Finding the meaning of an Aboriginal word

Austlang provides information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. It forms part of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies (AIATSIS) collection, which holds the world's largest collection dedicated to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.

Language and people's thesaurus: Presented by AIATSIS, this site includes maps, words lists and thesauri.

Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages includes an online language enquiry form and a library you can visit in person. It houses materials from various sources all related to indigenous languages.

Aboriginal languages of Australia: this site has links to over 80 languages, classifying resources according to languages, location and types of resource.

Rediscovering Indigenous Languages is a site developed by the State Library of New South Wales which includes historic word lists, records and an easy to use map of Australia which pinpoints a language group's location.

Indigenous Language Resources Victoria: a guide to Aboriginal language resources at the National Library of Australia.

Wathawurrung Colac language of southern Victoria: notes on the Wathawurrung Colac language of southern Victoria.

In order to access many of the resources below you will need to register as an Library user.

Dictionaries:

• Djadja Wurrung language of central Victoria : including place names
• Australian Aborigines: the language and customs of several tribes of Aborigines in the western district of Victoria, Australia
• Language of the aborigines of the colony of Victoria (view online pamphlet)
• The Aborigines of Victoria : with notes relating to the habits of the natives of other parts of Australia and Tasmania (Volume 2)
• A dictionary of Keerraywoorroong and related dialects
• Handbook of Australian languages.; V.4.; Aboriginal language of Melbourne and other grammatical sketches
• Dictionary of Aboriginal placenames of Victoria 

• Dictionary of Aboriginal placenames of Gippsland and Northeast Victoria

• Dictionary of Aboriginal placenames of Melbourne and Central Victoria

• Dictionary of Aboriginal placenames of Northwest Victoria

• Dictionary of Aboriginal placenames of Southwest Victoria

Aboriginal Flora and Fauna Names of Victoria: As extracted from early surveyors’ reports

Published in 2001 by Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages.

kalat = sister

peepay = father

ngeerrang = mother

koko = brother

The Keerraywoorroong language is from the South/West districts of Victoria.

Source: A dictionary of Keerraywoorroong and related dialects

Please note that the Victorian Aboriginal Corporations for Languages advises: 'If you would like to use Indigenous words to name a public place, facility or program it is protocol to use words from the Indigenous language of the land where the place to be named stands, or where the program is run. It is then appropriate to seek permission from the Traditional Owners of that language area to use their words in the name.'

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'First Languages Australia is working toward a future where Aboriginal language communities and Torres Strait Islander language communities have full command of their languages and can use them as much as they wish to.'