in Yugambeh also use suffixes to change their meaning. These suffixes show the 'aspect' and 'mood' of the action. Aspect tells you if an action is ongoing, completed, or repeated. Mood tells you the speaker's attitude towards the action (e.g., a command, a possibility).

Yugambeh verbs usually have two syllables and always end in a vowel.

Adjective Suffixes

Adjectives can also have suffixes. These suffixes show the gender of the noun they are describing.

• For a male person, the suffix is -bin.
• For a female person, the suffix is -gan.
• For trees, the suffix is -Nahn.
• For things that are not male, female, or trees, the suffix is -gay.

Demonstratives (This, That, Those)

Yugambeh has a complex system for words like 'this', 'that', and 'those'. They show if something is close, a bit further away, or far away. They also show if something is in sight, hidden, or not there anymore.

For example, there are different words for:

• 'this' (something close and in sight)
• 'that' (something a bit further and in sight)
• 'that over there' (something far away and in sight)

There are also different words for locations, like 'here', 'there', and 'over there'. These also change depending on whether the place is in sight, out of sight, or in the past.

Yugambeh App

The Yugambeh Museum in Beenleigh has a free dictionary app for the Yugambeh language. You can get it on Android phones, iOS (for iPhones), and even on your computer. This app helps people learn and use the language.

Place Names from Yugambeh

Many modern place names in the region come from the Yugambeh language. Here are a few examples:

• Billinudgel – from bilinahjil, meaning 'was of the parrot'.
• Canungra – from gungunga, meaning 'a long flat or clearing'.
• Coomera/Upper Coomera – from kumera, a type of wattle tree.
• Jumpinpi – meaning 'Pandanus root'.
• Mundoolun – from Mundheralgun, the local name for the Common death adder snake.
• Nindooinbah – from ninduinba, meaning 'the remains of a fire'.
• Pimpama – from pimpimba, meaning 'a place of soldier birds'.
• Tabragalba – from dhaberigaba, meaning 'a place of clubs'.
• Tallebudgera – meaning 'rotten or decayed logs'.
• Wongawallan – from the words wonga ('pigeon') and wallan ('water').

See also

In Spanish: Idioma yugambeh para niños