In the 1870s, early white explorers described the Warumungu as a flourishing nation.

[3][4] In 1934, a reserve that had been set aside for the Warumungu in 1892 was revoked in order to clear the way for gold prospecting.

[3] Warumungu is classified as a living language,[5] but its number of speakers seemed to be decreasing quickly.

Today, the language is in a robust position compared to many indigenous Australian languages, as it is being acquired by children and used in daily interaction by all generations, and the situation is sustainable though some ethnic group members may prefer Kriol.

[4] An example of a Warumungu sentence might be apurtu im deya o warraku taun kana, meaning 'father's mother, is she there, in town, or not?'.