Word Up

Meet Karina Lester and her daughter Larissa from Yankunytjatjara Country. Karina is Co-Manager & Senior Aboriginal Language Worker at The University of Adelaide’s Mobile Language Team and Larissa has her own language series online. They share the Yankunytjatjara word for meat, and explain the first language words they learnt.

Jane Edwards shares the Nyigina word for 'country'. 

The Kimberley region of Western Australia is the only place in the country where boab trees grow. Here, they are prolific. Our language legend Jane Edwards has been sharing Nyigina from her home in Derby in the west Kimberley region. Today, she shares the Nyigina word for the boab tree. 

Jane Edwards is in Derby in the west Kimberley sharing some of her language: Nyigina.  Last week, she shared the Nyigina word for a great-grandmother. This week, she’s focusing on a different family member.

Meet Jane Edwards in Derby in the west Kimberly. She’s our language legend this month. Today, Jane shares a Nyigina word that can describe someone’s daughter.  It’s also the word for a great-grandmother – who becomes a daughter to her great-grandchildren.

Kalkatungu is the language of the Mt Isa area, and Will Blackley has been working with a team to revitalise it. For his final time on Word Up, Will shares the Kalkatungu words he uses when there’s a storm brewing. 

Will Blackley live in the Mount Isa area on Kalkatungu Country.  But his life started on Palm Island.  He describes how he got to know his language when he wasn’t on Country, and shares the Kalakatungu word for kangaroo.

Will Blackley shares the Kalkatungu word for ‘fire’ and explains how the pronunciation of the language has shifted over time.

Will Blackley is part of a team of people working to revitalise Kalkatungu language in north-west Queensland. He's also our language legend on Word Up this month. Will shares the Kalkatungu name of a familiar constellation.

This month, Christine Anu has been sharing some of her maternal grandfather’s language – Kala Kawa Ya.  For her final time on Word Up, Christine shares a word she learned recently after her Uncle Michael Jenson Warusam-Waigana heard her on the radio. 

Christine Anu has been sharing some of her maternal grandfather’s language, Kala Kawa Ya. She's explained the significance of the 'waku' (a woven mat), and shared a word that means to roll out. This week, Christine shares a word that means to fold or roll up.

Christine Anu shares a Kala Kawa Ya word that means to roll out a woven mat.

Singer-songwriter Christine Anu shares the Kala Kawa Ya name for a woven mat: waku.

Christine Anu is a prolific Australian music icon. This month she's sharing some of her mother's language Kala Kawa Ya from the north-west region of the Torres Strait. Her first word is a welcoming word: sew ngapa.

Henry is a community broadcaster who lives and works on Nyul Nyul Country, in the Dampier Peninsula near Beagle Bay. Today, Henry is sharing a word in honour of his dad.

Henry Augustine is a community broadcaster from Nyul Nyul Country, located on the Dampier Peninsula at Beagle Bay.  Today, he shares the Nyul Nyul word for Country.

Henry Augustine is a community broadcaster based in Beagle Bay.  To kick off his stint on Word Up, Henry shares a Nyul Nyul word meaning 'I' or 'me', and explains how he came to learn Nyul Nyul. 

Join Carina Norman and Jasmine Seymour in the Sydney area where they're working to strengthen the Dharug language.  For their final time on Word Up, they share some different ways to farewell someone Dharug Country.

Carina Norman and Jasmine Seymour share the Dharug word for Country, camp or nest.

Until recently, Dharug was considered a sleeping language, but grassroots activists like Corina Norman and Jasmine Seymour have set about having the language taught in schools.  Today, they share a Dharug word which means ‘to look’ and discuss the different ways you might use that word.

Today Corina Norman and Jasmine Seymour share a Dharug word that can be used to scold, or to show love.

Head to Dharug Country in the Sydney area to meet Corina Norman and Jasmine Seymour. They share a Dharug greeting.

Word Up takes you back Ngemba Country in Far West NSW to meet Phil Sullivan who shares the word he uses to describe his home as well as some thoughts on recognising each other's humanity. 

Phil Sullivan is a Ngemba man from Bourke, and our language legend for this month. He explains the link between language and identity, and share a word he uses to address multiple people at once.

Phil Sullivan explains how he became an Aboriginal heritage officer for the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and shares a Ngemba word he uses to greet people.