What’s ‘telephone’ in Yaygirr? One indigenous language revived, evolving
One more Indigenous language is being revived through the hard work of the local people. For more than six years, David Prosser, an Indigenous teacher and mentor, has been working together with the Yaegl Elders and the Muurrbay Language and Cultural Centre to construct a Yaygirr language Dictionary.
The Yaygirr language is traditionally spoken by the Yaegl people of the lower Clarence area. The team used old recordings and records, and even constructed some new vocabulary to account for new innovations like the telephone. The dictionary, which was launched on the 3rd of August, features over 1000 Yaygirr words and includes a grammar guide and maps of the Yaegl area. According to Anna Ash, a coordinator at the Muurrbay Aboriginal Language Centre, the dictionary will be an important tool in the language’s revival.