1Only, just. Exclusively one thing and not another.
-
Minj ngad karrinan nawu Nakurrurndilhba birridjalkudji kabirrinan nawu marrkidjbu
nawu birrikurdang.
We can’t see Nakurrurndilhba spirits, only clever men with special powers can see them.
(Nabulanj Namandjulngunj, Injalak Arts painting documentation. )
2That's all, exactly, just. Adverb which indicates the extent of something.
-
Bedman mak morlehmorlenj djal kunmekbe rerrih, mankarre bokenh bu kabirrikadjung
laik- mahni bu kunkukbelekenh, mahni kunkukburlerrikenh.
It's just the same for the women - there are two laws they have to follow: one black,
one white.
(Quoted in Etherington, Steve, ‘Learning to be Kunwinjku: Kunwinjku people discuss their
pedagogy’, PhD Thesis, Charles Darwin University, 2006 )
-
Nja, ten dollar djal bonj, wardi kanmarneyakwon.
Here you are, here's ten dollars and that's it, or you'll clean me out.
(Evans, Nicholas (ed.), How to write Kundjeyhmi, prepared for the National Parks and
Wildlife Service and the Gagudju Association.)
3Keep on doing something, just keep doing something etc. Adverb of duration which indicates
that an action or situation is continuing or repeating for some time.
-
Yidjalbun.
Keep hitting it.
-
Djal munguyh kabenedjarrkdi.
They just stay together permanently [as a couple].
(Quoted in Etherington, Steve, ‘Learning to be Kunwinjku: Kunwinjku people discuss their
pedagogy’, PhD Thesis, Charles Darwin University, 2006)
4Just, anyway. Do something for no specific reason, purpose or intent, do something despite
reasons not to, do something freely without restrictions or limitations.
-
Ngamdjalbom.
I've just rung you on the phone for no reason (just to say hello).
-
"Yuwn yikan mankukyahwurd makka" "Bonj warribo ngadjalkan ngakinje ngangun. Bonj bu
mankukyahwurd"
"Don't take that yam, it's too small". "Whatever, I'll just take it anyway and cook it
up and eat it. Doesn't matter if it's small".
(Jill Nganjmirra)
-
Wanjh nunganwali wurdyaw kamayhmakmen - kadjalre nawu kambun mayh. Kaluk minj
bidlarrk kamdurndeng.
The child in turn will become a good hunter, he just goes and gets an animal, and he
never comes back empty handed.
(Quoted in Etherington, Steve, ‘Learning to be Kunwinjku: Kunwinjku people discuss their
pedagogy’, PhD Thesis, Charles Darwin University, 2006 )
GrammarPrefix on verbs, noun-adjective compounds, adjectives, numerals and locations. When it
restricts nouns, it is a separate word rather than a prefix. Despite being a complex word,
the semantic range of 'djal' is very similar to 'just' in English, so speakers of either
language should find the translation fairly intuitive. It can mean 'only' (just the women
and not the men), 'exactly' (that's just the thing, just ten and no more). 'keep on doing,
continuously' (he just stayed there), 'for no particular reason' (I just decided to come
along') or 'despite reasons to the contrary' etc ('I just did it anyway').