Language links

These web pages are aimed at providing links to some of the great resources that are available, as well as some wonderful stories about the work that different groups are doing around Australia.

Language links

Annual or biennial events

The following events happen annually or biennually. If you or your organisation holds an event related to Indigenous language, let us know and we can list it here!

Community organisations

Governmental organisations and publications

The following pages provide information on a mixture of policies, funding and general information around the area of Indigenous languages in Australia.

Indigenous language in the media

Indigenous language related blogs

The links below take you to a range of blogs focused on the either Indigenous language projects themselves, or the experiences of speakers, linguists and other people involved in language work around the region.

International language links

Learning an Australian Aboriginal language at University

The University Languages Portal Australia (ULPA) provides excellent information on opportunities to study Australian Indigenous languages at a tertiary level: see the summary on their Where can I study an Indigenous Australian language? web page. Most of the courses listed with ULPA have some form of cross-institutional study available.

The six Indigenous languages currently taught around Australia are:

Online resources

This is a collection of web-based resources which are created around a specific theme or topic.

Iltyem-iltyem - an online resource for sign languages used in Indigenous communities in Central Australia. This site contains several hundred video clips of signs for public view. The project was piloted by members of the sign language team from Ti Tree in Central Australia.The website is for people who want to teach and learn Central Australian sign languages. It will also help people learn spoken language, as most of the video clips contain sign language and speech together.

Austkin database - this website provides access the austkin database, which contains reference to kinship terminologies and social category systems from published and archival sources for over 607 Australian Aboriginal languages. The website can be used to search and map kinship terms in a variety of ways, and contains a large number of resources relating to kinship in Australian Aboriginal languages.

Wadeye Song Database - this database documents the history, language and music of public songs and dances composed and performed at Wadeye (also known as Port Keats) in Australia's Northern Territory. It focuses on three songsets of Murriny Patha people: djanba, wurltjirri and malgarrin. Also included is information on other public songs performed in the Wadeye area, including lirrga and wangga.

Researching Australian Aboriginal languages

The following websites are a great starting point for researching Australian Indigenous languages:

  • AUSTLANG - searchable database which assembles information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages from a number of sources
  • OZBIB - bibliography of published works and theses on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages
  • Aboriginal languages - a list of links compiled by linguist David Nash
  • Aboriginal Languages of Australia - a list of annotated links to resources compiled by digital language resource developer, David Nathan
  • Australian Society for Indigenous Languages - materials produced by the Summer Institute of Linguistics Bible translators
  • Australian Linguistic Society - the national organisation for linguists and linguistics in Australia

RUIL's 'word posts' project: resources

The Research Unit for Indigenous Language strives to increase community awareness of the incredible linguistic diversity found in Australia by featuring images of different things (generally nouns), and their words in various Indigenous languages. Our ‘word posts’ appear every three days, and can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by following us @indiglang. Here is an example:

image of clouds with words in four Indigenous langauges (Wambaya, Yindjibarnd, Alywarr and Kukatja)

The languages

We source the words for these posts from a variety of print and online dictionaries. Below is a list of the languages we’ve featured and the resources used to date in this project. If you would like us to include another language in this list, please get in touch and let us know the language and its resource!

Alyawarr: Blackman, D., and Moore, D. 2004. Alyawarr picture dictionary. Alice Springs, N.T: IAD Press

Bilinarra: Meakins, F. 2013. Bilinarra to English dictionary. Batchelor, N.T: Batchelor Press

Bundjalung: Macquarie Aboriginal Words. 1994

Burrara: Glasgow, K. 2012. Burarra Interactive Dictionary

Central Anmatyerr: Green, Jenny. 2003. Central Anmatyerr picture dictionary. Alice Springs, N.T.: IAD Press

Dalabon: Evans, N., Merlan, F., Tukumba, M. and Maningrida Arts and Culture. 2004. A first dictionary of Dalabon (Ngalkbon). Maningrida, N.T: Maningrida Arts and Culture

Dätiwuy: Macquarie Aboriginal Words. 1994

Dharug / Eora: Macquarie Aboriginal Words. 1994

Diyari: Macquarie Aboriginal Words. 1994

Eastern Arrernte: Macquarie Aboriginal Words. 1994

Gooniyandi: Macquarie Aboriginal Words. 1994

Gumbaynggirr: Morelli, S. 2008. Gumbaynggirr dictionary and learner’s grammar =: Gumbaynggirr bijaarr jandaygam, ngaawa gugaarrigam. Nambucca Heads, N.S.W: Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative

Gurindji: Meakins, F. 2013. Gurindji to English dictionary. Batchelor, N.T: Batchelor Press

Gurr-goni: Green, R. and Nimbadja, L. 2015. Gurr-goni to English dictionary.

