Dharawal

Dharawal is part of the Yuni-Kuric branch of the Pama-Nyungan language family. It is spoken in New South Wales in the southeast of Australia, and there were just 27 speakers in 2016. The Dharawal people traditionally lived along the coast of the Sydney Basin between Botany Bay and Jervis Bay.

Dharawal is also known as Tharawal, Thurawal or Wodiwodi. It was the first Aboriginal Australian language to be heard and documented by Europeans in the 1770s. Although Dharawal is traditionally an oral language, there are ways to write it with the Latin alphabet.

The Dharawal Language Program was started in 2001 to revitalize the language. It is based on work carried out by Dharawal people from the 1980s to document and preserve the language. There are Dharawal language classes for young children and their parents, and learning materials are being produced.

Dharawal alphabet and pronunciation

Dharawal alphabet and pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Dharawal (Excel)
Details of the Dharawal alphabet provided by Wolfram Siegel

Sample sentences

Yandahangal dharagang wayagari.
Lets go to the river for a look.

Nandara mudjaribulali ngabanhay.
See the canoes, mother is there.

Ma ma ngabanarayu yandhara.
Hurry, hurry go to your mother.

Yay baabamara, djadjamara, mamangmaranhay garamawulali dhanj ngawawula.
Hey, there is my dad, brother and sister carrying bags of fish.

Mudjaridha dhalibawangi ngurayu yandhanjang.
We get into the canoe, we go home.

Nandawanjing.
See ya later.

Source: https://www.dharawalwords.com.au/language

Videos in and about Dharawal

Links

Information about Dharawal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharawal_language
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/tbh/
https://www.dharawalwords.com.au/
https://dharawalstories.com/dharawal-dictionary/
https://collection.aiatsis.gov.au/austlang/language/S59
https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/thur1254

Pama-Nyungan languages

Alyawarr, Arrernte, Bundjalung, Dharawal, Dhuwal, Diyari, Djabugay, Djinang, Djinba, Gamilaraay, Gooniyandi, Gugadja, Guugu Yalandji, Guugu Yimithirr, Kala Lagaw Ya, Kalkatungu, Kaurna, Kuku Nyungkal, Kunjen, Kuuk Thaayorre, Lamalama, Martu Wangka, Ngaanyatjarra, Ngiyambaa, Nhangu, Noongar, Paakantyi, Pintupi, Pitjantjatjara, Warlpiri, Wemba Wemba, Wik-Mungkan, Wiradjuri, Yankunytjatjara, Yindjibarndi, Yolŋu

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 12.07.23. Last modified: 12.07.23

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