The letters t, n, l and r can be written with a line underneath, called a retroflex. A retroflex on an n, l or t tells us to curl our tongue back slightly in the mouth before pronouncing the letter. This produces a sound similar to an r sound.
The Aboriginal name for Ayers Rock is Uluru.
Uluru is a Yankunytjatjara word. Yankunytjatjara is the name of the Aboriginal people whose land Ayers Rock is located on.
Minyma - Woman. Kutjara - Two. Ngura - Place / camp / home.
The easiest way to start speaking Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara is to learn how to say hello. Our word for hello is 'palya'. In English it is pronounced to rhyme with 'cull-ya'. This is the best way to say hello when you're in the park, so give it a try when you meet Anangu during your visit.
In 2002 these names were reversed at the request of the Regional Tourism Association in Alice Springs and the rock took on the official name of Uluru / Ayers Rock, which it still has today. That means you can use either Uluru or Ayers Rock to refer to the rock.
Why you should use 'First Nations' People have used many terms for Australia's First Peoples. Early terms were utterly racist and remain offensive. Then 'Indigenous' was very popular before the politically more correct 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander' replaced it.
There is no one Aboriginal word that all Aborigines use for Australia; however, today they call Australia, ""Australia"" because that is what it is called today. There are more than 250 aboriginal tribes in Australia. Most of them didn't have a word for ""Australia""; they just named places around them.
Basically there is no phrase for thank you. Is a common greeting in outback NSW for aboriginals. But honestly, although your intentions are good, it is not expected and may not be appreciated. Perhaps it would be more prudent for you to ask a friendly aboriginal guide out that way, if you get a chance.
But as with many Aboriginal languages there's no simple way of saying goodbye in Wiradjuri. Traditionally, there was little use for such a term. The nearest word like that in Wiradjuri is guwayu – which means in a little while, later or after some time.
Aboriginal people refer to an Elder as 'Aunty' or 'Uncle'. However, it is recommended that non-Aboriginal people check the appropriateness of their use of these terms as referring to an Elder or leader as Aunty or Uncle may not be appropriate for an outsider unless a strong relationship has been established.
According to the beliefs of Indigenous people from central Australia and Arnhem Land, Mimi are mischievous and capricious spirits who are believed to possess mystical powers and to live forever. Mimi taught the first Indigenous people in western Arnhem Land how to hunt and paint, and are often consulted by the people.
Here's to the Sheilas
This week we shine a spotlight on a quintessential piece of Aussie slang, a word famous the world over: sheila. A sheila is a woman. In use since the 1830s, sheila has its origin in a generic use of the common Irish girl's name.
Pap(a) is also found as 'mother', mainly in Victoria. Other kinship roots (for grandparents) have been shown to have a split distribution with one root dominating in the east and one in the west for what is apparently a single proto-meaning.
"Koori" comes from the word gurri, meaning "man" or "people" in the Indigenous language Awabakal, spoken on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. On the far north coast of New South Wales, the term may still be spelt "goori" or "goorie" and pronounced with a harder "g".
Koori (or Koorie)
Koori is a term denoting an Aboriginal person of southern New South Wales or Victoria. 'Koori' is not a synonym for 'Aboriginal'. There are many other Aboriginal groups across Australia (such as Murri, Noongar, Yolngu) with which Indigenous Australians may identify themselves.
On 13 February 2008 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a formal apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly to the Stolen Generations whose lives had been blighted by past government policies of forced child removal and assimilation.
For a non-Aboriginal person, or an Aboriginal person who is not a descendant of that tribal land, acknowledging the local Aboriginal people as the Traditional Owners is a mark of respect. It is also respectful to acknowledge Elders past and present.
On 13 February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd offered a formal apology to Australia's Indigenous peoples, particularly the Stolen Generations, on behalf of the nation at Australian Parliament House. The Apology was presented as a motion for voting to the Chamber.
Bunji: Means friend/mate. Cooee: Is actually a widely used Aboriginal word that is often unknowingly used by non Indigenous people. But luckily they have been using the word correctly as the word means 'come here' in the Dharug language from the South Western areas of Sydney.
being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. identifying as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person. being accepted as such by the community in which you live, or formerly lived.
Gubbah, also spelt gubba, is a term used by some Aboriginal people to refer to white people or non-Aboriginal people. The Macquarie Dictionary has it as "n. Colloq. (derog.) an Aboriginal term for a white man".
The islands were settled by different seafaring Melanesian cultures such as the Torres Strait Islanders over 2500 years ago, and cultural interactions continued via this route with the Aboriginal people of northeast Australia.
'Nation', 'community', 'people', 'mob' or the local language or Page 3 culture group name is usually preferable to 'tribe'. 'Mob' is an Aboriginal English word and as such may be more appropriate, but community acceptance may be required before using this word.
Blackfella (also blackfellah, blackfulla, black fella, or black fellah) is an informal term in Australian English to refer to Indigenous Australians, in particular Aboriginal Australians, most commonly among themselves.