2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages: Word of the Week - Week Ten.

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.

IYIL2019 Word of the Week: Week 10.

This week’s word is bonyi , from the Barunggam language of Dalby and the Bunya Mountains. This word refers to the tree (Araucaria bidwillii), the nut and the gathering held every three years in the Bunya Mountains!

Bunya pines at Bunya Mountains, ca. 1935. Image Number APA-060-01-0034.

Aboriginal groups from across Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales would travel to the Bunya Mountains and feast on the bunya nuts as well as share in celebrations.

Fruit from the Bunya Pine tree. Image Number: 7868-0001-0015

There was also a bonyi festival on the Blackall Ranges in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. The bunya nuts came into season between January and February on the coast; however, the colder climate in the Bunya Mountains meant the season was at it fullest during March. Each cone would hold 50-100 nuts and are best roasted.

Aboriginal Dialects of Queensland, Barlow (1873).

In terms of language, there is only minimal linguistic work undertaken on Barunggam and neighbouring languages of the Bunya Mountains. Harriet Barlow whose family lived at Warkon Station via Roma documented wordlists across the Darling Downs from the 1860's - the State Library collections has the Harriet Barlow Manuscript which forms the basis for her work "The Aboriginal Dialects of Queensland"; while recent work includes Holmer.

Join the conversation as we post a new word for each week!

Week Ten 5-11 March 2019.

#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

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 historical item in the State Library collections.

Source: Harriet Barlow Manuscript, ca 1865 OM91-69

Images:

Bunya pines at Bunya Mountains, ca. 1935. Image Number APA-060-01-0034

Fruit from the Bunya Pine tree. Image number: 7868-0001-0015 

Further Reading

Other materials in the State Library collections relating to Barunggam and neighbouring languages include the following:

Barlow, H. (1873) The Aboriginal dialects of Queensland. Online version available via One Search.

Condamine Alliance (2013) Languages of the Condamine: Schools Activity Guide. P 499.9915 LAN

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

Harriet Barlow Manuscript, ca 1865 OM91-69

Holmer, N. (1983) Linguistic Survey of South-Eastern Queensland.  J 499.15 HOL

Kerkhove, R. ( 2012) The Great Bunya Gathering: Early Accounts.  P 392.0994 KER

Kite, S. and Wurm, S. (2004) The Duungidjawu language of southeast Queensland: grammar, texts and vocabulary: Pacific Linguistics 553. J 499.15 KIT

L R Schwennesen Papers M 292

Meston, A. (undated) Archibald Meston Papers 1860-1960. OM64-17