dubitatione congerunt. Feminæque procul dubio pejores si id quidem potest quam ipsi homines. Ut in albis hominibus "damn" aut "proh! fidem" aut "Dii immortales" ita apud eos verba obscænissima audiri potest.
Ne parentes quidem se retinebunt quominus liberos parvos sermone pudendo alloquantur; liberisque coram disserunt ea quæ nunquam impuberibus dici fas est. Matresque semper pene liberis dant nomina nostris auribus fœdissima præ illorum sententiis innoxia et pura. Puer sæpe nominant Dango Willin (lappa). Hoc nomen extremum difficile expressu significat ut lappa cui affigat hærebit ita homo cui nomen "lappa" sit in deliciis veneris inhærebit.
LANGUAGE OF THE NATIVES.
(By the Rev. John Bulmer, of Lake Tyers, Gippsland.)
1. In what way is the article expressed and used in the Aboriginal tongue? (See Remarks.)
| A house | | Mangu ketchoon. |
| The tree | | Gingin ngleppur. |
2. Is such a thing as gender known in the Aboriginal language? If so, how is it used?—(See Remarks.) Give the equivalents of—
| Stone | | Walloong. |
| Male kangaroo | Brangolo jirrah. | |
| Female kangaroo | Booyangan jirrah. |
And the male and female designations of other animals if there appear to be any regularity in forming the feminine from the masculine.
3. How is the plural formed? Give examples, as—
| Kangaroo | | Jirrah. | Men | ||
| Kangaroos | (No plural form.) | Tree | Ngleppur. | ||
| Man | Bra. | Trees | Yail ngleppur. |
4. How are the adjectives used? Are there degrees of comparison, and, if so, how are they formed or expressed? Give examples—
| A tall man | | Wreckil kani. |
| A taller man | Gnoolo wrekil kani. | |
| The tallest man | Mack gnoolo wrekil kani. |
5. Personal pronouns–
| I | | Ngio. | | We | | Werna. |
| Thou | Mangi. | Ye or you | Ngoortana. | |||
| He | Gindi. | They | Thana. | |||
| She | ||||||
| It |
Is gender known in respect of the personal pronouns?—(See Remarks.) Are there cases? If so, give equivalents—
| I | We | | Werna. | ||
| Mine | Ngetal. | Ours | Ninde thana. | ||
| Me | Ngio. | Us | Werna. |
