The Wiradyuri and Other Languages of New South Wales | Page 6

the camp go away.
Adjectives.
Adjectives follow the qualified nouns, and are inflected in the same manner for number and case. Buru mununmang, a kangaroo large; burubula mununbula, a couple of large kangaroos; burudyimma munundyimma, several large kangaroos.
Casuative.--Baualga mununga mirri ngubuningga, a man large a dog will beat. The other cases are also declined like the nouns. Frequently one of the affixes, both in number and case, is omitted sometimes the affix of the noun, and in other instances that of the adjective, being thus eliminated, according to the euphony of the expression.
A predicative adjective becomes an intransitive verb, and is conjugated accordingly. An example in the singular will be sufficient:
Singular 1st Person I am large Mununmangga. 2nd " Thou art large Mununmandyi. 3rd " He is large Mununma?.
Comparison of adjecitves is effected by such expressions as, Gudba ngunu, yeddhung nin, bad this, good that. Yeddhung madi ngunu, this is very good.
Pronouns.
These are declined for number, person and case, but are without gender. They contain the inclusive and exclusive forms in the first person of the dual and plural:
Singular 1st Person I Gulangga. 2nd " Thou Gulandyi. 3rd " He Dhanu.
Examples in the dual and plural are omitted, as their terminations will appear in the conjugation of the verbs. The foregoing full forms of the pronouns are used chiefly in answer to a question. In ordinary conversation the pronominal suffixes to verbs, nouns and other parts of speech, supply their place.
Towards, or with, me, gulangguria. Away from me, gulangguridyia. Belonging to me, gulangguia. Myself, mittimbaldya, and so on. All these can be inflected for number and person.
Demonstratives.--These may be classed under different heads, of which the following are a few examples:
Position.--Ngunu, this, close. Ngunubun, this also. Ni?, that. Ni?wulu, that only. Wurranaguddha, that, a little way off. Warranandiwang, that, farther still. Mudhamaguwarri, a long way off.
Direction.--Ngunaga, that (in rear of speaker). Barunggo, that (in front of speaker). Ngunainbil, that this side (of something). Nguna-au, that on other side (of something). Gagurwarru, that in the hollow. Warrugunnawang, that on the rising ground, or hill.
Size.--Warranalang, that large one. Warranuggada, that small one.
Possessive.--Ningulangu, belonging to that. Warranalangu, belonging to that large one. Nidyulangu, belonging to those two persons.
Number.--Warranungulu, those two. Warradyimmila?, those several animals or things.
Person.--Ngunadya, this mine. Ngunadyi, this thine. Ngunawung, this his.
"This" and "that" in all the foregoing examples can also mean "here" and "there" according to the context.
Interrogatives.--Who, ngunnaga? Whose, ngunnagangu? Who from, ngunnaganguridyi? What, minya? What (did something), minyaga?
Verbs.
The verb has the usual moods and tenses, and is inflected throughout for number and person. In the first person of the dual and plural there is a variation in the affix to the verb to indicate the inclusion or exclusion of the person spoken to.
Indicative Mood--Present Tense.
Singular 1st Person I beat Ngubumangga. 2nd " Thou beatest Ngubumandyi. 3rd " He beats Ngubuma?. Dual 1st Person We, incl., beat Ngubumanga. We, excl., beat Ngubumangalu. 2nd " You beat Ngubumanbu. 3rd " They beat Ngubumanbula. Plural 1st Person We, incl. beat, Ngubumanyin. We, excl. beat, Ngubumanyilla. 2nd " You beat Ngubumanhu. 3rd " They beat Ngubumandyula.
Past Tense.
1st Person I beat, indefinite Nguburingga. Singular, I beat recently Ngubumuingga. I beat going along Ngubunyirringga. I beat long ago Nguburiangga.
Future.
I will beat, indefinite Ngubuningga. I will beat soon Ngubumunningga.
The inflections extend through all the persons and numbers of the past and future tenses by means of the suffixed particles shown in the present tense.
Imperative.
Singular Beat thou Ngubi. Dual Beat you Ngubidyaiau. Plural Beat you Ngubidyaianhu. Negative or prohibitive Beat not Ngubimuga.
Conditional Mood.
Perhaps I will beat Ngubuninggawundu.
Reflexive.
I am beating myself Ngubuwillimangga. I was beating myself Ngubuwilliringga. I will beat myself Ngubuwilliningga. and so on for the other persons and numbers. Imperative.--Beat thyself Ngubuwilli.
Reciprocal.
Dual We, excl., beat each other Ngubuwillaringalung. Plural We, excl., beat each other Ngubuwillarinyilla.
Imperative reciprocal.
Dual Beat each other Ngubilliau. Plural Beat each other Ngubillianhu.
An infix, muga, between the stem of the verb and the termination, gives a negative meaning, as, Ngubumugamangalu, we, dual exclusive, did not beat.
There is no passive form of the verb, all sentences being in the active voice, thus, instead of saying, "A boomerang was thrown by the man," the phrase would be, "The man threw a boomerang."
The verb is inflected for the same number as the noun. A kangaroo saw I, buru nangurringga. A pair of kangaroos saw I, burumbla nangurringbla. Several kangaroos saw I, burulula nangurringdyula.
Different shades of meaning are imparted to verbs by additions to the affixes: I was eating going along, dhaimballinyirrimuingga. I beat before (some event), ngubururingawung. I beat after (some event), ngubullaringawung. I threw frequently, yerrimbillidyingga. I was throwing alone, yerrilimuingga. I am always beating, ngubadyingga.
Adverbs.
Yes, ngi. No, gurraga?. Now, yanggu. Yesterday, burranda. By and by, gaugau. Long ago, nudyina. Always, bulu.
How, ngindyin. How many, or what number, wunnamala?. Where, wunda. Certainly, ganni. Then, yanbi. Very or