The Gundungurra Language, R. H. Mathews [best large ebook reader TXT] 📗

have the singular, dual and plural numbers, the usual persons and tenses, and three principal moods, viz., indicative, imperative and conditional. The verb-stem and a contraction of the pronoun are incorporated, and the word thus formed is used in the conjugation. INDICATIVE MOOD.

Present Tense.

  Singular. First Person I throw (throw I) Yerreemangga
               Second Person Thou throwest Yerreemandyee
               Third Person He throws Yerreemañ

  Dual. First Person We throw, incl. Yerreemang′a
                              We throw, excl. Yerreemangaloong
               Second Person Ye throw Yerreemanboo
               Third Person They throw Yerreemanboola

  Plural. First Person We throw, incl. Yerreemanyan
                              We throw, excl. Yerreemanyalla
               Second Person Ye throw Yerreemanthoo
               Third Person They throw Yerreemandyoolung

Past Tense.

  Singular. First Person I threw (threw I) Yerreeing′ga
               Second Person Thou threwest Yerreerindyee
               Third Person He threw Yerreering

  Dual. First Person We threw, incl. Yerreering′a
                              We threw, excl. Yerreeringaloong
               Second Person Ye threw Yerreeringboo
               Third Person They threw Yerreeringboola

  Plural. First Person We threw, incl. Yerreeooranyan
                              We threw, excl. Yerreeooranyulla
               Second Person Ye threw Yerreeooranthoo
               Third Person They threw Yerreeooradyoolung

Future Tense.

  Singular. First Person I will throw Yerreeningga
               Second Person Thou wilt throw Yerrenindyee
               Third Person He will throw Yerreeniñ

  Dual. First Person We will throw, incl. Yerreening′a
                              We will throw, excl. Yerreeningaloong
               Second Person Ye will throw Yerreenimboo
               Third Person They will throw Yerreenimboola

  Plural. First Person We will throw, incl. Yerreeninyan
                              We will throw, excl. Yerreeninyulla
               Second Person Ye will throw Yerreemunanthoo
               Third Person They will throw Yerreemunadyoolung

IMPERATIVE MOOD.

Singular Second Person Throw thou Yer′-ree Dual Second Person Throw ye Yer′-ree-ou′ Plural Second Person Throw ye Yer′-ree-a-nhoor′

CONDITIONAL MOOD.

Perhaps I will throw Yerreeningga booramboonda

If a negative meaning be required, it is effected by means of an infix, mooga, between the verb-stem and the abbreviated pronoun. One example in the first person singular in each tense will exhibit the negative form of the verb:

  I am not throwing Yerreemoogamangga
  I did not throw Yerreemoogaringga
  I will not throw Yerreemooganingga

This negative infix can be applied in the same manner to all the persons of the three tenses.

There are numerous modifications of the verbal suffixes to convey variations of meaning; as, “I threw at him,” “He threw at me,” etc., which can be conjugated for number and person. Case can also be indicated in this way, as already stated in dealing with the nouns.

Verbs have no passive voice. If a native desires to state that a fish was swallowed by a pelican, he would say, “A pelican swallowed a fish.”

Prepositions.

Some prepositions can be used separately, as dhooreegoong, between; warroo, around; willinga, behind, and several others, thus: Dhooreegoong ngullawoolee, between trees two or between two trees; gunbee warroo, the fire around or around the fire.

A prepositional meaning is often obtained by a verb; thus, instead of having a word for “up” or “down,” a native will say, Boomaningga, up I will go; woorâramuningga, down I will go. Many of the prepositions admit of conjugation for number and person, as in the following example:

  Singular. First Person Behind me Willingīa
               Second Person Behind thee Willinganyee
               Third Person Behind him Willingâwoong

  Dual. First Person Behind us, incl. Willingangulla
                              Behind us, excl. Willingangullung
               Second Person Behind ye Willingangâwooloong
               Third Person Behind them Willingangawoolangoo

  Plural. First Person Behind us, incl. Willinganyanung
                              Behind us, excl. Willinganyanungoo
               Second Person Behind ye Willinganthooroong
               Third Person Behind them Willingadyanung

Adverbs.

Space will not permit of a list of adverbs any further than to illustrate how some of them can be conjugated:

  Singular. First Person Where go I Ngoondeeneea
               Second Person Where goest thou Ngoondeeneeñee
               Third Person Where goes he Ngoondeeneeoong

  Dual. First Person Where go we, incl. Ngoondeeneenga
                              Where go we, excl. Ngoondeeneengoolung
               Second Person Where go ye Ngoondeeneewoo
               Third Person Where go they Ngoondeeneewoola

  Plural. First Person Where go we, incl. Ngoondeeneeñnun
                              Where go we, excl. Ngoondeeneeñulla
               Second Person Where go ye Ngoondeeneeñoo
               Third Person Where go they Ngoondeeneeyoolung

Adverbial meanings are sometimes conveyed by means of verbs, as beetyballeemañ, he (or it) goes out of sight. Conjunctions and interjections are few and unimportant.

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