The traditional lands of the Yugambeh people are located in southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales.

The words and phrases below were collected 108 years ago by Bulumm (John Allen), a Yugambeh man who lived and worked in the Tamborine–Canungra region.

With thanks to the Yugambeh Museum, Language and Heritage Research Centre.

Pronouncation tips:

  • Every letter is sounded.
  • The vowels are pronounced as in Italian, the consonants mainly as in English.
  • Words consisting of two syllables when ending in a vowel are accented on the first syllable; when ending in a consonant the two syllables are equally sounded. Words of three syllables generally have the accent on the first syllable, with a secondary accent on the last syllable if the word ends in a consonant. In words with vowel endings the accent is often on the penultimate.

COMMON WORDS

and
I
ours
they
us
we
you

ya
ngaio
ngullina
tunnebei
ngullingi
ngulli
bullei

FAMILY MEMBERS

mother
father
daughter
son
grandfather
grandmother
brother (older)
brother (younger)
sister (older) 
sister (younger)
aunt
uncle
cousin (male) 
cousin (female)

waijung
biung
muyumgunn
muyum
nyajung
kumi
kagohn
banam
nanang
yilgahn
maren
kauung
gujarong
gujarongunn

NUMBERS

one
two
three
four
five

yabru
bula
bulayabru
bulabula
dunngunn

EMOTIONS

calm
dream
funny
happy
sad
sorry
love
 

durungul
bareibunn
munyungmunyung
yalburu
gijeri
gijeri
gumera

ANATOMY

arm
body
ear
eye
foot
hair
hand
head
heart
knee
leg
nose
shoulder 

moburra
bungbung
gurin
jenung
guhr
dunngunn
baul
dulgo
jolonga
mamon
yilnahn
warahn
yulung

ANIMALS

cockatoo (black)
cockatoo (white)
dingo
echidna
eagle
eel
fish
kangaroo
koala
lizard
magpie
platypus
possum
shark
snake
turtle
wallaby

baleirei
geria
ngurun
buneen
mibunn
jurun
murun
jalumm
muni
borobi
ngaurm
kulamburum
wajin
guran
bowai
dirun
pigin
karil

NATURE

cloud
grass
ground (as earth)
leaf
light (from fire)
light (from sun)
lightning
moon
open country
rain
river
sand
sea
sky
star
sun
thunder
water
wet
wind
wood

jungun
ijun
chagun
worong
talngai
yalnun
chungunn
gibumm
buggeiri
gwong
ballun
yarong           
borrogura
ngorung
goromgunn
nyunga
muggera
gwong
yabang
yarga
tallei