Lesson 10 – Language on Country (Animals)

There are many animals and insects living on Arabana country. This lesson has words and sentences for animals, snakes, reptiles, birds, fish and insects.

Check out these videos related to animals once you have finished this lesson:

Animals

Bird Song

Bird Names

Grubs

Animals

kungarra

kangaroo

warrukathi

emu

madla-yalpa

dingo

mayarru

Australian long-haired rat

puntha-puntha

fat-tailed dunnart (native mouse)

nyurdlyu-nyurdlyu

type of native mouse

Example sentences :

Kungarra puntyu ngurku tharnilhuku.

Kangaroo meat is good to eat.

kungarra means kangaroo, puntyu means meat, ngurku means good and tharni– means eat

Warrukathi kardi tharnili yulku.

Emus usually eat seeds.

warrukathi means emu, kardi means seeds, tharni– means eat and yulku means usually

Madla-yapa wangali-nga thudnhirnda.

Dingos howl at pre-dawn.

madla-yapa means dingo, wangali-nga means in the early morning and thudnhi– means howl

Reptiles

wabma

snake (general)

kurkaṟi

king brown snake, western brown

yurlkunangku

red bellied black snake, inland taipan

wadnangkani

carpet python

kapirri

goanna

pirinthi

perentie

kalta

shingleback lizard

kadni

frill-necked lizard

yuṟi-yuṟi

legless lizard

Example sentences:

Kurkaṟi yarirda-purru.

The king brown snake is poisonous.

kurkaṟi means king brown snake, yarirda means poison and the ending –purru means have

Yurlkunangku-aku thadlara-wanta.

Be fearful of the red bellied black snake.

yurlkungangku means red bellied black snake, the ending –aku means of and thadlara-wanta means frightened

Wadnangkani padniki.

Carpet pythons are no more.

wadnangkani means carpet python and padniki means finished

Maltyaki nhanhira.

Don’t see them anymore.

maltyaki means don’t and nhanhi– means see

NOTE: The carpet python is no longer seen on Arabana country, but they do live in other areas of Australia in reduced numbers.

Kapirri paru-paru malka-purru.

Goannas have yellow markings.

kapirri means goanna, paru-paru means yellow, malka means marks and the ending –purru means have

Anna Creek-inga yadla athu pirinthi nhanhika.

I saw a Perentie near Anna Creek.

pirinthi means perentie, the ending –nga means at, yadla means near, athu means I (erg.) and nhanhi– means see

Kalta nyilka-nyilka yukarnda.

The shingleback lizard moves slowly.

kalta means shingleback lizard, nyilka-nyilka means slowly and yuka– means go

Kadni padlyi-nga thangkarda.

The frill-necked lizard lives in flat, open spaces.

kadni means frill-necked lizard, padlyi means wide, flat, the ending –nga means in and thangka– means being, existing

Birds

paya

bird (general)

kataṟangka

white cockatoo, corella

karraṟawaṟa

wedge tailed eagle (black chest)

karraṟa

wedge tailed eagle (golden colouring)

thuwi-thuwi, tyuwi-tyuwi

seagull, tern

kirki

peregrine falcon

kukungka

common kite

marruthili

mountain duck (slightly bigger than a black duck, very shy with white on its feathers)

marriṟi

black duck

kuti

swan

wakarla

crow

wanthara

pelican

yatyaparra

zebra finch

murlapara

top-knot pigeon

parraka-thakali

sacred kingfisher

parraka-ngarrili

red-backed kingfisher

karlanthara

bush turkey

urru

a type of egret/crane

karlamantyaṟa

white-faced heron

purkalyu

brolga

NOTE: the two kingfisher names parraka-thakali and parraka-ngarrili have really interesting meanings behind them. thaka– means ‘hit’ and refers to how the sacred kingfisher pecks out a nest for itself in the cliffs. ngarri- means ‘fly’ and refers to how the red-backed kingfisher is more often seen flying around over the flats rather than on the cliffs.

Example sentences:

Kataṟangka irtya-nhuka.

The corella is noisy.

kataṟangka means corella, irtya means noise and the ending –nhuka means a lot of

Karraṟawaṟa ararda-warra ngarrirnda.

The eagle is flying up very high.

karraṟawaṟa means eagle, ararda means high, the ending –warra means direction and ngarri– means fly

Thuwi-thuwi tyalpa anthunha widnhika.

The seagull stole my food.

thuwi-thuwi means seagull, tyalpa means food, anthunha means my and widnhi– means steal

Insects and Fish

thipa-thipa

insect (general)

parru

fish (general), bony bream

nguṟi-nguṟi

fly

karla-pintyi-pintyi

butterfly

ngapa wiyarra

dragonfly (one species)

tyintyintyila

dragonfly (one species)

maṟangkara

spider

Example sentences:

Nguṟi-nguṟi nhuka Finniss-inga maṟutya-nga.

There are a lot of flies in Finniss Springs in the summer.

nguṟi-nguṟi means fly, nhuka means many, the ending –nga means in, maṟutya means summer

Kapirri thipa-thipa tharnirnda.

Goannas eat insects.

kapirri means goanna, thipa-thipa means insects and tharni– means eat