Race. The assertion that the Australian languages are offshoots of one original tongue is based on the following glossarial and grammatical evidence. To begin with glossarial proof. In this work will be found a vocabulary of 124 English words with translations into more than 250 of the languages of Australia, which, from their geographical positions, may be assumed to be fair specimens of the whole. Of these 124 words, 20 are shown below to extend, with unimportant variations, throughout the continent; some
appearing in almost all of the languages; others in several parts of the continent; and others in perhaps half-a-dozen languages only, but in places wide apart, and, what is important, on each of the principal routes by which the descendants of the first comers to our shores spread themselves throughout Australia. Of this statement, evidence, which it is hoped will be conclusive, will be found in the following table. Should it not be so, a glance at the Comparative Vocabulary in Vol. IV. will convince the most sceptical on this head.
table of Common and Wide-spread australian words.
Aboriginal Words. Signification.. Remarks. Oonna, Koonna, Excrement In nineteen out of every twenty of our Koodna, Goonna, languages, are found terms meaning Koonung, Kwan, excrevnent which differ but little from Kom, &c. those given. They are evidently variations of one word. Bowels and excrement are often expressed by the same word. Jeii, Jin, Jeenna, Foot The equivalents of foot in nineteen Jiima, Chinna, languages out of twenty, throughout Deena, Djeena, the continent, bear a marked resem- Tidna, Thidna, blance. Tina, &c. Me, Mi, Mir, MaQ, Eye- Me or mt, or some variation of those Meul, Mealo, sounds, in the sense of eye, prevail in Milki,MiUi,DiUi, the great majority of Australian TiUi, &c. languages.
