Yaama-hello. This week we publish from Kamilaroi Country with a simple promise: Gamilaraay first. We’ll centre community voices, share language resources, and invite everyone to learn a few everyday words the right way.
Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the Gamilaraay/Kamilaroi people as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we work and report. We pay our deep respects to Elders past and present, and we recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.
Why here, why now
Language carries knowledge, law, identity and belonging. Reviving and using Gamilaraay isn’t a nostalgia project-it’s about community control over culture and story, and reclaiming, rebuilding and reusing a traditional language in contemporary life. That’s the heart of language revival and the reason we’re leading this week from Kamilaroi Country.
About Gamilaraay / Kamilaroi
Gamilaraay is the language name formed from gamil “no” plus the suffix ‑araay “with, having” (hence “the people with ‘no’”). The language area spans a large part of north‑western NSW and extends into southern Queensland (often written “Kamilaroi” in older English sources).
Our editorial commitment for the Week
- Gamilaraay‑led content: wherever possible we use Gamilaraay terms first, with English glosses.
- Community protocols: we prioritise accuracy, appropriate usage and community choices around terminology and spellings.
- Learning, not just labelling: we’ll share pronunciation tips and explain language rules so readers don’t unknowingly impose English patterns on Gamilaraay.
Start speaking: three everyday words
- Yaama – hello.
- Gaba – good / right / okay.
- Yaluu – see you / again.
Try them with kin terms: “Yaama, maliyaa” (Hello, friend). “Yaluu, dhagaan” (See you, brother). These greetings and their pronunciation (watch the long vowels: yaa‑ma, yaa‑luu) are a safe first step.
Listen to Country; follow along all week
Each day has a focus-from newsroom language to place‑names and young learners. Today we launch; across the week we’ll publish articles, carousels, and short videos, and on the final day we’ll wrap with ways to keep learning.
How you can participate today
- Say Yaama to someone.
- Share our launch post with a word you want to learn.
Yaluu-see you through the week.
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