Friday, May 18, 2012

Before Balanda: Yolngu-Macassar Contact

It's a well-known fact that long before white people came to Australia, Aboriginals had already a long history of contact with traders from several areas of what is now Indonesia. Generally considered to be predominantly Makassar sailors, but also probably originating from other islands such as Flores and Roti, these people came to the northern shores of what is now Arnhem Land looking for trepang (sea cucumbers).

I recently found a dictionary of the Yolngu language available on the public domain.

As I browsed through it, I discovered more than a few entries strikingly similar to Indonesian/Malay and some Javanese words. I have provided a comparative list here. The first entry is the Yolngu, followed by a comparison with Indonesian. Some entries are very similar if not identical, whereas others which are less identical are more of a speculative nature :


Balanda - White person (Indonesian - Belanda - Dutch person specifically, white person generally)

Bandirra - A flag (Indonesian - Bendera - A flag)

Bapa - Father (Indonesian - Bapak - Father)

Bathu - A rock / stone (Indonesian - Batu - a rock / stone)

Baw' - A pleasant smell (Indonesian - Bau - a smell / odour)

Bawi - A pig (Indonesian - Babi - a pig)

Bawang  - Vegetable food, potatoes (Indonesian - Bawang - Onions / Garlic)

Dhambaku - Tobacco (Indonesian - Tembakau - Tobacco)

Dhimurru - East (Indonesian - Timur - East)

Dhinggi - High (of mountains etc) (Indonesian - Tinggi - High / Tall)

Dhuryun - to descend (Indonesian - Turun - to descend)

Djaga - to look after / care for (Indonesian - Jaga - to look after / guard / care for)

Djalathang - South (Indonesian - Selatan - South)
  
Djarrang - A horse (Javanese - Jaran - A horse)

Djawa - A storm / cyclone (Javanese - Jawah - rain)

Djorru' - A Cigar (Indonesian - approximates Cerutu - a cigar)

Gapala - A large boat (Indonesian - Kapal - a large boat)

Gayu - A tree / wood in general (Indonesian - Kayu - wood)

Gola - Syrup / treacle (Indonesian - Gula - sugar)

Gonydjin - A key (Indonesian - approximates Kunci - a key)

Mangatharra - Makassar and its people

Nona - a White woman (Indonesian - Nona - traditionally a well-to-do European or westernised Indonesian woman)
  
Rranhdhing - A chain (Indonesian - approximates Rantai- a Chain)

Rrothi - Bread (Indonesian - Roti - bread)

Rrupiya - Money (Indonesian - Rupiah - Indonesian currency)

These three websites contain detailed information about theYolngu - Makassan trading relationship:

http://austhrutime.com/macassan_traders.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2009/07/21/2632428.htm

http://woorama.suite101.com/macassancrew-a923
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3 comments:

  1. I've also been told that the word for "rubbish" on Groote is similar to the Indonesian / Muslim word for chapter (surah) with the thought being that Groote locals asked traders what a scrap of paper was (it is to be expected that many Muslims would take notes written from the Qur'an with then on bits of paper) and were told "surah". The word then came to be used for all scraps of paper and then for rubbish in general.

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  2. That's a very interesting and I'd say accurate theory. Thanks for the input.

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  3. Fascinating the number of close similarities - I had long known that 'balanda' was used in the NT, from my work up in Cape York, but didn't release the influence was that extensive. The Aboriginal trade networks were so extensive that items traded with the Makassans ended up in SA. I wonder if any of the words also transferred from hand to hand and made it to other parts of Aus?

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