Yuwibara | Body Parts

Keeping the local Mackay indigenous language alive is very important for the young ones. Says Gary Mooney a traditional elder of the Yuwibara people of Mackay.

In this video Gary talks through the body parts in traditional Yuwibara Language.

“We nearly lost it here and now it’s coming back it’s important to teach it to the school kids’ says Gary.

Gary and other local leaders from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities came together for two days of local language workshops held by Desmond Crump the Indigenous Languages Researcher for the State Library of Queensland.

During the workshop Des showcased the variety of language resources available through the state library, what other communities are achieving with language and called on local leaders to encourage the community to share their memory of language from this region.
Yuwibara Body Parts

Beard = Ngunga pronounced – Noong-ah

Blood = Gooma pronounced – Goo-mah

Bone = Bulbun pronounced – Bull-boon

Ear = Walloo pronounced – Wal-loo

Eye = Dilli pronounced – Dill-ee

Foot = Dinna pronounced – Din-ah

Hair = Kowno pronounced – Cow-no

Hand = Mulla pronounced – Mull-ah

Head = Kutta pronounced – Koot-tah

Knee = Buhn pronounced – Boon

Leg = Toomo pronounced – Too-mow

Nose = Bootan pronounced – Boo-tun

Skin = Bitty pronounced – Bit-tee

Stomach = Bunna pronounced – Boon-ah

Teeth = Yirra pronounced – Year-rah

Tongue = Tallia pronounced – Tar-lee-ah

Listen to the radio package about the local indigenous language workshop held by Des Crump from the State Library of Queensland at the Gordon White Library Mackay.