What is the Noongar language?
The Noongar language is the Aboriginal language of the southwest of Western Australia, including Perth. It has several dialects and is being actively revived by the Noongar community.
Noongar was once spoken across a large area from Geraldton to Esperance. After colonisation, government policies discouraged its use, and the number of fluent speakers fell sharply.
Today, Noongar people work to revive the language through schools, community classes, songs, books and media. Dual names for places, parks and buildings help keep it visible.
Words in everyday use
Many Western Australian place names come from Noongar, including those ending in -up, which often means place of, such as Joondalup and Nannup.
Common Noongar words include kaya, meaning hello, and boodja, meaning land or country, which often appear in welcomes and acknowledgements. Moort means family, an idea at the heart of Noongar culture.
Noongar language programs have grown in Western Australian schools, and the language is used in theatre and music. Shakespeare's sonnets and the play Macbeth have been translated into Noongar and performed, and Noongar-language songs and books for children have helped younger generations learn. Local councils and the state government increasingly use Noongar names in public places.
Did You Know?
The six Noongar seasons have names such as Makuru, the cold, wet season of winter.