Locked up and neglected, it can decline and die.

Sent out to play, it can grow new muscles of the most meaningful kind.

Friday was all about the latter in the Eurobodalla.

The dedicated work of siblings Patricia Ellis, Kerry Boyenga and Waine Donovan on the Dhurga language reached a major milestone, with the publication of the Dhurga Dictionary and Learners Grammar.

Jackie French AM, author, launched the book at Moruya Library.

The Dhurga language is one of the languages of the Yuin Nation, spoken on the South Coast and Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, from south of Nowra to Narooma and west to Braidwood and Araluen.

The CEO of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), Craig Ritchie, said the dictionary was a long-awaited resource for the Dhurga speaking people of Yuin Country and will be a valuable book for any person wanting to learn the traditional language.

"The community has worked tirelessly over many years to develop the Dhurga Dictionary and we are proud at AIATSIS to be able to help it reach publication," Mr Ritchie said.

"The dictionary is a boost for the teaching and Dhurga language revitalisation work already happening with the community and schools on the South Coast of New South Wales. It will serve as an invaluable resource for many years to come."

Patricia, Kerry and Waine have spent 20 years teaching Dhurga language in schools and have over 80 years of collective experience in education.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of the siblings, linguists and a dedicated community, the revival of the Dhurga language has allowed for speakers young and old to embrace the traditional language previously considered endangered.

The publication is the most concise compilation of the Dhurga language, with more than 730 words, as well as informant and recorder details to validate authenticity. It is the first of its kind, designed to be user-friendly for all literacy levels and readers.

It was published through the Indigenous Languages Preservation: Dictionaries Project, run by AIATSIS and funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA). Visit Aboriginal Studies Press.