Classroom birthday calendars

(Warning This discussion includes the names of people who have died).

Here are some Gamilaraay calendars for you to download and edit with gayrr (names). They have pictures from Gamilaraay artist Sharon (Dawnie) Wortley illustrating the meanings of the month names. These names have been developed from discussions at a June 2000 meeting of Uncle Ted Fields, John Giacon, John Brown and Tracy Dodd in Walgett. They reflect what is happening on country during each month, with a short form of the Gamilaraay word for moon, gilay.

Gamilaraay – A3 size:

GR Birthdays-A3-blue pattern

GR Birthdays-A3-blue

GR Birthdays-A3-orange pattern

GR Birthdays-A3-orange

Gamilaraay – larger individual months:

GR Birthdays-cut out

Sing “Happy Birthday” in language!

Next time you have a birthday in your family or class, why not try singing it in Gamilaraay or Yuwaalaraay?

To download a printable pdf file of the words to “Your Day”, a Gamilaraay/Yuwaalaraay version of the “Happy Birthday” song, click here.

This translation only has four words, and they include some of the special sounds of Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay, so you can have fun practising your pronunciation.

Yaadha (day) rhymes with father. The ‘dh’ is like English ‘d’ with the tip of your tongue between your teeth.

Nhalay (this) rhymes with away. The nh’ is like English ‘n’ with the tip of your tongue between your teeth.

Gaba (good) rhymes with rubber.

Nginu (your) rhymes with emu. The ‘ng’ is like English in ‘singing’, but we don’t have it at the start of English words. One way to get around this is just to join it together with the previous word, as though you are saying ‘singing emus’. Try it:  ‘nhalay nginu’!

To listen and download a sound file of the song sung by Gunnedah Preschool educator Tarryn Noble, click here.