{{Short description|Australian Aboriginal language}} {{Cleanup|reason=Lack of clarity on overlap and differences between Turrbal and Yagara|date=September 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Infobox language | name = Turrbal | nativename = Yagara | region = Queensland | ethnicity = Turrbal | familycolor = Australian | fam1 = Pama–Nyungan | fam2 = Durubalic | dia1 = | dia2 = | dia3 = | dia4 = | iso3 = yxg | aiatsis = E86 | aiatsisname = Turubul | aiatsis2 = E23 | aiatsisname2 = Jagara | glotto = yaga1256 | glottoname = Yagara-Jandai | speakers = ? | states = Australia }}
'''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.<ref name="turrbal.com.au">{{Cite web |title=Turrbal Aboriginal Tribe - Traditional Owners of Brisbane |url=https://www.turrbal.com.au/ |access-date=2022-10-12 |website=Turrbal |language=en-AU}}</ref>{{Refn|The Turrbal Association (an incorporated Turrbal association that offers cultural services) uses the spelling "Turrbal" in preference to other spellings.}}
==Classification== The four dialects listed in Dixon (2002)<ref>{{cite book |last=Dixon |first=R. M. W. |author-link=R. M. W. Dixon |title=Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2002 |url=http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521473780|page=xxxiv|url-access=subscription}}</ref> are sometimes seen as separate Durubalic languages, especially Jandai and Nunukul; Yagara, Yugarabul, and Turrbul proper are more likely to be considered dialects.<ref name="AIATSIS"/><ref name="austlangE23">{{cite web |url=https://collection.aiatsis.gov.au/austlang/language/E23 |title=E23: Yuggera |website=Australian Indigenous Languages Database |date=26 July 2019 |publisher=Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies |access-date=14 June 2022}}</ref><ref name="austlangE66">{{cite web |url=https://collection.aiatsis.gov.au/austlang/language/E66 |title=E66: Yugarabul |website=Australian Indigenous Languages Database |date=26 July 2019 |publisher=Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies |access-date=14 June 2022}}</ref> Turrbal ([https://collection.aiatsis.gov.au/austlang/language/E86 E86]) has been variously classified as a language, group of languages or as a dialect of another language.<ref name=AIATSIS/> F. J. Watson classifies Turrbal ([https://collection.aiatsis.gov.au/austlang/language/E86 E86]) as a sub group of Yugarabul [https://collection.aiatsis.gov.au/austlang/language/E66 E66], which is most likely the language Yagara [https://collection.aiatsis.gov.au/austlang/language/E23 E23].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Watson |first1=F.J. |title=Vocabularies of four representative tribes of South Eastern Queensland : with grammatical notes thereof and some notes on manners and customs, also, a list of Aboriginal place names and their derivations |date=1944 |publisher=Royal Geographical Society of Australasia (Queensland) |url=https://collections.slq.qld.gov.au/viewer/IE1804502 |access-date=22 February 2023}}</ref> Norman Tindale uses the term Turrbal ([https://collection.aiatsis.gov.au/austlang/language/E86 E86]) to refers to speakers of the language of Yagara [https://collection.aiatsis.gov.au/austlang/language/E23 E23].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tindale |first1=Norman |title=Aboriginal tribes of Australia : their terrain, environmental controls, distribution, limits, and proper names |date=1974 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=0520020057}}</ref> John Steele classifies Turrbal ([https://collection.aiatsis.gov.au/austlang/language/E86 E86]) as a language within the Yagara language group.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Steele |first1=John |title=Aboriginal pathways : in southeast Queensland and the Richmond River |date=1984 |publisher=University of Queensland Press |isbn=0702219436}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dixon |first1=R. M. W. |title=Australian languages their nature and development |date=2002 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=0521473780 |pages=xxiv, xxxiv}}</ref> Bowern considers Turrbal to be one of five languages of the "Turubulic" language group, the others being Nunukul, Yaraga, Janday and Guwar.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Oxford Guide to Australian Languages |publisher=Oxford |year=2013 |isbn=9780198824978 |editor-last=Bowern |editor-first=Claire |pages=lxxxiv}}</ref>
== Phonology ==
=== Consonants === {| class="IPA wikitable" style="text-align: center;" ! rowspan="2" | ! colspan="2" |Peripheral !Laminal !Apical |- !Labial !Velar !Palatal !Alveolar |- !Plosive |b |ɡ |ɟ |d |- !Nasal |m |ŋ |ɲ |n |- !Rhotic | | | |r |- !Lateral | | | |l |- !Approximant | colspan="2" |w |j | |}
* Stop sounds may also be heard as voiceless {{IPA|[p, t, c, k]}}.
