Our Languages
The Aboriginal languages of eastern Australia, specifically in the region stretching from Southeast Queensland (SEQ) to Bundaberg, encompass a variety of fascinating languages, including Yugambeh, Yuggera, Wakka Wakka, Kabi Kabi, Jandai and more.
One remarkable aspect of Aboriginal languages is their distinct phonetics and grammatical structures. They feature sounds that differ from those found in English, and even incorporate distinct nasal sounds, which are rare in many other languages. Each language has its own set of sounds and rules governing their combination to form words and sentences.
What makes these languages particularly special is the wealth of cultural knowledge and historical significance woven into their fabric about their local Country^. They serve as vessels for conveying the stories, customs, and deep connections to the land that have been passed down through countless generations. These languages are intricately intertwined with the cultural identity of the Aboriginal communities, acting as invaluable tools for preserving and sharing their heritage.
These languages encompass intricate systems for expressing relationships and connections. They possess specific words or structures dedicated to describing family ties, kinship, and the profound connections Aboriginal communities hold with their ancestral lands. Such linguistic intricacies reflect the profound bond these communities maintain with their environment, emphasizing the importance of community and familial relationships.
It is crucial to acknowledge, however, that many of these Aboriginal languages are endangered of being lost due to historical factors such as colonisation, forced assimilation, and the dominance of English. Recognising the cultural significance and the inherent value these languages hold for future generations, efforts are being made to revitalise and preserve them.
^ Country in an Aboriginal-English context has an interesting and complex social, cultural, and linguistic meaning.
Modern efforts are built on the work of generations of language keepers within and outside of Aboriginal Communities. The languages serviced by the South East Queensland Indigenous Language Centre have been extensively documented and studied by a multitude of experts, amateurs, locals, and Aboriginal people themselves.
Click a language to read about some of the prior research:
Yugambeh
The documentation on Yugambeh began with early European explorers and settlers recording their interactions with the local Indigenous communities. These records provided valuable insights into the language, although they often reflected the biases and limited understanding of the time.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, linguistic scholars such as Archibald Meston, John Mathew, and A.R. Radcliffe-Brown conducted research on the Yugambeh language. Their work included wordlists, grammatical descriptions, and ethnographic observations. These early studies laid the foundation for understanding the structure and vocabulary of Yugambeh.
In recent decades, efforts to document and revitalise the Yugambeh language have been led by Indigenous community members, linguists, and language revitalisation programs. These efforts have included the creation of dictionaries, grammars, and teaching materials, as well as the establishment of language revitalization initiatives and language nests.
Explore the historical Wordlists & the Figures behind them below
Joe Culham was a Mununjali man living at Woodenbong Aboriginal Station when he recorded his language with Margaret Cunningham, who produced ‘The Yugumbir dialect of Bandjalang’ in 1968.
Billy Drumley (c.1858 - 1950) and his wife Mary Sandy and daughter Ida. Drumley provided a list of words to John McGrath of Veresdale shortly before his passing.
Jenny Graham née Drumley (c.1860 - 194?) was the sister of Billy Drumley. She was well known by W.E. Hanlon, a local publican who referred to her as ‘Mrs. Andy G’ and published a list of her people’s words in his reminiscences.
Edward Micklethwaite Curr (1820-1889) wrote ‘The Australian Race: Its Origins, Languages, Customs’ in 1886. Over a decade, Curr corresponded with squattors, pastorlists, policemen, and government officials to compile lists of language throughout Australia.
John Allen, a.k.a. Bullum (1850-1933) was a member of the local Wangerriburra clan, and in 1913, with Jimboomba schoolteacher John Lane, he wrote a ‘Grammar, Vocabulary, and Notes of the Wangerriburra Tribe’ .
William Duncan was a cedar-getter and early settler of the Tweed and Numinbah districts. A fluent language speaker, Duncan passed language to his non-Indigenous descendants. His great-granddaughter, Joan Rudd, recorded a list of Yugambeh language known by the family in the early 2000s.
