Entries explained

The entries are arranged as follows:

1.      Headwords are in bold print and are outdented. Verbs are listed in the future tense form. There is a rule in Ngaanyatjarra and Ngaatjatjarra that if a word would otherwise end in a consonant, the syllable -pa is added to it. This syllable is written in parentheses, e.g. marnkurr(pa), ‘three’. If there is a variant form of the headword, this follows immediately, separated by a comma, and is also bolded. Sometimes variant forms are listed elsewhere in the dictionary, followed by the words ‘see ----’, referring back to the main entry.

2.      Dialect Where a word is used mainly in one part of the language area, the word northern, eastern etc is written in small capitals.

3.      Part of speech

4.      Definitions. If there are a number of related meanings or uses, they are numbered 1, 2, 3 and so on. Scientific names follow immediately after the definition.

5.      Literal translation of an idiom may be given.

6.      Notes may be given about the usage of the word, or further information about the word.

7.      Example sentences usually follow with an English translation.

8.      Synonyms follow the words ‘means the same as:’.

9.      Related words follow the words ‘see also:’.

10.    Different words, which might be mistaken for this one because they sound similar, follow the words ‘sounds like:’.

11.    Idioms and fixed expressions beginning with a word other than the word under consideration are listed on a separate line with their meaning. More information can be found at the word’s main entry for the idiom or fixed expression.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the spelling and definitions in this dictionary. However, inevitably some errors will still remain.