Kayardilt Dictionary

** Please note, the audio is currently not included in the app.

This is a dictionary of the language of the Kaiadilt people of Bentinck Island of the South Wellesley Islands, Queensland. The language name is written here as Kayardilt ('cut-off form') or Kayardilda ('full form'); it has also been written Kayardild. Many words in the language have two pronunciations: if they're pronounced on their own the 'cut-off form' is used, e.g. bijarrp for 'dugong', but if they are combined with another word the 'full form' is used, e.g. bijarrba raaj! 'spear the dugong!'. Both full and cut-off forms of words are shown in this dictionary.

This app is a mobile- or tablet-usable dictionary based on the book dictionary originally published as Evans, Nicholas. 1992. Kayardild Dictionary and Thesaurus. University of Melbourne: Department of Linguistics and Language Studies.

Additional entries have been added by Nicholas Evans and Erich Round. Sound files in this dictionary come from Roger Kelly, Amy Loogatha, Dugal Goongarra, Loretta Durretnuthi, Dolly Loogatha and Agnes Kohler.

Artwork credits:

Sophia Yarak

Terry Yarak

Rita Yarak

Monique Yarak

Arramia Yarak

Storm Loogatha

Olwen Evans