S53: Dhurga | AIATSIS Collection

AIATSIS code:

S53

AIATSIS reference name:

Dhurga

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Name

Thesaurus heading language	Dhurga language S53
Thesaurus heading people	Dhurga people S53
ABN name	Dhurga language
ABS name	-
Horton name	Yuin (Dhurga)
Ethnologue name	Dhurga
ISO 639-3 code	dhu
Tindale name	Walbanga (Thurga), Thaua (Thurga)
Tindale (1974)	Thurga (language name, based on ['turga] = ['tu:ga] = no; applies also to tribes as far south as Thaua), Thoorga, Bugellimanji (horde), Bargalia (a place name near Moruya), Moruya tribe. Thawa, Thauaira, Thurga (language name applies also to tribes as far north as the Wandandian), Thoorga, Du:rga, Durga, Dhu:rga, Tharawal (of Howitt, 1885:811), Tadera-manji, Guyanagal (lit. southerner), Guyangal-yuin (['uin] == ['juin] = man), Murring (inland term means 'men,' see Wandandian tribe), Katungal (sea people, a general term), Baianga (tomahawk people), Paiendra (error for Paienbra), Paienbera ('tomahawk people,' name applied to inland hordes by southern tribes).
O'Grady et al (1966)
Glottocode	dhur1239
Other sources	Thurga (Shimidt 1919a, 1919b), O'Grady, V&V 1966, Tindale 1940, 1974), Thoorga (Mathews Ms, 1901c, 1902a), O'Grady, V&V 1966, Tindale (1940), Dhurga (Capell 1970), Wurm (1972), Dhu:rga (Capell 1956, 1963, 1970), Oates (1970), Durga (Capell unpublished grammar, Mathews 1964-1967) [Eades 1976]
Synonyms	Yuin, Djiringanj, Dyirringan, Thaua, Thawa, Walbanga, Wandandian, Thurga, Thoorga, Tindale, Wurm, Dhu:rga, Oates, Durga, Bugellimanji, Bargalia, Moruya tribe, Thauaira, Du:rga, Tharawal, Tadera manji, Guyanagal, Guyangal yuin, Murring, Katungal, Baianga, Paiendra, Paienbera

Comment

Comments:

Eades (1976) treats Dhurga and Dharawal S59 as two separate languages though she notes that it is 'impossible to be clear on the situation of dialects' (1976:3, 5). Eades indicates the available evidence seems to support Mathews' (1902:58) claim that Dharamba S56 is a dialect of Dhurga, probably a northern dialect (1976:4).

Besold (2012-13:2) comments that, while Dharumba S56 shares pronoun forms and other grammatical features with Dhurga, it is very similar to Dharrawal in terms of lexicon (2013:2).

Eades (1976:5) also suspects that Walbanga S54 was either a dialect of Dhurga, a tribal name, or a mistake.

References:

Besold, Jutta. 2012-13. Language Recovery of the New South Wales South Coast Aboriginal Languages. Australian National University, PhD thesis. (R01524 MAR)
Eades, Diana. 1976. The Dharawal and Dhurga languages of the New South Wales south coast: Australian Aboriginal Studies, Research and Regional Studies 8. Canberra: AIAS.
Mathews, Robert Hamilton. 1902. The Thoorga language. Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of QLD 17:49-73.
Wafer, Jim & Amanda Lissarrague. 2008. A handbook of Aboriginal languages of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Nambucca Heads: Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative.

Status:

Confirmed

Location

State / Territory:

NSW

Location information:

... from the Nowra-Jervis Bay area to Wallaga Lake (Eades 1976:5).

Dhurga is the language of the Jervis Bay-Ulladulla-Batemans Bay area, extending as far south as Narooma, and possibly as far as Wallaga Lake (Wafer & Lissarrague 2008:107).

Maps:

Links

Search MURA people®

Search MURA language®

NITV Around the Campfire

Awaye! Word Up.

Word list

Dhurga Dictionary and Learner's Grammar Journey

Dhurga Talk

Language Videos

Word List (ASJP Database)

Programs

Activities:

Ann Nugent developed curriculum materials for school use in 1980. Dhurga has been taught at Broulee Public School for several years and a certificate III Language Course in Dhurga is now offered at Moruya TAFE (21/04/08). The Wagonga Local Aboriginal Land Council will teach the Dhurga Aboriginal language to preschoolers at Wallaga Lake, near Bermagui (07/07/08, ABC website). Tom and Muriel Slockee of the Boomerang Meeting Place, Mogo have been working on language revitalisation and translated the Lord's Prayer into Dhurga (http://www.bushchurchaid.com.au/Real%20Australian/autumn%202005/Real%20Australian/Koori%20Training%20at%20Mogo.htm, viewed on 15 July 2009).

People:

Diana Eades, Janet Mathews, Ann Nugent,

Indigenous organisations:

Speakers

Year	Source	Speaker numbers
1975	Oates	-
1984	Senate	-
1990	Schmidt	-
1996	Census	-
2001	Census	-
2004	NILS1	-
2005	Estimate	-
2006	Census	-
2011	Census	-
2014	NILS2
2016	Census	-
2018-2019	NILS3	11-50

Speaker numbers were measured differently across the censuses and various other sources listed in AUSTLANG. You are encouraged to refer to the sources.

Speaker numbers for ‘NILS 2004’ and ‘2005 estimate’ come from 'Table F.3: Numbers of speakers of Australian Indigenous languages (various surveys)' in 'Appendix F NILS endangerment and absolute number results' in McConvell, Marmion and McNicol 2005, pages 198-230 (PDF, 2.5MB).

Documentation

Type	Documentation Status	Documentation Score
Word list	Small (20-100 pages)	2
Text Collection	Small (20-100 pages)	2
Grammar	Sketch grammar (less than 100 pages)	2
Audio-visual	1-10	2

Manuscript note:

tape transcription/field note available (songs) - unclear status

Grammar:

Besold, Jutta. 2013. Language recovery of the New South Wales south coast Aboriginal languages. MS 5078.

Eades, Diana. 1976. The Dharawal and Dhurga languages of the New South Wales south coast. Canberra: AIAS.

Dictionary:

Besold, Jutta. 2013. Language recovery of the New South Wales south coast Aboriginal languages. MS 5078.

Eades, Diana. 1976. The Dharawal and Dhurga languages of the New South Wales south coast. Canberra: AIAS.

Ellis, Patricia, Kerry Boyenga, Waine Donovan . 2020. The Dhurga Dictionary and Learner's Grammar : a south-east coast, NSW Aboriginal language. canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press.

Classification

Source	Family	Group	Sub-group	Name	Relationship
Ethnologue (2005)	Pama-Nyungan	Yuin		Dhurga
Dixon (2002)		SOUTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES GROUP	New South Wales south coast group	Dhurga	Dhurga possible further dialects: Dharamba, Walbanga
Wurm (1994)	Pama-Nyungan	Yuin-Kuric		Dhurga
Walsh (1981)	Pama-Nyungan	Yuin-Kuric	Yuin	Dhurga
Oates (1975)	Pama-Nyungan	Yuin-Kuric	Yuin	Dhurga
Wurm (1972)
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966)