Aboriginal words ...please explain

[latestarter]

Now I am making some assumptions here that may be incorrect but hear me out.
I was thinking recently, given aboriginal languages have been around long before white settlement, presumably before any concept of the English language or alphabet, why is it that some words appear to be written / spelt simply to make pronouciation difficult. For example, Ngilgi, where the first g is silent.

Who came up with the spelling in the first place and why would they consider putting a silent g in. What's the rationale ?

Just curious

[gronk]

I've got no idea either, but maybe the english words are as close to the sound of the aborigine word as they can ? As for the silent G, maybe an english teacher could explain why a silent letter gets included ?

[Patr80l]

ng has a different sound, a little more nasally.  So says my friend Mr Ng.

[Hoyks]

I'm sure they try and make it harder than it needs to be.

I know that the tribes didn't have plurals, so if there was a lot of something, they named it twice.

Wagga Wagga is lots of crows
Woy Woy; big lagoon (lots of water)

One word that has made it into widespread use is Yakka, as in hard yakka. I was trying to explain that one to a friend visiting from overseas as I knew the meaning, but not the origin, so had to google it. from Yagara (an extinct Aboriginal language of Queensland) yaga 'to work'.

[austastar]

I'm sure they try and make it harder than it needs to be.

I know that the tribes didn't have plurals, so if there was a lot of something, they named it twice.

Wagga Wagga is lots of crows
Woy Woy; big lagoon (lots of water)

One word that has made it into widespread use is Yakka, as in hard yakka. I was trying to explain that one to a friend visiting from overseas as I knew the meaning, but not the origin, so had to google it. from Yagara (an extinct Aboriginal language of Queensland) yaga 'to work'.

Hi,
     On Kangaroo Island there is lots of Yakka Gums that were harvested for eucalyptus.
It was explained to me that the origins of 'hard yakka' came from that industry.
Or the two may be one and the same origin.
Cheers

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

[edz]

Who came up with the spelling in the first place and why would they consider putting a silent g in. What's the rationale ?

Just curious

This might help explain it for you [ Language ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzcRBxu0PUo

[Wukkers]

Hahahaha.  Just listened to that and then played to John Laws song. 

[Diesel Power]

All of the "UP" on the end of Western Australian towns, means " Near water" like Dwellingup WA.

[Bigfish]

Yaka is also "no" in Yolgnu language...East Arnhem Aboriginals.   However "yo" means yes..Worked in the communities for many years but still had some trouble pronouncing some of their words.