First Nations Language Collection

Review of a list of place names by F.J.Watson

St. Helena. Moogooh May be niugam, a sea shell (Melo diadema). Name probably inspired by the shape and colour of the island when viewed from the west. Tabby Tabby. Dhu-be Dhu-be, meaning crabs. This, by the way, I believe to be the word of which the name Doboy or Doughboy (creek) is a corruption.

Nerang River. Ejuncum. From i-jun or i-dhun, a species of grass; (i as english ee).; affix is indeterminate but possibly should be gun and signifying condition of.

Coomera. Kummera-kummera. John Allen, an abo. native of the district, has given this name the meaming of "fern"; possibly it is identical with the poison plant mentioned.

Deepwater Point. Karrawumbahdeen. In this district a word meaning grass tree is karragul. The name on the list appears to a compound word with an affix.

Canaipa Konai, a spear made of ironbark wood or other heavy hardwood, and pa or ba, (place of spears), Probably where the timber was procured.

Nerang. Ngearung. Probably the shovel-nosed shark as stated. I recorded the name as shark many years ago but do not remember the authority therefor. Another name for shark in this district is bowai, but that may be for another species.

Redland Bay Talwurrupin. A variant of talwalpin, the native cotton-bush the fibre of which the aboriginals used in making string etc.

Upper Coomera Crossing. Tchoongurragoon. If the meaning is correct, the root of the word should be tchoongnuroo or jungnuru. Tchungarra or chungarra is the pelican. Goon or gun is a common affix indicating relation to.

Alberton Ferry Wobbomerijee. Wobum mudtheri or wobum mujeri, meaning mud, sticky; literally, Sticky mud.

Tamborine. Tohambreen. Commented on in a revision of a former list. The local name for yam is, according to John Allen, dum. At Brisbane it is tam (long a).

Wynnum. Winnam, the bread-fruit or pandanus tree. The name of this tree, south of Brisbane, is I believe, Tiungul. This name was commented on in revision of former list.

Ormiston. Wekkahn. Wahngahn or wargarn. Meanig, crow (bird).

Jinboomba. See comments in previous review.

Ninduimba Ninduinba. Place of ashes. Ninduin, ashed, soot, etc. Expired remains of a fire. Commented on in review of previous list.

Beenleigh. Webummarjoo. Sticky mud. Same as wobummerijee (Alberton Ferry. Which see, above mentioned. It may be mentioned that the site of Beenleigh was, at one time called by the blacks, Guanba. My informant did not know the meaning, but it is probably an abbreviation of Guguganba, meaning, the place of Gugugan, a tribal subdivision that at one time occupied that district.