2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages: Word of the Week - Week Forty-Two.
By administrator | 15 October 2019
As part of State Library's commitment to the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages, we will be promoting a 'word of the week' from one of the 125+ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and dialects from across Queensland.
To coincide with World Food Day on 16 October, this week's word is bana wudhula from the Yilba language of Cape River catchment in North Queensland. It means 'full of food'!
World Food Day calls for action across sectors to make healthy and sustainable diets affordable and accessible to everyone. This year's theme highlights how dramatic diets have change as a result of globalization, urbanization and other factors.
Yilba is also known as Ilba, Jilba, Yukkaburra, Yuckaburra and Mootha-burra - the last three names are believed to be clan or dialect names. Yilba was spoken on the Cape River catchment and took in the localities of Pentland, Natal Downs and is related to the Biri chain of languages. There are some historical wordlists from the 1800's including the above list published in Curr.
Recent work on Yilba and the Biri language chain has been undertaken by Terrill and Breen. Join the conversation as we post a new word for each week!
Week Forty-Two 15-21 October 2019.
#slqIYIL #IYIL2019 #IYIL #IY2019WordoftheWeek #SLQIndigenousLanguages
Desmond Crump
Indigenous Languages Coordinator, State Library of Queensland
State Library of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Webpages
State Library of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Map
Jarjum stories: A kuril dhagun showcase focusing on children’s books and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. Opens 19 October 2019-10 May 2020.
Spoken: celebrating Queensland languages: A major exhibition exploring the survival and revival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages throughout Queensland. Join in the many talks and events to celebrate the rich and diverse languages spoken today. Opens 21 November 2019-19 April 2020.
UN IY2019 Links
UN International Year of Indigenous Languages webpages
UN International Year of Indigenous Languages Resources
References
The word of the week has been sourced from the following item in the State Library collections.
Source: Terrill, A. (1998) Biri. J 499.15 TER
Further Reading
Other materials in the State Library collections relating to Yilba and neighbouring languages, including Biri include the following:
Breen, G. (2009) “The Biri dialects and their neighbours”. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, V133, No.2. SER 506.942
Chatfield, W. (1874). "Yuckaburra dialect". Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland Journal, Vol. 3. pp 261-264. Access online via One Search.
Curr, E. M. (1887) The Australian Race: its origins, languages, customs, place of landing in Australia and the routes by which it spread itself over that continent. RBF 572.994 cur
Roth, W. E. (1910) "Social and individual nomenclature", North Queensland Ethnography Bulletin 18. Records of the Australian Museum 8(1):79-106. NAT 306.089 ROT
Terrill, A. (1998) Biri. J 499.15 TER
Tindale, N. B. (1974) Aboriginal Tribes of Australia: Their Terrain, Environmental Controls, Distribution, Limits and Proper Names. Q 994.0049915 tin
Weblinks
North Queensland Regional Aboriginal Corporation Language Centre
World Food Day website
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