Words

Gija (click to sort) English (click to sort)
Yirrayin warrg-girrem. We all came to dance.
Yirrayin ranggagirrem. We all came to listen.
Yirrayin ngalany-girrem. We all came to sing.
Yirrayin lirrgarn-girrem. We all came to learn.
Yirrayin lerndji-girrem. We all came to write.
Yirrayin jarrag-girrem. We all came to talk.
Yirrayin jang-girrem. We all came to eat.
Yirrayin booroj-girrem. We all came to play.
yingajalil / yangajalil cabbage palm
Yilgoowoorroon-nga. I'm no good.
Yilgoowoorron-yarre. We're all no good.
yayiyangem yours and mine (speaker + listener)
yarriyangem ours
yarrern let's all do
yardem ear
Yangoorra? Who is this? / Who are these ones?
Yangirni? Who is he?
yanggi ask
Yangela? Who is she?
yambarram hair
yalamboorrmany saltwater crocodile
yaalji mist, dew
wiyarrel / garnanganyjal / ngarabarral emu
winyjiny spring, living water
wininim emu chicks
wiji run
wawooleny frillneck lizard, blanket lizard
warrg dance
Warrernben-yarre. We're all sick.
Warrernben-nga. I'm sick.
warrarnany eagle
warrambany flood water
Waroorroony Milky Way
warn'gan cold time
warlimarrgool - Boys must not say this. butterfly
wardal star
Waranyja. That's it / Done.
Waranggan! Hurry up!
Waranggan! Quick! Try harder!
wanyanyagem kids
wanyageny boy
wanggarnal crow
wangawool baby girl
wana-wana line up
wan'gil rifle
waloorrji wind
Walilig-yarre lerndij-girrem wanyanyagem. You all come in to learn kids.
walig go in
Thoowoorra-boorroo yarrayin? What did we all come here for?
Thoowoorra berrembi? What is this / What are these?
thoowerndem mouth
thawalam flower
tharriyarrel rainbow
thambarlam foot
thambarlam footprint, track
thamanyel/thamanyji maternal grandfather's sister, man's daughter's daughter / maternal grandfather, maternal grandfather's brother, man's daughter's son.
thalngarrji snappy gum
thalalam tongue
thad stand
Roord barrern ngaaloon. Sit down in the shade.
roord sit
Rangga barrern. You all listen.
Rangga barrern yardem-birri. You all listen with your ears.
rangga listen
ragim / raginy / ragil ant
nyoomboorroo nose
nyinyil / niyinyil finch
nyingangem yours
nyigawa / magarne tomorrow
ningerriyangem yours (plural listeners)
nhoonbam mud
ngoowan no
ngoorrngoorrgajil / ngoorrngoorrgalil / ngoorrngoorrool car, truck
Ngoorloog barrern. Drink, you mob.
ngoomooloo / ngoomoolji clouds
ngoolngabem husband and wife
Ngiyi-ma? Is that right?
ngiyi yes
Nginyjiny wanyaginy. This is a boy.
ngenhengbe red
ngenengga here
Ngelel wanyagel. This is a girl.
ngayawarle river sand
ngawoonyji pencil yam
ngarrngarrji bush lemongrass
ngarrgalem / ngarrgaleny stone, rock, hill, money
ngarem sugarbag from trees
ngarag make
ngaliyangem hers
ngali-ngalim melagawoom lots of women
ngali-ngalil woman
ngajiny brother
ngajil sister
ngageny-be that’s mine
ngaboony dad
ngaaloom shadow, shade
nawanji cave
narragawoom / nawarragawoom river
nanggarrg be quiet
nangari nangari
nang die
Nalijam yindiyinha. Get me some tea.
nalijam tea
moorloo eye
miyale / miyalji / miyalel meat, edible animal
mirli-mirlim book
minyjaarrany / minyjiwarrany bush plum
minybernem dry grass, grass
miloowoony / gerlerneny hill spinifex
merndam (paperbark, paper, banknotes), ngarrgalem (coins) money
mendoowoon at night, darkness
Men'gawoon-yarre. We're all good.
Men'gawoon-nga I'm good.
Men'gawoom wanyanyagem! Good kids!
men'gawoog fix, make good or better
Men'gawiya barrernha. Be safe.
melele smile
Mayim yindiyinha. Get me some feed.
mayim / mayiny / mayil food (non-meat), vegetables, fruit, bread
mayaroom lirrgarn-girrem classroom (building for learning) https://jarraggirrem.sharingstoriesfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-18-at-11.28.39-am.png
mayaroom / mayaroony house, building
maworroony / mawoorrool bloodwood
Marrge! Wait!
marranyji wiji-wiji dingo is running
marranyji dingo
Marra yarra. Let's all go.
Marra yarra mayim-boorroo. Let's all go for feed.
Marra yarra daa-yoorroong. Let's all go home.
Marra ngenardge. I'm going.
Marra ngenardge daa-yoorroong. I'm going home.
Marra biyarra. You go (one person).
Marra biyarr daa-yoorroong. You go home (one person).
Marra barriyi. You all go.
