The Wiradyuri and Other Languages of New South Wales | Page 3

"Who killed the kangaroo?" "Whose boomerang is this?" might elicit the reply, Ngaddyi.
In a common conversation, however, the pronominal affixes are employed.
The third personal pronouns have several forms and are subject to much variation, depending upon the position of the parties referred to. Many of them are practically demonstratives.
Interrogatives.--Who, ngandi? Who (agent), nganduwa? Who (dual), nganduwanbula? Who (plural), nganduwandugir? Who for, ngandigula? Whose is this, ngangunginna? Nganduga is equivalent to "I wonder who?" or "I don't know who." Who from, ngangundiburrami? What, minyang? What is that, minyawanna? What for, minyangula? What from, minyalli? How many (what number), minyanggulma??
Demonstratives.--The following are a few examples:--This, nginna. These (dual), nginnabula. This other one, nginnagwal. From this, nginnalidhi. Belonging to this, nginnagula. With this, nginnadhurai. That, ngunnila. That other one, ngunniloagwal. That yonder, ngunnainbirra. A native will frequently state the location of an article by its compass direction from a particular tree or other well-known spot.
These demonstratives are very numerous--many of them being used as pronouns of the third person, and are declined for number, person, and case. They also vary according to the position of the object referred to in regard to the speaker, and likewise change with the relative position of the object to the person addressed.
In all parts of aboriginal speech, words are occasionally met with so closely alike in pronunciation that it is almost impossible for any one but a native to detect the difference.
Verbs.
The moods are the indicative, imperative, conditional, and infinitive. The verb stem and a contraction of the necessary pronouns are incorporated, and the words thus formed are used in the conjugation. These are, however, modifications of the affixed particles in the past and future tenses to express differences in time.
In the following conjugation of the verb "to beat" the present tense is given in full. In the past and future tenses, one example in the first person singular is thought sufficient, because any required person and number in each tense can be obtained by following the directions given in the text.
Indicative Mood--Present Tense.
Singular 1st Person I beat Bumurradhu. 2nd " Thou beatest Bumurrandu. 3rd " He beats Bumurragwa. Dual 1st Person We, incl., beat Bumurrali. We, excl., beat Bumurraliguna. 2nd " You beat Bumurrandubla. 3rd " They beat Bumurragwainbula. Plural 1st " We, incl., beat Bumurrani. We, excl., beat Bumurraniguna. 2nd " You beat Bumurrandugir. 3rd " They beat Bumurragwainguler.
Past Tense.
1st Person I beat just now Bumulbêndhu. Singular, I beat this morning Bumulngurrindhu. I beat yesterday Bumulgwandhu. I beat, indefinite Bumêdhu. I beat long ago Bumulgridyu.
Dhu, softened to dyu in some cases, is a contraction of ngadhu.
Future Tense.
1st Person I will beat, indefinite Bumulgiridyu. Singular, I will beat, soon Bumulyawagiridyu. I will beat in the morning Bumulngurrigiridu.
Owing to the several inflections of the verb in the past and future tneses, for immediate, proximate, and more or less remote times of the performance of the action,[8] it is often found convenient, especially when speaking in the dual or plural, to prefix a complete pronoun from the table of pronouns. Thus, instead of saying, Bumulbênli, a native frequently expresses it, Ngulli bumulbên. Again, instead of saying, Bumulgiriniguna, he would use, Ngeaniguna bumulgiri. This leaves the termination of the verb freer for the numerous inflexions.
Imperative Mood.
Singular Beat thou Buma. Dual Beat you Bumandubla. Plural Beat you Bumandugir.
Conditional Mood.
Perhaps I will beat. Yama bumulgiridyu.
Infinitive Mood.
To beat Bumulli.
Reflexive.
There is a reflex form of the verb, as when one does anything to himself:
I am beating myself Bumungadyilli?dyu.
Reciprocal.
The dual and plural contain a reciprocal form of the verb, as where two or more persons beat each other:
We, (dual excl.,) are beating each other Ngulliguna bumullên. We, (pl. excl.,) are beating each other Ngeaniguna bumullên.
There is no passive. The sentence, A woman was bitten by a dog, is expressed by, A dog bit a woman.
The prohibitive or negative in all the moods, tenses, and numbers is obtained by using the word Kurria with the verb, thus: Kurria buma, beat not. Kurria bumulgiridyu, I will not beat. Another form is used where there is uncertainty, as, Wirraigurra bumulgiridyu, which expressed the meaning "I don't think I will beat," or, "Perhaps I will not."
Murrung nginyadhu has the meaning of "I am well," and may be called a substitute for our verb "to be." By incorporating yalu with this expression, it makes it more emphatic, as, Yalu murrung nginyadhu, "Really I am well." Any adjective describing a human attribute may be taken as a predicate, as, good, bad, strong, sleepy, and employed with the modifications of the word nginya.
Prepositions.
A number of prepositions are independent words, as: Behind, yabbungura. In front, willidya. Across, dargin. Around, waiangadha. Outside, or, on the other side, ngunningura. Inside, muguma. This side, nginnungaradha. Billaga ngunningura, the other side of the creek. On the right, bumalgala. On the left, mirrangur. Ahead, bangana?. In the