Australian Legendary Tales/Glossary

by K. Langloh Parker

 Glossary

Bahloo, moon.

Beeargah, hawk.

Beeleer, black cockatoo.

Beereeun, prickly lizard.

Bibbee, woodpecker, bird.

Bibbil, shiny-leaved box-tree.

Bilber, a large kind of rat.

Billai or Billay, crimson-wing parrot.

Bindeah, a prickle or small thorn.

Bingah wingul, needle bush, a tall thorny shrub.

Birrahgnooloo, woman's name, meaning "face like a tomahawk handle."

Birrahlee, baby.

Birrahleegul, children.

Boobootella, the big bunch of feathers at the back of an emu.

Boolooral, an owl.

Boomerang, a curved weapon used in hunting and in warfare by the blacks; called Burren by the Narran blacks.

Bootoolgah, blue-grey crane.

Borah, a large gathering of blacks where the boys are initiated into the mysteries which make them young men.

Bou-gou-doo-gahdah, the rain bird. Like the bower or mocking bird.

Bouyou, legs.

Bowrah or Bohrah, kangaroo.

Bralgahs, native companion, bird.

Bubberah, boomerang that returns.

Backandee, native cat.

Buggoo, flying squirrel.

Bulgahnunnoo, bark-backed.

Bumble, a fruit-bearing tree, sometimes called wild orange and sometimes wild pomegranate tree. Capparis.

Bunbundoolooey, brown flock pigeon.

Bunnyyarl, flies.

Burreenjin, magpie, lark, or peewee.

Budtha, rosewood-tree, also girl's name.

Byamee, man's name, meaning "big man."

Comebee, bag made of kangaroo shins.

Comeboo, stone tomahawk.

Cookooburrah, laughing jackass.

Coorigil, name of place, meaning sign of bees.

Corrobboree, black fellows' dance.

Cunnembeillee, woman's name, meaning pig-weed root.

Curree guin guin, butcher-bird.

Daen, black fellows.

Dardurr, bark, humpy or shed.

Dayah minyah, carpet snake.

Dayoorl, large flat stone for grinding grass-seed upon.

Deegeenboyah, soldier-bird.

Deereeree, willy wagtail.

Dheal, the sacred tree of the Noongahburrahs, only used for putting on the graves of the dead.

Dinewan, emu.

Dingo, native dog.

Doonburr, a grass seed.

Doongara, lightning.

Dummerh, pigeons.

Dungle, water hole.

Dunnia, wattle.

Durrie, bread made from grass seed.

Eär moonän, long sharp teeth.

Euloo marah, large tree grubs. Edible.

Euloo wirree, rainbow.

Galah or Gilah, a French grey and rose-coloured cockatoo.

Gayandy, borah devil.

Gidgereegah, a species of small parrot.

Girrahween, place of flowers.

Gooeea, warriors.

Googarh, iguana.

Googoolguyyah, turn into trees.

Googoorewon, place of trees.

Goolahbah, grey-leaved box-tree.

Goolahgool, water-holding tree.

Goolahwilleel, top-knot pigeon.

Gooloo, magpie.

Goomade, red stump.

Goomai, water rat.

Goomblegubbon, bustard or plain turkey.

Goomillah, young girl's dress, consisting of waist strings made of opossum's sinews with strands of woven opossum's hair hanging about a foot square in front.

Goonur, kangaroo rat.

Goug gour gahgah, laughing jackass. Literal meaning, "Take a stick."

Grooee, handsome foliaged tree bearing a plum-like fruit, tart and bitter, but much liked by the blacks.

Gubberah, magical stones of Wirreenun. Clear crystallised quatty.

Guddah, red lizard.

Guiebet, a thorny creeper bearing masses of a lovely myrtle-like flower and an edible fruit somewhat resembling passion fruit.

Guinary, light eagle hawk.

Guineeboo, robin redbreast.

Gurraymy, borah devil.

Gwai, red.

Gwaibillah, star. Mars.

Kurreah, an alligator.

Mahthi, dog.

Maimah, stones.

Maira, paddy melon.

May or Mayr, wind.

Mayrah, spring wind.

Meamei, girls.

Midjee, a species of acacia.

Millair, species of kangaroo rat.

Moodai, opossum.

Moogaray, hailstones.

Mooninguggahgul, mosquito-calling bird.

Moonoon, emu spear.

Mooregoo, mopoke.

Mooroonumildah, having no eyes.

Morilla or Moorillah, pebbly ridges.

Mubboo, beef wood-tree.

Mullyan, eagle hawk.

Mullyangah, the morning star.

Murgah muggui, big grey spider.

Murrawondah, climbing rat.

Narahdarn, bat.

Noongahburrah, tribe of blacks on the Narran.

Nullah nullah, a club or heavy-headed weapon.

Nurroo gay gay, dreadful pain.

Nyunnoo or Nunnoo, a grass, humpy.

Ooboon, blue-tongued lizard.

Oolah, red prickly lizard.

Oongnairwah, black diver.

Ouyan, curlew.

Piggiebillah, ant-eater. One of the Echidna, a marsupial.

Quarrian, a kind of parrot.

Quatha, quandong; a red fruit like a round red plum.

U e hu, rain, only so called in song.

Wahgoo, to hide. A game like hide-and-seek.

Wahroogah, children.

Wahn, crow.

Wayambeh, turtle.

Waywah, worn by men, consisting of a waistband made of opossum's sinews with bunches of strips of paddy melon skins hanging from it.

Weedah, bower or mocking-bird.

Weeoombeen, a small bird. Some thing like a redbreast, only with longer tail and not so red a breast.

Widya nurrah, a wooden battle-axe shaped weapon.

Willgoo willgoo, painted stick with feathers on top.

Wirree, small piece of bark, canoe-shaped.

Wirreenun, priest or doctor.

Womba, mad.

Wondah, spirit or ghost.

Wurranunnah, wild bees.

Wurrawilberoo, whirlwind with a devil in it; also clouds of Magellan.

Wurranunnah, bee.

Wurrunnah, man's name, meaning standing.

Yaraan, white gum-tree.

Yhi, the sun.

Yuckay, oh dear!

Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.

London and Edinburgh