=== Vowels === {| class="wikitable IPA" style="text-align: center;" ! !Front !Central !Back |- !Close |i | |u |- !Mid |e | |o |- !Open | |a | |}
* Vowel length is also distinctive. * A lax /a/ can also be heard as [ə].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Charlton |first=Kerry |title=An introduction to the languages of Moreton Bay : Yagarabul and Its Djandewal dialect, and Moreton Islands Gowar |year=2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Jefferies |first=Tony |title=Guwar, the language of Moreton Island, and its relationship to the Bandjalang and Yagara subgroups: a case for phylogenetic migratory expansion? |publisher=University of Queensland |year=2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sullivan |first=Karen |title=Yagara dictionary and salvage grammar |last2=Harward-Nalder |first2=Glenda |publisher=Canberra: ANU Press |year=2024}}</ref>
== Vocabulary == Some words from the Turrbal / Yagara language include:<ref name=":SLQ132">{{SLQ-CC-BY|url=https://maps.slq.qld.gov.au/iyil/view/132?embed=true|title=Turrubul|publisher=State Library of Queensland|website=Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map|url-status=live|accessdate=14 June 2022}}</ref><ref name=":SLQ19">{{SLQ-CC-BY|url=https://maps.slq.qld.gov.au/iyil/view/19?embed=true|title=Jagara|publisher=State Library of Queensland|website=Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map|url-status=live|accessdate=14 June 2022}}</ref><ref name=":SLQ168">{{SLQ-CC-BY|url=https://maps.slq.qld.gov.au/iyil/view/168?embed=true|title=Yugarabul|publisher=State Library of Queensland|website=Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map|url-status=live|accessdate=14 June 2022}}</ref><ref name=":SLQ169">{{SLQ-CC-BY|url=https://maps.slq.qld.gov.au/iyil/view/169?embed=true|title=Yuggera|publisher=State Library of Queensland|website=Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map|url-status=live|accessdate=14 June 2022}}</ref>
* ''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(s) * ''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 (fresh) * ''Towan'': fish * ''Tullei'': tree * ''Waiyebba'': arm * ''Wunya'': welcome / greetings * ''Yilam'': forehead
The literary journal ''Meanjin'' takes its name from the Turrbal name for the land centred at Gardens Point on which Brisbane was founded.<ref name="PetrieMeanjin">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19160836 |title=The Old Brisbane Blacks. |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |volume=LVIII |issue=13,623 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=10 September 1901 |accessdate=17 February 2023 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=24 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324004447/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19160836 |url-status=live }}</ref> This name is sometimes used for the greater Brisbane area.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Khan |first1=Jo |last2=Graham-McLay |first2=Charlotte |date=23 July 2023 |title=Naarm, Gadigal, Tāmaki Makaurau: Indigenous place names in the spotlight at Women's World Cup |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jul/24/naarm-gadigal-tamaki-makaurau-indigenous-placenames-in-the-spotlight-at-womens-world-cup |access-date=3 August 2023 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=4 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230804045402/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jul/24/naarm-gadigal-tamaki-makaurau-indigenous-placenames-in-the-spotlight-at-womens-world-cup |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=14 July 2023 |title=Meanjin: exploring the Traditional Place name of Brisbane |url=https://auspost.com.au/community-hub/traditional-place-names/meanjin-exploring-traditional-place-name-of-brisbane |access-date=3 August 2023 |website=auspost.com.au |language=en |archive-date=3 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803073615/https://auspost.com.au/community-hub/traditional-place-names/meanjin-exploring-traditional-place-name-of-brisbane |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Loanword yakka== The Australian English word ''yakka'', an informal term referring to any work, especially of strenuous kind, comes from a Yagara word ''yaga'', the verb for 'work'.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Macquarie Dictionary |date=19 August 2019 |title=Good, old-fashioned hard yakka |url=https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/blog/article/604/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311085608/https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/blog/article/604/ |archive-date=11 March 2023 |access-date= |website=Macquarie Dictionary}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|publisher=Australian National University |title=Meanings and origins of Australian words and idioms|url=https://slll.cass.anu.edu.au/centres/andc/meanings-origins/y|access-date=2023-07-26|language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
== Further reading ==
* [https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/Turubul%20Body%20Parts.pdf Indigenous Language Wordlists: Turubul Body Parts], published by State Library of Queensland under CC-BY [http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/home/copyright license], accessed 14 June 2022 * [https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/Yugarabul%20Body%20Parts.pdf Indigenous Language Wordlists: Yugarabul Body Parts], published by State Library of Queensland under CC-BY [http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/home/copyright license], accessed 14 June 2022 * [https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/0003-267231-yugara-everyday-words_0.pdf Indigenous Language Wordlists: Yugara Everyday Words], published by State Library of Queensland under CC-BY [http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/home/copyright license], accessed 14 June 2022
== External links == * [https://www.ascmission.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Yuggera-Djarra-na-Booklet-2021-Update.pdf Yuggera djarra-na - Mission]
{{Pama–Nyungan languages|East}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Durubalic languages Category:Extinct languages of Queensland