Turrbal language
Turrbal is an Aboriginal Australian language of the Turrbal people of the Brisbane area of Queensland.
Alternate spellings include Turubul, Turrubal, Turrabul, Toorbal, and Tarabul.
Classification
The four dialects listed in Dixon are sometimes seen as separate Durubalic languages, especially Jandai and Nunukul; Yagara, Yugarabul, and Turrbul proper are more likely to be considered dialects. Turrbal has been variously classified as a language, group of languages or as a dialect of another language. F. J. Watson classifies Turrbal as a sub group of Yugarabul , which is most likely the language Yagara . Norman Tindale uses the term Turrbal to refers to speakers of the language of Yagara . John Steele classifies Turrbal as a language within the Yagara language group. R. M. W. Dixon classifies Turrbal as a dialect of the language of Yagera, in the technical linguistic sense where mutually intelligible dialects are deemed to belong to a single language. Bowern considers Turrbal to be one of five languages of the "Turubulic" language group, the others being Nunukul, Yaraga, Janday and Guwar.Phonology
Consonants
- Stop sounds may also be heard as voiceless.
Vowels
- Vowel length is also distinctive.
- A lax /a/ can also be heard as .
Vocabulary
- Bigi: sun
- Binung: ear
- Bugwal: wallaby
- Buneen: echidna
- Bangil / bungil: grass
- Buhn: knee
- Buyu: shin
- Deear : teeth
- Dhagun: land
- Dhambur : mouth
- Dharang: leg
- Dhiggeri: belly / stomach
- Dinna: foot
- Dyrrbin: bone
- Gahm: head
- Giga: shoulder
- Gurumba bigi: good day
- Gujah / guttah: snake
- Gagarr / guyurr: fish
- Juhrram: rain
- Juwahduwan / juwahnduwan / juwanbinl: bird
- Killen: finger
- Kundul: canoe
- Marra: hand
- Dumbirrbi / marrambi: koala
- Mil: eye / eyes
- Guruman / murri: kangaroo
- Muru: nose
- Nammul: children
- Nggurrun: neck
- Ngumbi: home / camp
- Tahbil: water
- Towan: fish
- Tullei: tree
- Waiyebba: arm
- Wunya: welcome / greetings
- Yilam: forehead