Gureng Gureng language

Gureng Gureng is a language of Australia. Although no longer spoken as a native language, it is spoken as a 2nd or 3rd language by under 100.

'Taribelang' is a name on language maps in this area and so might refer to Gureng Gureng.

Accent

Today some speakers have a "heavier" more guttural way of speaking E.g. rolling the tongue when pronouncing the "rr's", starting words with Ng rather than a single N and also heavier speakers sound out a "dj" sound rather than "ch" or "t". "Heavier" speakers tend to be the more western groups from along the Burnett River of Queensland.

The more coastal families today seem to have a "lighter" way of speaking (less guttural & not rolling the tongue and using the single N at the start of words rather than the Ng & using "ch" & "t" rather than "dj" etc.) which is most likely the result of the influence of the English language in recent times.

References

External links

• Bibliography of Gureng Gureng people and language resources, at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies