Ethnological studies among the North-West-Central Queensland aborigines / by Walter E. Roth.

  • Roth, Walter Edmund.
Date:
1897
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ethnological studies among the North-West-Central Queensland aborigines / by Walter E. Roth. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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48/274 (page 28)
The following are some terms, other than those already given, relating to ideas of time:— wen-kb ? = when. kur-ri = now, immediately, soon, to-day. w#Z-ka-na, md-ra-li = to-morrow. e-la-Zi-e = to-morrow. tun-a-e-la-Za-e = every-day, daily, always, ever and ever. yd-ka yd- ka-ye = night-time. too-ro, loan-ta, kun-na = by-and-by, later on. ung-k&A& a-I’oo-na = before after. tiche-linga nunyo ungkala: tima-linga nuuyo akoona f= I will eat before I drink (lit. = I will eat before : I will drink after). Beyond a few months’ duration, Time-when cannot be accurately expressed: reference is made to some event of more than passing importance—such as a big flood, or drought, or some special initiation ceremony, or a tribal fight, perhaps. Very long lapses of time are called to memory by expressions somewhat after this fashion : “When I was a child,” “ Before the white-fellow came,” “Before the blaekfellow jumped-up here,” “ When the animals and birds were all black- fellows,” represent pretty accurately the comparative and progressively increasing past eras of the aboriginal calendar. 39. Ideas of Place, Direction, and Distance. Attention will be directed elsewhere to local nomenclature (sect. 226) as well as to the limits of direction (sect. 227), the cardinal and intermediate points of the compass being known. The following are some of the more ordinary terms used to define place and direction:— il-7« = hither (to front or side). 7Ma-ka = hither (to close-up-at-the-back). ll-Z^-ri = thither (yonder). noong-a-ye = here (at front or side). noong-a-ka = here (at close-up-at-the-back). noonq-d-ri = there (yonder), fo-ta-lim-me ? = whither ? in-ifi ?, win-ta ? = whereabouts ? what, which, place ? tra-ra-ra, t5 = a long-way oft', far away from. moong-ka-ta = in the neighbourhood of, close to. ye-ni-moowy-ka-ta ? = how far ? Distance is measured by the number of “ su,ns” or “ sleeps” taken in performing the journey—the day’s travel of course varying in different directions according to the waterholes, &c., or else by enumerating the number of creeks, hills, &c., which require to be traversed. 40. Interrogation— Doubt or Uncertainty. a. The direct question is indicated by— (i.) Some form of the relative interrogative, already referred to in sect. 35— wara ? = ’who ? which P minna ? = what ? which ? min-na-ll = why ? (ii.) The suffix -pa ? when the answer “ yes” or “ no” only is expected— kooyungo-pa ? = was it (is it) a good man? munna-pa ? = was it (is it) a good one ? (iii.) In all other cases nd-ri is used, placed immediately after the verb— mare-nari nunyo nokou makowata-ko ?= shall I bring this spear ? kunda-linga-nari nunyo tinungara-eno pari-pari-nga P = shall I go northwards after my belongings ? b. Expressions of doubt or uncertainty. (i.) May, perhaps, might, &q. = we-vi (already referred to in sect. 30&). (ii.) “It is doubtful whether,” “One hardly knows,” “ One would think so, but can’t be sure,” &c. = Jcul-ll kill-II (sects. 99, 100), md-ra.