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

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-One is yalobaga , from the Yuwibara language of Mackay. It means 'children' and coincides with Under 8s Week.

As part of Under 8's Week, the Yuwibara community of Mackay will be launching a resource kit for translating the popular children's story The Very Hungry Caterpillar. It will feature ideas and resources for community groups to work together with schools, kindergartens and public libraries to translate the story into local languages.

There are some simple language activities that can be undertaken as part of Under 8s week - schools, kindergartens and day care centres are encouraged to connect with their local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Hokey Pokey and other rhymes are always popular along with counting songs or games.

State Library has some great resources for young children in their collections, including community-created content such as the Cape Treasures above, which features animated stories from Cape York.

Don't forget to use the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language wordlists to see if there are local words for parts of the body, numbers, animals and other everyday words.

Link up with your First 5 Forever team for more ideas for celebrating Under 8s week. The above image is from a post on the First Five Forever website that features tips and ideas for using The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

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-One 21 - 27 May 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

References

The word of the week has been sourced from the following item in the State Library collections.

Source: Bridgeman, George F., and H. Bucas. (1887) “Port Mackay and its neighbourhood”. In The Australian Race: its origins, languages, customs, place of landing in Australia and the routes by which it spread itself over that continent. Vol. 3, pp 44-51. RBF 572.994 cur

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

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, H. L. (2009) The discovery and settlement of Port Mackay, Queensland: with numerous illustrations, charts and maps, and some notes on the natural history of the district. Q 994.36 ROT

Terrill, A. (1998) Biri. J 499.15 TER

Whitley, G. P. (1936) “Aboriginal names mostly of marine animals from North Queensland”, in Mankind, Vol. 2., No. 2. S 572 007