Lesson 4

Listening to Kunwok
This week's podcast takes us to Manmoyi, an outstation 200km east of Gunbalanya, and home to Narbarlek band. We'll start by listening to some talk and music from Manmoyi:

https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/narbalek-manmoyi

Hello. Ngaye Kamarrang Nabordoh. Nahne Nabarlek Band ngardduk ngaye. Yoh! yoh kamak. Konhda Manmoyi kabolkngeyyo. Yiman konhda Gunbalanya 200km kabirri? kore Arnhem Land kabirriyime. Mahne mankare daborrabolk kobahkohbanj bokenh.

In the preamble from Kamarrang Nabordoh, listen out for the following words. You might need to listen a few times. The idea is to practice spotting words in the conversations you overhear.


 * ngardduk our
 * kondah here
 * kabolkngeyyo the place is called
 * kabirriyime as they call it
 * yiman similar to
 * daborrabolk, kobahkohbanj old people, ancestors
 * bokenh two
 * wurdurd children
 * kabirridjordmen they grow up
 * bukkan to teach
 * kabirriburrbun they understand

Journey Mapping
This task was devised in Scandinavia (with some local extensions) to help newcomers be more mindful of their opportunities to interact with people in the new language. Take a sheet of A3 or A4 paper, and sit with another learner.


 * 1) think of a recent day and the various places you visited (shop, community centre, post office, etc)
 * 2) draw a continuous line to represent your "journey" that day
 * 3) label the line with the places, using words or drawings
 * 4) add an annotation to show which language(s) you used in each place
 * 5) now, take turns to review your day; identify which location presents the best opportunity for you use more of the language

The next step depends on your situation and what you feel comfortable to do. Here are some suggestions:


 * write down some words and short phrases (in English) that would be good to know in Kunwok, sit with a bininj or daluk friend to record them on your phone and start learning them; or
 * return to the place and ask a local (such as the person serving at the counter) how to say something, and see if it is ok to record them; next time use what you've learnt and ask for more;
 * go to the place with your language guide, with permission, record her as she has the interaction that you hope to have yourself; review the recording and make further recordings of words and short phrases that you want to learn

Similar words with different meanings

 * madbun vs marnbun to wait vs to work
 * bidbun vs bimbun to climb vs to paint
 * kunkanj vs kunj meat vs kangaroo

Words with ku- vs kun-
The ku- prefix indicates that the action is taking place at the specified location, while the kun- prefix just indicates a neuter noun.


 * kunred vs kured camp vs at camp
 * kundulk vs kurrulk (kudulk) tree vs at the tree
 * kunwardde vs kuwardde stone vs stone country

Individual words with contradictory meanings

 * manbuyika next, previous
 * wolewoleh this afternoon, yesterday (cf English 'eve')
 * malaywi morning, tomorrow
 * korroko just now, a long time ago

Words with interestingly related senses

 * kundung sun, time (e.g. baleh kundung? what time?)
 * kundjikka milk, breast
 * kunwardde stone, money
 * mako gun, didjeridoo
 * kudjewk year, wet season
 * dabborrabbolk forebears whether living or deceased

Fourth podcast
Listen to the podcast here or get it from one of the feeds (SoundCloud, iTunes, PlayerFM).

Here are some of the phrases you heard:


 * ngud.da, ba.leh yi.re Where are you going?
 * nga.nan kun.red I'm seeing the country
 * na.nga.le yi.ngey.yo What's your name?
 * ngad.bu.rrung sibling
 * ba.leh wam ka.ma.rrang where did Kamarrang go?
 * ka.ma.rrang wam kan.dji.kan.dji Kamarrang went to the spring
 * bolk.kime now, today
 * ka.luk after
 * yid.dok? is that so? (optional for questions)
 * yi.dja.re yi.nan kamarrang you want to see Kamarrang
 * nga.mad.bun I'll wait
 * nga.marn.bun mu.di.ka I'm working on the car/truck
 * nga.dja.re nga.re kak.bi / wa.lem I want to go north / south
 * (yiddok) yi.bim.bun mutika? Are you going to paint the car?
 * nga.bim.bun kunj dja djenj I'm painting a kangaroo and a fish
 * na.nga.le? / ngal.nga.le? who? (male and female versions)
 * ngud.da yi.dja.re na.nga.le yi.nan? who do you want to see?
 * nga.durn.deng I'm returning

Pronunciation: "retroflex" sounds
Bininj Kunwok has a group of sounds that are not present in English (except in the pronunciation of some Indian speakers of English). The closest sound we have is the r of red. Try saying this r sound by itself, holding it for a few seconds. Pay attention to the curled-up shape of the tongue and the position of the tongue tip.

words with "rd"

 * rda.rda younger sibling
 * rdird moon, month (usually written "dird")
 * kun.bard knee
 * wu.rdurd (child)
 * ngard.rduk my, mine (written ngardduk)

words with "rl"

 * kun.berl arm
 * be.rluh aunty
 * kun.birli light, flame
 * nga.wurlh.ke I'm setting fire to it
 * man.lab.barl waterhole

words with "rn"

 * nga.marn.bun I'm making it
 * ma.rne.yi.me I say for you (e.g. skin name)
 * korn.ku.mo father
 * bi.rri.wern everyone, many people
 * ko.rno.bo.lo agile wallaby

Practice saying these words with a bininj or daluk friend. Ask them to correct you if you say them incorrectly. You might like to make your own recording of these words so you can practice later by yourself.

When reading a text containing these sounds, it is tempting to associate the r with the previous vowel, changing its quality, e.g. kunwardde stone, money contains "war" which looks like a word of English that rhymes with "four". Instead, we have to use the open "a" vowel, rhyming with English "car".

Review the first cycle
Pick one of the following eight quizzes. If you're male, you'll do this on behalf your sister.

ngalwamud / kodjdjan

Your right skin

 * Right-way marriage
 * Female versions (so these are sisters-in-law)

Things to try this week

 * pair up with another learner
 * journey mapping (do this in pairs too)