Darkinjung

D2A1R1K5I1N1J8U1N1G2

proper noun

A region of coastal New South Wales, Australia.

Scrabble 23

Meanings

proper noun

alternative Darginyung · alternative Darkinung · alternative Darkiñung · alternative Darkinyung

  1. A region of coastal New South Wales, Australia.
  2. human sciencesThe extinct language of the people of that region.

    Four languages are recognised as being spoken across the study area at contact: Darginyung, Guringai, Dharuk and Dharawal.

    1999, The Archaeology of Rock Art
    4 more examples

    No. 4 represents the country occupied by the tribes speaking the Darkinung, Wannerawa, Warrimee, Wannungine, Dharrook and some other dialects.

    1898, R. H. Mathews, “Initiation in Australian Tribes”, in Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society Held at Philadelphia for Promoting Useful Knowledge, volume 37

    The Darkiñung speaking people adjoined the Kamilaroi on the south-east and occupied a considerable range of country in the counties of Hunter, Northumberland and Cook, extending from Wilberforce and Wiseman’s Ferry on the Hawkesbury river, to Jerry’s Plains and Singleton on the Hunter, and including the basins of the Colo and Macdonald rivers, Wollombi Brook and other streams.

    1903, R. H. Mathews, “Languages of the Kamilaroi and other Aboriginal tribes of New South Wales”, in The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, volume 33

    Aboriginal languages spoken in the settled areas of the Cumberland Plain, which lies to the east of the Blue Mountains in the immediate vicinity of Syndey, included speakers of Dharuk, Iyora, Guringgai, Dharawal, Gundungura, Darkinyung and Awabakal.

    1996, Atlas of Languages of Intercultural Communication in the Pacific, Asia, and the Americas

    Old materials on O1, Dharuk, give 1du as ŋala or ŋalu and there is no explanation for the final vowel (note, though, that ŋali is found in the closely related language O2, Darkinjung).

    2002, R. M. W. Dixon, Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development
nounDarkinjung pl (plural only)

alternative Darginyung · alternative Darkinung · alternative Darkiñung · alternative Darkinyung

  1. pluralplural onlyThe Aboriginal people once associated with that region.

    Another incident, this time from the country of the Darkinung people (near Newcastle, New South Wales) illustrates our point.

    1995, Tony Swain, Garry Trompf, The Religions of Oceania
Cite this entry
APA

Darkinjung. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Darkinjung

MLA

“Darkinjung.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Darkinjung. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Darkinjung,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Darkinjung.

Source: Darkinjung on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.