Phrasebook

Preface

The first challenge for a balanda learner of Kunwok is to get used to the idea that there's no words for hello or thank you. We like to discuss the weather with strangers, but here in West Arnhem, there's not much to discuss, except to remark on it being quite cold if the overnight temperature falls sub-20!

When speaking with people, it is good to limit eye contact. Sustained eye contact may come across as domineering. Bininj differ in how comfortable they feel with strangers, so pay attention to how much eye contact you're receiving, and don't give more than that.

You'll probably need help to pronounce these phrases correctly. Beginners struggle with the "ng-" words, and it's usually fine to not pronounce it. So, avoid the hurdle and leave it out to start with. For more on pronunciation see the pronunciation guide and the podcasts. You might find a bininj who is prepared to help you with pronunciation.

Greetings

When greeting people, you'll probably be the one to initiate the interaction. If you're not an outgoing kind of person, you'll have to pretend! It is appropriate to show curiosity about where people are going and what they are doing, even if you only just met them.

Kunwok	English	Comments
ngudda kamak?	are you good?	(use with any size of group)
yoh, kamak	yes, good
baleh yire?	where are you going?	(said to just one person)
ngare shop	I'm going to the shop	(it's ok to include English words)
yire kakbi	you're going north	(fine to state the obvious)
yimdurndi	you've come back
baleh keno yimdurndeng	when are you coming back?
ngawarnyak wak	I can't stand the crows
mah bonj, ngare	ok, I'm going
yire	you're going
nan kaluk	see you later	(use with any size of group)
bobo	goodbye

Introductions

Here your challenge is to get over needing to know someone's name. Learn their skin name, and optionally the kinship term you use for them, and try to just use that. Don't be afraid to ask the same question again next time you see someone. It's better to ask again and use it to consolidate what you're learning. Once you know people, you might ask if you can sit with them.

Kunwok	English	Comments
ngaye nakamarrang	I'm nakamarrang	(give your skin name if you have one)
ngudda yingale?	Who are you?
baleh kunkurlah nguddangke?	what's your skin?
nangale ngunwong?	who gave it to you?	(your skin name)
njale marneyime?	what do I call you?	(elicits a kinship term)
baleh ngudda beh?	where are you from?
ngaye Melbourne beh	I'm from Melbourne
kamak ngayerrkan?	good if I sit?	(i.e. may I sit)
baleh kayime wurdurd yikarrme?	how many children do you have?	baleh kayime = how many

Cuppa Tea Time

Kunwok	English	Comments
tea yibongun?	Would you (singular) like some tea?	yi-bongun = you.sg-drink (bo-ngun = liquid-eat)
tea ngurribongun?	Would you (plural) like some tea?	ngurri-bongun = you.pl-drink
ngabokinje	I'll put the kettle on
bowurlkeng	it's boiled
kundjikka?	milk?
djukka?	sugar?
kanwo djukka	give me sugar	kan-wo = you.me-give.imperative
kanbowo kundjikka	give me milk	kan-bo-wo = you.me-liquid-give.imperative
nja	here	passing the tea, milk, sugar

Working together

Another adjustment when learning Kunwok is all the long words, e.g. karridjarrkdurrkmirri, which can be broken down into karri-djarrk-durrkmirri (we-together-work).

Note that we generally don't translate "do this with me" literally, but rather say "you and me we will do it".

Kunwok	English	Comments
baleh ngurriyime?	what are you doing / will you do?	(to a group)
baleh yiyime ngudda?	what are you doing / will you do?	(to one person)
yibimbun	you're painting/writing it
yimilebun	you're weaving it
yidulkdadjke	you're cutting wood	yi-dulk-dadjke = you-tree-cut
yikaru!	dig it!
yimang mandengiyi	you're fetching the vehicle
karridjarrkdurrkmirri	we're working together	karri-djarrk-durrkmirri = we-together-work
karribebbehdurrkmirri	we're working separately	karri-bebbeh-durrkmirri = we-separately-work
ngawarrewong	I made a mistake
werrk!	hurry up!
yeledj!	slow down!
med!	wait!
karriyakwong	we finished it	karri-yakwo-ng = we-finish-past
ngabimbun timesheet	I'm doing the timesheet

Phonecalls

Kunwok	English	Comments
yoh	yes?	when answering, else just "hello"
nangale yidjare yimarnewokdi	who do you want to talk to?
ngudda nangale / ngalngale	who are you? (male / female)
med, ngayawan	wait, I'll look for him/her
wam / dowen	he/she is gone / unwell
minj kahdi bolkkime	he/she isn't here now/today
yimarnewokngimen wolewoleh / malaywi	call this afternoon / tomorrow
yirohrokmen (number)	try this number

Ailments

Kunwok	English	Comments
ngamarrwedoweng	I'm hungry	nga-marrwe-dowe-ng I-hunger-sick-past
ngakombukdoweng	I'm thirsty	nga-kom-buk-dowe-ng I-throat-dry-sick-past
njale ngunbayeng?	what's wrong?	lit. what's biting you?
baleh ngunnjamedmeng?	what happened to you?	ngun-njamedmeng = it.you-somethinged
kanmarneyolyolmen	tell me about it
ngakodjbabang	my head hurts	nga-kodj-babang = my-head-hurts (substitute other body parts)
ngakodjke	I'm tired	also nga-mim-kodjke = my-eyes-tired
ngabondjek	I'm cold
ngaladmen	I'm hot
ngadjare ngayo	I want to lie down
ngaworrkoluy	I fell out of a tree
ngadengelurlmeng	My foot is swollen
birndu nganberlbayeng	A mosquito bit my arm	ngan-berl-baye-ng = it.me-arm-bite-past
ngaberlbakmeng	I broke my arm	nga-berl-bakme-ng = I-arm-break-past
ngabiddorrinj	I hit my hand	nga-bid-do-rr-inj = I-hand-hit-reflexive-past

