Loanwords

Common Loanwords from English (or other European Languages)

• bakki tobacco
• baydjingkul bicycle
• bikbik pig
• budjika cat
• bulikki cattle
• dabulin tarpaulin, tent
• djukdjuk chicken
• delebon telephone
• mededjin medicine
• mudika truck, car

Loanwords from Makassan and Malay

Kunwok	Translation	Makassarese/Malay	Translation
baddumang	glass, mirror	patomang	compass, mirror
badjdjo	type of yam	pacco	taro
balabbala	sleeping platform	palaʔpalaʔ (ML)	cottage, couch
baladji	bag	balase	sack, bag
balanda	non-Aboriginal person	balanda	Hollander
banambi	fishing net	panambe	type of fishing net
bandirrang	flag to mark grave	bendera	flag
bangku	Aboriginal of mixed-descent	kayo bangko	mangrove species
barra	wet season wind	baraʔ	westwind
bikkang	fish hook/rod	pekang	fish hook/rod
birradja	rice	berasa	rice
birrang	machete	parang (ML)	machete
bubburru	porridge	buburuʔ	rice porridge
budjdjulung	bottle	butoloʔ	bottle
burrubburru	scabies	purupuru	pimples, pustules
djabirlanga	billy can	se-belanga (ML)	one earthern cooking pot
djambang	tamarind	camba	tamarind
djalawarra	trousers	saluwaraʔ	trousers
djarrang	horse	jarang	horse
djarribang	trepang	taripang	trepang
djawirna	friend, disciple	toana	guest
djila	salt	cela	salty, brackish
djimurru	east wind	timoroʔ	east wind
djulabbang	tobacco tin	salappa	little box
djurlu	match	coloʔ	match
djurra	paper, book	sura	letter
kabbala	boat	kappalaʔ	oar, paddle
kalukku	coconut	kaluku	coconut
kalurru	cigarette	kaluruʔ	to roll up, cigar
kandidjawa	flour, pastry, bread	kanrejawa	type of sweet cake
karrurru	ship's sail	karoroʔ	type of sail cloth
laddum	sinker	ladung	sinker
lama	shovel-nosed spear	lamang (ML)	short sabre
malayu	Malay	melayu (ML)	Malay
mangkadjarra	Makassan	mangkasaraʔ	Makassar
nuna	white woman	nona	Miss, Mrs

The above list was compiled from Evans (1992, 1993) and Garde's unpublished Kunwok dictionary.