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Heat and cold are named according to the ejaculations induced by each.
Tree, grass, water, fire and earth, are called after some plainly seen natural peculiarity.
In this manner or method it is quite possible for a language to originate, and to become, after many centuries of practice, quite copious enough for all common purposes, in life's everyday intercourse.
This first accepted principle, however, is altogether lacking in the dialects of these aborigines; natural objects, feelings, and appearances have never seemingly been called in to aid in their construction[1]; had they been, the numerous aboriginal dialects would have been much less meagre, and more similar than inquirers have found them. The lack of similarity is somewhat wonderful, considering how closely the territory of many of these tribes approximates; that it is so, however is an incontrovertable fact to which anyone can speak who has had the opportunity of familiar intercourse with the various tribes. Every tribe speaks a perfectly distinct tongue[2] which is altogether unintelligible to aborigines out of its own pale; and when we tell the reader that about every fifty miles square of the mountainous or well-watered portion of Australia possesses a separate tribe having a dialect of its own, he can well imagine the
- ↑ There are three exceptions to this rule, which are as follows:—The plover is named after its note perrit perrit; the goose after hers Ngack Ngack; and the mountain duck after her call, Nguckernel.
- ↑ We use distinct advisedly, although there are some few instances which we could name where neighbouring tribes mix and intermingle, when, as a matter of course under these circumstances portions of the respective dialects spoken are incorporated into each; but as instances of this character are very rare indeed it is scarcely worth while making exceptions of them.