Marra barriyanynha daa-yoorroong. You all go home.
marnem fire, firewood
marlam hand
marl-marl flap wings, fly
manyjoorroo knee
manggerregerreny / man'gerregerreny / mangirrigirriny tata lizard
mangadany pen / pencil / sharpening stick
manambarram elders / bosses
manam bottom
malngirriny lightning
malalal / malwalal / barndel sun
magardal hat
loomboord lie guts down
lirrgarn-galeny male teacher
Lirrgarn-galen barrernha. Be learners.
lirrgarn-galel female teacher
lirn'girre / lirlmim fish scales, dry bark, shell (of egg or pupa) skin of bush onion
lendij write, read, pressure flake stone
lawoony lemonwood
lalanggarrany freshwater crocodile
labany / labal little corella
joowarrim / joowarriny / joowarril ghost, spirit, devil
joorroob walk in a line
joorndany / joorndam bush onion
joordoom dust
joonggoom elbow
joomooloony-ningi thawalam boab flower
joomooloony-ningi mayim boab fruit
joomooloony boab tree, boab nuts
joolany dog
joogoorrool bush orange
jiyirriny kangaroo
jiyiliny man
jiyilem melagawoom lots of men
jirri point, show
Jirrayan-yarre. We’re right.
Jirrayan-nga! I’m right.
Jirrayan-ma-noonggoo? You mob right?
Jirrayan-ma-ngoo? You right? (one person)
Jirrayam, biyarra. Alright you can go.
jirrayam alright
jiregam bird (any kind)
Jimarrilang barrernha-gili. Be friends.
jigirridji willie wagtail
jawoorrool / jawoorroony kookaburra
jawoonany cluster fig
jarrij / woobooj dig
jarrg jump
jarrambayiny goanna
jarragboo / jarragbe word, story, language
Jarrag-jaliny berne. Say it again.
Jarrag-jaliny berne-ngirri. Say it again to me.
Jarrag-jaliny berne-ngirri Gijam-birri. Say it again to me in Gija.
Jarrag-jaliny berne-ngirri gaardeya. Say it again to me slowly.
jarrag talk
jamerndel termite mound
jambinbaroony black bream
jadany rain
jadagen / jadagin rainy season
jabayiny / ganambiny peach leaf fig
goowoolem, goowooloom, goonyjam tree
goorreranggoolji magpie
goorrandal / goorrarndal brolga
Goorninyan-yarre. We're all hungry.
Goorninyan-nga. I'm hungry.
Goorninyan-ma-ngoo? Are you hungry? (one person)
Goorninya-n-yarre. We are hungry.
Goorninya-n-nga. I am hungry.
goorndarrim fish (any kind)
goorloom / goorngam water
goorara ask the spirits in country for help
gooral mum
goongooloo smoke
goolibil bush banana
goojim bone
goodam dance belt, hair belt
girndilji grasshopper
girli walk
girinyil katydid grasshopper
ginyginyel - Boys must not say this. red winged parrot
Gerrij-ma nanini? Are you finished? (one person)
Gerrij ngenayi. I'm finished.
gerrewool - Boys must not say this. mussel
gerlalbam leg, thigh, thigh bone
gerd cook on coals
gelengen now, today
gayirriny ground sugarbag
gawoorn / gawoornboo ash
gawarrem cliff, steep bank, range of steep hiills.
garrjany waterlily
garraroon / garrwaroon at sunset, afternoon
garn'giny moon
gardag / gardagboo cup, billycan, pannikin
ganggal mother's mother, woman's daughter's child, man's sister's daughter's child (female)
ganarram leaves, leafy branches
gamoom milk
gadij cut
Gaboo-ninggi yinginybe? / Gaboowa-ninggi yinginybe? What shall I call you? (What is your name?)
Gaardeya warrag barrern. Walk slowly you mob.
gaardeya slowly
doomoom head
dimanany / yawardany horse
deyana / ngoorroon there
derranel - Boys must not say this. black cockatoo
dayiwool barramundi
dayimbalji-ningi thawalam kurrajong flower
dawool black-headed python
daj / dalbarr smash
daam camp, home, country.
boorriyangem theirs/its (more than one neutral gender)
boorrg-boorrg clap
boorooj play
booloomanel cow
biyarr you go (one person)
Biyanygala. You come here. (one person)
Biyany-gala wooraj! Come here!
biyany you come (one person)
birrrid-birridel rainbow bee eater
birrinyji sky
birlirijgel / goorliyirrel peewee, magpie lark
biriyalji / maberany konkerberry
bin'girrbal turkey
Berrembi wanyanyagem. These are kids.
Berrembi nalijam. This is tea.
Berrembi mayim men'gawoom. This is good feed.
berenggarrji / goowarroolji / ngoorrwany / roonggoony white currant / Flueggea virosa
Barriyanynha-gili wanyanyagem. You all come here kids.
barrern you all do
barnden hot time
barnale / bambalam shoulder
barlanyi snake
barlabil / gerdadal bush coconut
bardiginy / baregel bush peanut
bananbe road, track
baljarranggool boomerang
baliyarram thigh
bajalarriny / balayarriny bucket
bagabal / gernanyjel echidna
baarnji spider
Aa gaagembi! Ah poor things!
'y' for yardem 'y'
'w' for wiyarrel 'w'
'th' for thambarlam 'th'
'rr' as in marranyji 'rr'
'rn' as in marnem 'rn'
'rl' as in moorloom 'rl'
'rd' as in wardel 'rd'
'r' for rangga 'r'
'oowoo' as in boowoorroogoo 'oowoo'
'oo' as in goorloom 'oo'
'ny' for nyoomboorroo 'ny'
'nh' for nharroogoo 'nh'
'ng' for ngarranggarni 'ng'
'n'g' as in garn'giny 'n'g'
'n' for nambin 'n'
'm' for magadany 'm'
'ly' as in goolyoolyool 'ly'
'l' for lalanggarany 'l'
'j' for joomooloony 'j'
'iyi' as in jiyirriny 'iyi'
'i' as in girli 'i'
'g' for gooral 'g'
'e' as in merrgenbem 'e'
'd' for darndal 'd'
'b' for barndel 'b'
'aa' as in daam 'aa'
'a' as in wanggarnal 'a'