Ngunnawal/Ngunawal and Gundungurra are Australian Aboriginal languages, and the traditional languages of the Ngunnawal and Gandangara. Ngunnawal and Gundungurra

Ngunawal–Gundungurra
Ngunawal–Gundungurra
Burragorang, Northern Inland Yuin
Onerwal
Region	New South Wales and the ACT; Australia
Ethnicity	Ngunnawal, Gandangara
Extinct	by 1994 (Ngunnawal); 80 (2014, Gundungurra)
Revival	revival efforts for both languages
Language family	Pama–Nyungan Yuin–Kuric Yuin Ngunawal–Gundungurra; ; ;
Dialects	Ngunawal/Ngunnawal; Gundungurra;
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Either:; xul – Ngunawal; xrd – Gundungurra
Glottolog	nort2760
AIATSIS	D3 Ngunawal/Ngunnawal, S60 Gundungurra
ELP	Ngunawal; Gundungurra;

Ngunnawal/Ngunawal and Gundungurra are Australian Aboriginal languages, and the traditional languages of the Ngunnawal and Gandangara. Ngunnawal and Gundungurra are very closely related and the two were most likely highly mutually intelligible. As such they can be considered dialects of a single unnamed language, but this is the technical linguistic usage of these terms and Ngunnawal and Gundungurra peoples prefer to describe their individual varieties as separate languages in their own right.

Classification

Gundungurra/Ngunawal is generally classified to fall within the tentative (and perhaps geographic) Yuin–Kuric group of the Pama–Nyungan family.

Geographical distribution

The traditional country of the Ngunnawal people is generally thought to have extended east near Goulburn, North to Boorowa, south through Canberra, perhaps even to Queanbeyan, and extending west to around the Goodradigbee River.

Current status

The language was extinct by 1994. Some recordings of the last native speakers exist, but they did not bring their children up to speak the language. The Ngunnawal community has for some years been engaged in work to revive the language, aiming to bring it back into daily use within the community. They have been working with AIATSIS linguists to assist them with this work, and with identifying historical records that can be used.

Phonology

Ngunawal consonants
	Labial	Apico- alveolar	Lamino- dental	Lamino- palatal	Dorso- velar
Stop	b	d	d̪	ɟ	g
Nasal	m	n	n̪	ɲ	ŋ
Trill		r
Lateral		l		ʎ
Approximant	w	ɹ		j

Retroflex sounds [ɖ, ɳ, ɭ] may have also been recorded in limited distribution.
Stops /b, d, ɟ, ɡ/ may also be heard as voiceless [p, t, c, k] when in word-final or syllable-final positions.
/ɹ/ may have also been heard as [ɻ].

Ngunawal vowels
	Front	Central	Back
High	i, iː		u, uː
Low		a, aː

Vocabulary

Ngunawal words and phrases and English translations
Ngunawal	English	Ref.
Balbo	Kangaroo rat
Bamir	Long
Bargang	Yellow box
Berra	Boomerang
Bimbi	Bird
Bimbiang	Shield
Bindugan	Mussel
Birrigai	To laugh
Budyan	Birds
Bunburung	Small lizard
Bunduluk	Rosella
Bunima	Blow (as wind)
Burrai	Quick
Burrum-bah	Where the kangaroo, the wallaby, bounces over the rocks
Bural	Day
Burin	Stringybark
Dhangarn	Food
Daramoolen	Dreaming
Darwa	A transition for ceremony
Dulwa	Casuarina trees
Dyindan	Ring-tail possum
Galu	Crane
Gamburra	Flowers
Gang-gang	Gang-gang cockatoo
Giliruk	pee wee
Ginninderra	Sparkling light
Ginin-ginin-derry	Sparkling, throwing out little rays of light (possibly a description of a waterfall)
Gubbity	Pipeclay
Gubur Dhaura	Red ochre ground
Gudali	To hunt
Guginya	Kookaburra
Gula	Koala
Gulwan	Younger sister
Gummiuk	Bulrushes
Gunyan	Slow
Jedbinbilla	A place where boys become men
Gurubun	Koala
Kubbadang	Moon
Karrugang	Magpie
Kudyera	Fighting club
Kanbarra	Meeting Place^{[citation needed]}
Madi	Very
Mulleun	Eagle
Mulunggang	Platypus
Mundang	Canoe
Mundawari	Bandicoot
Munjuwa	Tracks, Foot
Mura	Pathway
Mura gadi	Pathways for searching
Murra Bidgee Mullangari	Keeping the pathway to our ancestors alive
Murrung	Lizard
Nangi	To see or look
Narragunnawali	Alive/well-being/coming together
Nengi Bamir	See far (view)
Ngadyung	Water
Ngunna yerrabi yanggu	You're welcome to leave your footprints on our land
Nguru	Camp
Pajong	Ngunnawal clan group
Tuggeranong	Cold place
Umbagong	Axe
Walga	Hawk
Wallabalooa	Ngunnawal clan group
Warabin	Curlew
Warrumbul	Youth
Weereewa	Lake George (translates roughly to "bad water")
Wimbaliri	Drink
Winnunga nimmityjah	Strong health
Winyu	Sun
Wirria	Tree goanna
Woggabaliri	Play
Wolway	Waterfall
Yarrh	Running water
Yeal-am-bid-gie	Molonglo River
Yerra	Swim, to fly like a bird
Yerrabi	To walk
Yerradhang	Eucalyptus Tree
Yukkumbruk	Black Crow
Yumba	Eel
Yuyu	Mopoke

More words are compiled in The Wiradyuri and Other Languages of New South Wales, an article by Robert H. Mathews first published in the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute in 1904.