How do you say "Ngukurr"

A blogpost I wrote years ago about how to pronounce "Ngukurr" still gets hits now and then. Mostly from people who type "Nooka" into a search engine, not realising that the place is actually spelled "Ngukurr" and certainly not realising that there might be another, more authentic, way to say it.

One of the gathering-dust-on-the-shelf jobs came to fruition the other day when I raced around Ngukurr with my iPhone interviewing a few community members on how to say "Ngukurr" properly. I edited it together into a nice little video that I'm really quite pleased with, especially considering I hardly ever work with video:

And for those interested, here's a transcript. Translations are provided in brackets. The language is Kriol, except for Barry who uses Ritharrŋu as well as Kriol.

BW: My name Benjamin Wilfred (My name is Benjamin Wilfred)
RJ: Mi Rebecca, mi wek iya la ofis (I'm Rebecca, I work here at the office)
BB: Ŋarraya yäku Barry, Birrirri (My name is Barry, Birrirri)
WW: Main neim… Wally Wilfred (My name is Wally Wilfred)
RR: En mi Raini, mi wek la TCU (And I'm Raina, I work at TCU)
GD: What's the name of this community?
BW: Ngukurr
BB: Ngukurr
WW: Ngukurr
CH: Ngukurr. [Ngukurr] Ngukurr thei gulum dis kantri ("Ngukurr" they call this place)

[How do white people say "Ngukurr"?]

RR: Wi gulum Ngukurr bat munanga mob thei gulum Nooka (We call it "Ngukurr" but Europeans call it "Nooka")
CH: Nooka! Nooka or Nookerr
BW: Nooka
WW: Nooka
BB: Wal Nooka thei oldei gulum bat dijan iya Ngukurr riliwan, thet stoun (Well, "Nooka" they always say, but this is "Ngukurr" actually, it's that rocky outcrop)

[One more time… how is it really pronounced?]

CH: Bat dis kantri im brabli neim is Ngukurr (But this place's actual name is Ngukurr)
BW: Ngu-kurr
RR/RJ: Ngukurr

[Credits]

BB: Ŋamakuḻi Wamut? (Good one Wamut?)
GD: Ŋamakuḻi (Good one)

Comments

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