On the road

Kunwok	English	Comments
ngurribidbu karrire	you (all) get in and let's go
werrk karrire	hurry up, we're going
kandikan Jabiru	you (all) take me to Jabiru	(remember "kan" is pronounced like English "gun")
yibolkbengkan baleh yire?	do you know where you're going?	yi-bolk-bengkan = you-country-know
karrire kumekke	let's go there (pointing)
karrire djarre	go further / keep going	karri-re djarre = we-go far
yibolkkadjung	follow the road	yi-bolk-kadjung = you-country-follow
karridjalrohrokme	we'll keep trying	karri-djal-rohrokme = we-still-try (we're driving til we find what we're looking for)
ngabolkbengmiddanj	I forgot the place	nga-bolk-bengmiddanj = I-country-forgot
ngudda yibebmen!	get out
dengebelngdanj kadberre	we've got a flat tyre

In the classroom

Note that expressions involving yi- are addressed to an individual, while those with ngurri- are addressed to a group. Feel free to replace yi- (you singular) with ngurri- (you plural) and vice versa, as needed. You can also use karri- (we all) if the expression includes the speaker.

Kunwok	English	Comments
kamak bu ngundinan bolkkime!	nice to see you all today!
ngudda kamak?	are you (all) good?
kamak yiyoy?	did you sleep well?
ngurriyerrka	all sit down
ngurringudmen	all be quiet
ngurridolkka	all stand up
kandibekka	all listen
ngudda warridj	you too .
karribiddokme rowk	let's all clap hands
ngurribiddjirridjburren	wash your hands	ngurri-bid-djirridjbu-rren = you-hand-wash-reflexive
yiyidmeburren?	did you brush your teeth?	yi-yidme-burren = you-teeth-beat
yibawo!	stop that!
yibidbawo!	don't touch that!
yimray!	come!
yirohrokmen!	try it!
yiburlumerren	you're doing it well / showing off	yi-burlume-rren you-praise-reflexive
kanyolyolmen	tell me/us about it
ngurribidyikarrmerrimen	help each other
yuwn yibidbun	don't climb it

Collecting Pandanus

Kunwok	English	Comments
karrire karrimang kunngobarn	Let's go and get pandanus	also karri-ngobarn-mang = we-pandanus-get
balekeno karrire?	When will we go?
yibenbengdayhkemen daluk	Let the women know	yiben-bengdayhke-men = you.them-inform-imperative
ngalngale kamre?	Who is coming?	ngal-ngale = fem-who
yimka manmarli	Bring the pandanus hook	yi-m-ka = you-towards-carry.imperative (you bring)
yibomey kukku?	Have you got water?	yi-bo-mey = you-liquid-get.past
ngamang mudika	I'll get the truck
karribenkan daluk	Let's take the women	karriben-kan = we.them-carry (in the vehicle)
baleh kabirrihdi?	Where are they?
kanbukka njale yiyime	Show me what you're doing	kan-bukka = you.me-show.imperative
yiyirrme	You're stripping it
karrimang kala	Let's get colour (ochre, bark)

Emotions

Kunwok	English	Comments
nganjilngmak	I feel good	nga-njilng-mak = I-feeling-good
nganjilngwarre	I feel bad	nga-njilng-warre = I-feeling-bad
nganjilngmarnbun	I'm cheering him up
ngakangemak	I'm happy	nga-kange-mak = I-heart-good
ngamarrmarrni	I'm happy
ngakangewarre	I'm sad	nga-kange-warre = I-heart-bad
ngakukdowen	I'm bored
ngadjurrkwon	I'm getting excited
ngangukruy	I'm angry	nga-nguk-ruy = I-belly-burn
ngakangebakke	I'm attracted to him/her
ngakangerayekwon	I'm encouraging him	nga-kange-rayekwon = I.him-heart-make.strong
kayiddung	He's speaking harshly
kayidwern	He's a troublemaker
njale ngunbayeng?	What's wrong?	ngun-bayeng = it.you-bite
njale ngunngun	What's wrong?	ngun-ngun = it.you-eat
njaleken yinalkbun?	why are you crying?
ngankangemey	it touched me	ngan-kange-mey = it.me-heart-get

To do

• learning language (yuwn kankukdjekmiwon, don't laugh at me)
• country (kunbolk, kunred)
• family (bininj, daluk, namud, wurdurd, mawahmawah)
• leave-taking (woknan, kamak ngarriwokdanj)
• hospitality (ti yibongun? kanwo djukka, kundjikka)
• at the arts centre (njale yimarnbun?)
• sorry business (bolkwarreminj, ngarribidkurrmeng)
• outstation life (duruk yingudmen, djenj karrire, ngayawan kunyerrng ngaworrkme)
• asking permission to go places
• church (yiwarrudj, karriwayini, karriburlume)
• forbidden places (kubolkdjamun djang)
• fire and burning
• cars and road safety
• hunting
• stripping bark and bark painting
• jobs, ranger work
• food and food preparation (kandidjawa, buburru, ngabiddjibme)
• (requests welcome)