Listen to some Yolŋu Matha.
ARDS has announced a new app, which might help us with a more traditional pronunciation of language. The sound system has some similarities with Gamilaraay/Yuwaalaraay, and some differences. I suspect the way short groups of words are joined together here, followed by a pause, is more like traditional GY than typical English speech patterns.
[Some details. I think ‘o’ in Yolŋu Matha is like ‘uu’ in Gamilaraay/Yuwaalaraay, ä is like aa, ŋ is ng. The app has underlined letters. That means the tongue tip is further back in the mouth.]
Ngadaa/below is the email announcing the app, which will also play on your browser.
Yow bukmak! (Hi everyone!)
Ŋäku dhäwu mala rumbalpuy Yolŋukurr! (Listen to stories of the body in Yolŋu-matha!)
ARDS is pleased to announce that ARDS Aboriginal Corporation’s new multi-lingual anatomy app, Rumbalpuy Dhäwu, is now available for download at your favorite app store. (Search for “Rumbalpuy Dhawu” at Google Play or the App Store). It is also available via web browser at api.ards.com.au/app/.
Covering four different languages; Dhuwal (Djambarrpuyŋu), Dhaŋu (Gälpu), Dhuwala (Gumatj) and Plain English, the Rumbalpuy Dhäwu Dictionary of Anatomy app features:
· Over 200 entries
· Audio recordings in three languages: Dhuwal, Dhuwala and Dhaŋu
· Text definitions in Plain English, Dhuwal, Dhuwala and Dhaŋu
· Over 140 pictures
· Password-protected men’s health and women’s health sections
· Browsable picture-search capability
· Alphabetical list and category finder
· Predictive text search.
The Plain English content also makes this information accessible to people from other non-English-speaking backgrounds.
Rumbalpuy Dhäwu can be used by medical professionals, interpreters, patients, and friends of those trying to understand and access mainstream health care. The audio content enables health professionals to play entries to their patients in their patients’ first languages, and the picture-search capability makes the content more easily accessible to those Yolŋu-matha speakers who don’t read in their languages.
The app is designed to enable the addition of new and revised entries as they are completed, and to incorporate changes following user feedback.
The app runs on Apple iOS and Android mobile phones, as well as on Mac and PC via an internet browser.
ARDS hopes that the open source code will enable other future work of this kind. The app was built using Apache Cordova and the code provides the framework for the app. It is available here: https://github.com/sarahbock/Rumbalpuy-Dhawu. This code on GitHub is not connected to any data so some technical knowledge will be required to adapt the framework for other purposes.
We are eager for feedback, especially about any bugs and desired new content, so please send any feedback to feedback@ards.com.au.
Ma’, gatju na! Nhäŋu gi! (Ok, go for it! Have a look!)
Salome and the Rumbalpuy Dhäwu team
Gamilaraay Yuwaalaraay Guladha 