NATIVE VOCABULARY Compiled by R.R. Harvey, M.B., Ch. B. Of Norseman, DUNDAS Magisterial District SECTION XII LANGUAGE: GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARIES Names given are of natives from which vocabularies were obtained. Part 2. C. 5. Vocabularies of Natives from Norseman, Southern Cross and Eastern Goldfield Districts R. R. Harvey of Dundas. |
| Blackfellow | Blackfellow (of Malbert tribe)bulgoo, fahdook |
| Boy | doider = a little boy |
| Arm (left) | wango, wangoo |
| Beard | angoora, gnangoora |
| Body | bongy |
| Ear | goolah |
| Eye | mel, waroo |
| Foot (left) | footjinna, jeena |
| Hair | wendo, beedie |
| Hand | marra, mīra |
| Head | barba(h) |
| Ham string tendon | breedie |
| Kneecap | maudie |
| Legs | goora (h) |
| Neck | tungin |
| Nose | moola(h) |
| Teeth | yerrie, yeerie |
| Tongue | mithert, jallit, jelang |
| Wrist | māra |
| Dingo, female | jojo |
| Kangaroo, generic | yungoora (= long leg) |
| Kangaroo Rat | binjee |
| Kangaroo, Red | colbairt |
| Sheep | narnie |
| Crow | wah, wangala |
| Eagle Hawk | yarra |
| Emu | widjee tulah |
| Screecher | wokeroo (from the noise they make) |
| 2 | |
| Iguana (generic) | galga kalung |
| Iguana, stump-tailed | yūna |
| Mountain devil | meenjin |
| Blackbut | goodbarrah |
| Gum tree | cowan |
| Mallee | currah |
| Pine tree | boodanya |
| Rock | burrie |
| Salmon gum | warrah |
| Scrub, the | moolillie dordie |
| Sea | mommart |
| Spring, a | birna |
| Ti-tree | boogan |
| Water | midjal |
| Waterhole, big | mumbart |
| White gum tree | warbaroo |
General Vocabulary
| Boomerang | warrin, kile, wallanna |
| Bury, to | dagebuh, dambadgin |
| Cold, a | kaleroo (big cold) |
| Dead | jingah = dead, minedu = about to die; mango = dead person, mimebo gadding yowie = just now dead coombah = by and by dead yennal = dead and leave him behind and blackfellow run away. |
| Frost | ninya, warra |
| Ghost | dibble dibble |
| Heaven | woogaway |
| Ill (sick) | gninedine |
| Shield | Shield (woomera)warral |
| Spear (hunting) | kardy |
| Waddy | koondy |
| 10. Boodanya | pine tree |
| Moolillie | jam wood shrub |
| Dordie | thick trees = gimlet scrub |
| Warran | salmon gum |
| Currah | mallee |
| Boogan | tea tree |
| Goodbarrah | blackbut |
| Warbaroo | white gum |
| 16. Malbert extended from a high mountain | |
| Badling four days journey west of Norseman (perhaps Mt. Holland) to Frazer Range touching the sea at Israelite Bay. There were many subdivisions. The Norseman sub-tribe extended from Mt. Innibulanya (Trig Hill) to Newcamin (Dundas) and west to Mt. Badling. The Norseman sub-tribe called their country Mree and were about 300 in number though now reduced to 20. | |
| 17. The Malbert tribe were bounded by the Nyung-ah (Esperance and westwards) and the Wingarnie (northwards) who give their name to their headquarters (50 mile tank). Beyond them (N.W.) were the Walyibbie. The Walabby West of Coolgardie, the Ganinnie, Kalgoorlie way, and the Gombally further north. Eastward of Balladonia were the Ninedee. | |
| 18. The Norseman sub-tribe took certain landmarks for their boundaries, Innibulanya, Neucannia and Badling. | |
| 19. I am inclined to think yungoora means a kangaroo and yungooroo many kangaroos, but am not sure.Yong-ger Kangaroo Yung-ar man (Bibbulmun terms + Esperance | |
| 23. A half caste child was taken into the hospital because his mother said the men were going to eat it when they went out back as it was a white man’s child. | |
| 25. On salmon gum flats birds were noticed to go into hollow trees and marks were seen of water running down from the hollow. A long stick passed down the tree was withdrawn wet. The distance would be marked outside the tree and the hole bored with tomahawk and plugged for future use. | |
| 4 | |
| Names of members of Norseman blacks, with English names. | |
| Yowing | Joey |
| Ninyulga | Maggie |
| Brungubba | Billy |
| Winnie | Maude |
| Numbul also Bifall | (the latter name means piebald, this man having patches of white skin) – Tommy. Pinnie, his mother; Chuna, his father |
| Chuey – the last chief of the Norseman sub-tribe. The country was referred to as Chuey’s country, though its true name was Mree. | |
| Barboraga | a boy |
| Nannie | billy |
| Woorie | a white topped hill across lake Cowan from Norseman. |
| Burree Rocks | each side of track leading west from Lake Cowan. |
| Gnara | a rock to the north. |
| Miranee | a mountain four miles W.N.W. of Norseman. |
| Mō'ree | Rocks 10 miles west of Norseman. |
| Ningarlie Rocks | 12 miles west on old track to Coolgardie (Amphitheatre Rocks) |
| Jumbulanya | Trig Hill |
| Moorabie | (Woolyeenga) |
| Guljeena | Mount Deans |
| Toorunyie | Mildura Hill |
| Toorawing | St. Agnes Hill |
| Mungoonie | Hill on Coolgardie Road |
| Toorabbin | Dundas Hill |
| Rabbro | narrow part of Lake Cowan at Norseman. |
| Jee or Kay | two days journey west. |
| Mudaring | three days journey west. |
| Badling | mountain, four days journey west. |
| Unyumie | big rock west of Mt. Kuk |
| Pantimmie | big sand plain ten miles west of Norseman and a little S. |
| On Coolgardie Road | |
| Yerrime | big hill Norseman side of the Bore |
| Wingarnie | 50 mile tank |
| Nunnarie | at two roads mallee water on rock flat |
| 5 | |
| Moānie | Namma hole |
| Pocarbie | big hill round |
| Dordie | rock namma hole |
| Occullie | right along telegraph lone, Mt. Morgan Chinaman Hill. |
On Esperance Road
| Newcannia | Dundas rocks |
| Malleena | Lake View (Gilmours) |
| A South Australian black tracker was admitted to Norseman Hospital for putrid circumcision wound. He said he was surrounded by blacks one night, thrown down and circumcised. He knew the blacks. The Malbert blacks were all circumcised and the women were subjected to excission of the clitoris or mymphae. They appear to have been called Fahlook or Bahdook from the practice of circumcision. (Dr. H. thinks there are philological analogies between aboriginal and Aryan tongues – D.M.B.) |
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