Page:The Euahlayi Tribe.djvu/51

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14
THE EUAHLAYI TRIBE

Nimmaylee is a porcupine with the spines coming; such an one having been brought to the camp just as a girl was born, she became Nimmaylee.

The mothers, with native politeness, ask you to give their children English names, but much more often use in familiar conversation either the Kumbo Bootha names, or others derived from place of birth, from some circumstance connected with it, a child's mispronunciation of a word, some peculiarity noticed in the child, or still more often they call each other by the name proclaiming the degree of relationship.

For example, a girl calls the daughters of her mother and of her aunts alike sisters.

Boahdee sister
Wambaneah full brother
Dayadee half brother
Gurrooghee uncle
Wulgundee uncle's wife
Kummean sister's sister
Numbardee mother
Numbardee mother's sister
Beealahdee father
Beealahdee Mother's sisters' husbands
Gnahgnahdee Grandmother on father's side
Bargie    „    mother's side
Dadadee Grandfather on mother's side
Gurroomi a son-in-law, or one who could be a son-in-law
Goonooahdee  a daughter-in-law, or one who could be a daughter-in-law
Gooleerh husband or wife, or one who might be so.

So relationships are always kept in their memories by being daily used as names. There are other general names, too, such as—

Mullayerh a temporary mate or companion
Moothie a friend of childhood in after life
Doore-oothai  a lover
Dillahga an elderly man of the same totem
Tuckandee a young man of the same totem, reckoned as a sort of brother.