Page:An Australian language as spoken by the Awabakal.djvu/191

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Analysis of the name Birahan.

��1. Declension of ' Biraian,^ as a common noun.

The word is formed from bira, the cry of the bird which we call the 'eagle-hawk.' The -ban po^tfixed denotes the one who does the action. As applied to M'G-ill, the name may have been given to him from some circumstance in his infancy, perhaps his infantile cry.* Nam. 1. Konein ta biraban ta, 'the hawk is pretty.'

2. Biraban to wiyan, 'the hawk cries,' lit., speaks. Oen. Tarro unni biraban koba, ' this egs is the hawk's.' Dat, 1. Unni ta biraban ko takilliko, ' this is for the hawk

to eat.' 2. Waita bag biraban tako, ' I depart to the hawk,'

i.e., to where the hawk is. Jcc. Tura bon biraban uniiug, 'spear him, the hawk there.' Vac. Ala or ela biraban! ' hawk '! Ahl. 1. Minarig tin tetti noa? biraban tin; 'from what

cause is he dead ' ? ' from the hawk,' as a cause.

2. Tul-bulleun noa tibbin biraban ka tabirug, 'he, the bird, hath escaped from the hawk.'

3. Buloara bula biraban toa, 'the two are in company with the hawk.'

4. Tibbin ta biraban taba, 'the bird is with the hawk.'

5. "Wonnug ke noa katan? biraban kinba, 'where does he exist '? 'at the hawk's place.'

Minarig unnoa tibbin? 'what is that bird'? tibbin ta unnoa bukka-kau, ' it is a savage bird that.'

Yakoai unnoa ta yitara wiya? 'how is that such-a-one spoken'? equivalent to 'what is its name'? giakai unnoa yitara biraban wiya, 'this way, that such-a-one is spoken or called biraban.'

Minarig tin yitara biraban wiya? ' from-what-canse is such-a-one spoken or called biraban'? gali tin wiyelli tin bira-bira tin, 'from this, from speaking, from bira-bira '; i.e., because he says 'bira.'

2. Declension of ^ Biraban, as a proper name.

Nom. 1. Gan ke bi? gatoa Biraban, ' who art thou'? 'it is I, Biraban'; yakoai bi yitara wiya? giakai bag yitara Birp^ban, 'in what manner art thou such-a- one spoken'? 'thus am I such-a-one, Biraban,' sc, called.

  • ' Eagle-hawk ' may have been his totem or family name ; or, as our

blackfellovvs name their children from some trivial incident at the time of birth, he may have been called Biraban, because an ' eagle-hawk ' waa seen or heard then. —Ed.

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