Welcome to Watee(Dugong) Classroom PDF Print E-mail

Welcome to Watee(Dugong) Classroom
From left: Lindsay Billy, Leileni Woosup, Rev. Mary Eseli, Lui Namoa, Maudai Bowie
This is where we learn Anghamuthi with Ama Mary. On Tuesday mornings we sing songs, make stories, draw, and practice words. Everyone in Injinoo speaks Creole, so we say the Creole, English and Anghamuthi words. ‘Watee’ means Dugong, a special animal for everyone here in Injinoo.

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Watee(Dugong) Classroom
Leileni Woosup

Creole English Anghamuthi Yu giv-im mi water - give me the water - ANDUVA UTIG AYUVA IPI Wanim yu mek-im? - how are you? - ANDUVA ANIE UPUNUN
Ai good - I’m good - AYUVA IKAMA Ai go aus - I’m going home - AYUVA ANA AWUCHI Where yu go? - Where are you going? - ANDUBA ANDONU ANA?
I mek-im work - I’m going to work - UPUNUN IUBA WAKANG ANA

Welcome to Watee(Dugong) Classroom
Lindsay Billy
Anghamuthi is one of 3 Indigenous languages of the Northern Peninsular Area. It is spoken by the people of the ‘Seven Rivers’ region on the north west coast of Cape York, including Injinoo, which means ‘everybody together’ in Anghamuthi. Atambaya is spoken by the people of the
central north region, and Gudang by the ‘Somerset’ people of the north east. Since the 1940’s Creole has become the common language of all these regions and the indigenous languages have mostly died out.

FATSIL gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Mr Robbie Salee in writing this story.