Kaantju: Thompson, D. 1998. ‘Lockhart River “Sand Beach” Language an outline of Kuuku Ya’u and Umpila’. Darwin. N.T: Summer Institute of Linguistics

Kaurna: Macquarie Aboriginal Words. 1994

Kriol: Online Kriol dictionary

Kukatja: Valiquette, H. 1993. A basic Kukatja to English dictionary. Balgo, W.A: Luurnpa Catholic School

Kundedjnjenghmi: Bininj Gun Wok names for plants and animals

Kundjeyhmi: Bininj Gun Wok names for plants and animals

Kune / Mayali: Bininj Gun Wok names for plants and animals

Kuninjku: Bininj Gun Wok names for plants and animals

Kunwinjku: Bininj Gun Wok names for plants and animals

Kuuku Ya’u: Thompson, D. 1998. ‘Lockhart River “Sand Beach” Language an outline of Kuuku Ya’u and Umpila’. Darwin. N.T: Summer Institute of Linguistics

Marra: Heath, J. 1981. Basic Materials in Mara: Grammar, Texts and Dictionary, The Australian National University, Canberra

Mawng: Online Mawng dictionary

Meryam Mir: Macquarie Aboriginal Words. 1994

Murrinhpatha: Macquarie Aboriginal Words. 1994

Narungga: In Narungga aboriginal progress association (Maitland, Australie). 2006. Nharangga warra: Narungga dictionary. Maitland: Narungga aboriginal progress Association

Ngandi: Heath, J. M. 1978. Ngandi grammar, texts, and dictionary. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies

Ngiyampaa: Macquarie Aboriginal Words. 1994

Nhanda: Blevins, J. 2001. Nhanda: An Aboriginal language of Western Australia. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press

Nyungar: Macquarie Aboriginal Words (1994) and Whitehurst, R. (1997). Noongar to English Dictionary. Perth, W.A: Noongar Language and Culture Centre

Barkindji / Paakantyi: Macquarie Aboriginal Words. 1994

Pitjantjatjara / Yankunytjatjara: Goddard, C. and Institute for Aboriginal Development (Alice Springs, N.T.). 1992. Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara to English dictionary. Alice Springs, N.T: Institute for Aboriginal Development

Torres Strait Creole: Macquarie Aboriginal Words (1994)

Umpila: Thompson, D. 1998. ‘Lockhart River “Sand Beach” Language an outline of Kuuku Ya’u and Umpila’. Darwin. N.T: Summer Institute of Linguistics

Wagiman: Wagiman online dictionary 1999-2001. AIATSIS

Wambaya: Nordlinger. 1998. Wambaya Dictionary (unpublished manuscript)

Wembawemba: Macquarie Aboriginal Words. 1994

Wik Mungkan: Macquarie Aboriginal Words. 1994

Wiradjuri: Macquarie Aboriginal Words (1994) and Grant, Stan and Rudder, John (2010) A new Wiradjuri Dictionary. O’Connor, ACT: Restoration House

Yindjibarndi: Macquarie Aboriginal Words. 1994

Yolŋu Matha: Yolnu Matha Dictionary

Images

We source the images for these posts from a variety of free online image databases, which release images free of copyright or licencing restrictions. These include sources such as Pixabay website and Pexels website.

However, sometimes these sources just don’t showcase (enough) the incredible wildlife that Australia has to offer. In these cases, we are helped out by people sharing their own photos with the project. Many thanks to RUIL team members Brighde Collins and Jennifer Green, and to Flickr user Duncan McCaskill. Please get in touch with us if you would like to contribute!