Brabralung (Bra = man, lung = belonging to) located in central Gippsland.
Braiakalung (Bra = Man, ak = west, lung = belonging to) located around Sale through to the mountains.
Brataualung (men belonging to this place which have fire; Bra = men, Taua or towera = fire, lung = belonging to) located in South Gippsland.
Krauatungalung (Kraut = east, lung = belonging to) located eastwards to the Snowy River.
Tatungalung (tat = sea, lung = belonging to) located in the coast area between Lake King and Lake Wellington.[5]
Gunaikurnai dialects have been confused with Muk-thang/Bidawal; there appear to be two distinct languages here, but it's not clear which variety belongs to which.[3][6]
Phonology
Like other Victorian languages, Gunaikurnai allowed initial ⟨l⟩ in its words. However, it also allowed initial ⟨rr⟩, and well as the clusters ⟨gr⟩ (⟨kr⟩) and ⟨br⟩ (⟨pr⟩). This is quite unusual for an Australian language, and the same pattern was found in the Tasmanian languages across Bass Strait.[original research?]
Hercus (1969), states that plosives are conditionally voiced.[9] Fesl also excludes /n̪/ in her thesis but notes that its absence may be due to a lack of data.[10]
/e/ and /o/ are said to occur less than /a/, /i/, and /u/.[12]
Revival
Since the early 1990s, the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages (VACL) organisation, established the Yirruk-Tinnor Gunnai/Kŭrnai language program which focused on reviving and reclaiming the Gunnai language of Gippsland. Doris Paton, Coordinator of the Program and Lynnette Solomon-Dent, Language worker and consultant are involved in the program. They have been responsible for developing a number of resource materials to support and educate further knowledge of the Gunnai language and Culture. Lynnette Solomon-Dent co-wrote with Christina Eira the VACL Linguist, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) Aboriginal Languages, cultures and reclamation in Victorian schools: standards P-10 and protocols and were involved in the VCE Revival and Reclamation Study. These teaching documents and resources are collectively used to educate school aged children P-10, VCE, higher learning institutions and the Aboriginal community members, to further their knowledge and allow community members to continue to educate future generations.[13]
Gunaikurnai was featured in a stage performance for the first known time in 2021, when Veronica Gorrie's play "Nullung" ("paternal grandmother") was presented as a play reading by the Melbourne Theatre Company.[14]
Placenames possibly derived from the Gunaikurnai language
A number of placenames in Gunaikurnai country feature the ending -munjie, meaning "place".
Allegedly the anglicised form of the Gunaikurnai words more willie meaning "woolly possum".[16] However, other sources debate this, as the Gunaikurnai word for possum was wadthan, as opposed to wille or wollert in Kulin languages further west.[17]
Origin uncertain. It is popularly believed to be derived from words tarra meaning "river" and algon meaning "little fish". However, these words are not reflected in modern linguists' knowledge of the Gunaikurnai language, where, for example, the word for river is wun wun or wurn wurn.[18] Variations of tarla and gany have been recorded meaning "little" and "fish" respectively.[19]
^Fesl 1985, pp. 82–83, citing Hercus, Luise A. (1969). Languages of Victoria: A Late. Survey, Parts I and II. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies. OCLC206967.
Fesl, Eve (1985). Ganai : a study of the Aboriginal languages of Gippsland based on 19th century materials (MA thesis). Monash University. doi:10.26180/5ed82f583074f.
Gardner, P. D. (1996). The language of the Kurnai tribes of Gippsland. Notes on grammar and pronunciation by R. H. Mathews. Ensay: Ngarak Press. ISBN9781875254194. OCLC36657847.