Frederic James Watson of Toowong, wrote ‘Vocabularies of Four Representative Tribes of South Eastern Queensland’ in 1944, which included a dictionary of Yugumbir. Watson wrote often into the paper about Aboriginal language and knew Billy Drumley and Billy Brown (Dilberigam) of Beaudesert.
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The documentation on Yuggera began with early European explorers and settlers recording their interactions with the local Indigenous communities. These records provided valuable insights into the language, although they often reflected the biases and limited understanding of the time.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, linguistic scholars such as Archibald Meston, Thomas Hardcastle, and Eipper conducted research on the Yuggera language. Their work included wordlists, grammatical descriptions, and ethnographic observations. These early studies laid the foundation for understanding the structure and vocabulary of Yuggera.
In recent decades, efforts to document and revitalise the Yuggera language have been led by Indigenous community members, linguists, and language revitalisation programs. These efforts have included the creation of dictionaries, grammars, and teaching materials, as well as the establishment of language revitalization initiatives and language nests.
Yuggera
Explore the historical Wordlists & the Figures behind them below
Frederic James Watson of Toowong, wrote ‘Vocabularies of Four Representative Tribes of South Eastern Queensland’ in 1944, which included a dictionary of Yagarapul
Eipper was an early German missionary in the 1840’s, he wrote a brief list of Aboriginal language from the Amity Point area.
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The documentation on Turrubul began with early European explorers and settlers recording their interactions with the local Indigenous communities. These records provided valuable insights into the language, although they often reflected the biases and limited understanding of the time.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, linguistic scholars such as Archibald Meston, William Eipper, and Andrew Petrie conducted research on the Turrubul language. Their work included wordlists, grammatical descriptions, and ethnographic observations. These early studies laid the foundation for understanding the structure and vocabulary of Turrubul.
In recent decades, efforts to document and revitalise the Turrubul language have been led by Indigenous community members, linguists, and language revitalisation programs. These efforts have included the creation of dictionaries, grammars, and teaching materials, as well as the establishment of language revitalization initiatives and language nests.
Turrubul
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The documentation on Jandai began with early European explorers and settlers recording their interactions with the local Indigenous communities. These records provided valuable insights into the language, although they often reflected the biases and limited understanding of the time.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, linguistic scholars such as Archibald Meston, Thomas Welsby, and George Watkins conducted research on the Jandai language. Their work included wordlists, grammatical descriptions, and ethnographic observations. These early studies laid the foundation for understanding the structure and vocabulary of Jandai.
In recent decades, efforts to document and revitalise the Jandai language have been led by Indigenous community members, linguists, and language revitalisation programs. These efforts have included the creation of dictionaries, grammars, and teaching materials, as well as the establishment of language revitalization initiatives and language nests.
Jandai
Explore the historical Wordlists & the Figures behind them below
Thomas Welsby (1858-1941) was from Ipswich, and his ‘Recollections of the Natives of Moreton Bay. Together with some of their names and Customs of Living’ featured a wordlist of local language.
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The documentation on Wakka Wakka began with early European explorers and settlers recording their interactions with the local Indigenous communities. These records provided valuable insights into the language, although they often reflected the biases and limited understanding of the time.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, linguistic scholars such as Archibald Meston, John Mathews, and Nils Holmer conducted research on the Wakka Wakka language. Their work included wordlists, grammatical descriptions, and ethnographic observations. These early studies laid the foundation for understanding the structure and vocabulary of Wakka Wakka.
In recent decades, efforts to document and revitalise the Wakka Wakka language have been led by Indigenous community members, linguists, and language revitalisation programs. These efforts have included the creation of dictionaries, grammars, and teaching materials, as well as the establishment of language revitalization initiatives and language nests.
Wakka Wakka
Explore the historical Wordlists & the Figures behind them below
Robert Hamilton Mathews (1841–1918) was an Australian surveyor and self-taught anthropologist who wrote ‘The two Representative Tribes of Queensland’
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