Region Victoria Extinct (date missing) Glottolog woiw1237 | Ethnicity Wurundjeri ISO 639-3 wyi | |
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Language family Pama–Nyungan
Kulinic
Kulin
Wuy-wurrung
Woiwurrung | ||
Woiwurrung (sometimes spelt Woiwurrong, Woiworung, Wuywurung) is an Indigenous Australian language spoken by the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation of Central Victoria, from Mount Baw Baw in the east to Mount Macedon, Sunbury and Gisborne in the west. The language remains, but is not widely known or spoken due to the impact of colonisation.
Contents
The Woiwurrung clans inhabited the Yarra River, called Birrarung in Woiwurrung, before European displacement. Each tribe has its own distinct territory and boundary usually determined by waterways. The clans include:
Although not all Woiwurrung descendants and Woiwurrung speakers are descendents of the Wurundjeri people, Wurundjeri has become one of the common terms used today for descendants of all the Woiwurrung tribes, as they were forced together for the survival of their ethnic group. Their totems are Bunjil the eagle and Waa the crow.
The Jindyworobak Movement claimed to have taken their name from a Woiwurrung phrase jindi worobak meaning to annex or join.
Consonants
It is not clear if the two rhotics are trill and flap, or tap and approximant.
Pronouns
In the case of the Woiwurrung pronouns, the stem seems to be the standard ngali (you and I), but the front was suffixed to wa-, so wa+ngal combines to form wangal below.
Translation of the words