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.

State Library's 'word of the week' for Week Twenty-Four is waringh waringh pronounced wad-ingh wad-ingh], from the Gidhabal language of the Warwick region. It originally was a placename reference for the Warwick area and means 'a cold place'; a timely reminder of the onset of cold weather to Southern Queensland.

Gidhabal is also written as Githabul, Kitabal, Gidabal, etc. and is part of the Bundjalung chain of languages from Northern New South Wales and straddles the Queensland-New South Wales border. The language map below is from Geytenbeek (1971) shows the location of Gidhabal and neighbouring dialects.

Margaret Sharpe and Brian & Helen Geytenbeek have undertaken extensive linguistic work on Gidhabal and some of their published research is held in the State Library collections. Sharpe's and Geytenbeek's sound recordings of Gidhabal speakers are held at AIATSIS.

Gidhabal is undergoing revival across the region - the 2006 ABS Census indicated there were approximately 20 speakers using Gidhabal as a community language. However, the Gidhabal language is still considered endangered and community efforts are supported across Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales. In particular, the Yugambeh Museum and Language Heritage Centre at Beenleigh and Muurrbay Language Centre based at Nambucca Heads support the Bundjalung chain of languages across the region.

State Library of Queensland invites you to celebrate the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages as we raise awareness of the rich diversity of Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

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

Week Twenty-Four 11 - 17 June 2019.

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

Sources: This week's word of the week has been sourced from the following items in the State Library collections.

Parsons, D. (2003) Waringh Waringh: a history of Aboriginal people in the Warwick area and their land.  J 305.89915099433 PAR

Geytenbeek, B. and H. (1971) Gidabal Grammar and Dictionary. Q 499.15 gey

Image:
The Footbridge, Queens Park, Condamine River, Warwick. JOL Image No.
APE-033-01-0004

Further Reading
Other materials in the State Library collections relating to Gidhabal and neighbouring languages include the following:

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

Geytenbeek, B. and H. (1971) Gidabal Grammar and Dictionary. Q 499.15 gey

Sharpe, M. (1995) 2nd edn, Dictionary of Western Bundjalung, including Gidhabal and Tabulam Bundjalung. Q 499.15 sha

Sharpe, M. (1998) An introduction to Bundjalung language and its dialects. Q 499.15 SHA

Sharpe, M. (1998) Dictionary of Yugambeh, including neighbouring dialects, compiled by Margaret Sharpe from various sources: Pacific Linguistics C-139. G 499.15 1998

Wafer, J. and Lissarrague, A. (2008) A handbook of Aboriginal languages of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. J 499.15 WAF

Website:

Muurrbay Language Centre: Interactive Bundjalung-Yugambeh Dictionary.