B 505: Lecture on the Aborigines of Australia and papers on Wirradhurrei dialect, 1837-1840

Syllabication Two consonants never [word crossed out] occur in one syllable in immediate succession as that would be opposed to the easiness & softness of pronuniation after which this language strives. But the same consonant is often doubled and then invariably divides the Syllables, as dar-ra To eat. The following rules. Novum Testamentum [line crossed out] [line crossed out] [line crossed out] [line crossed out] [line crossed out] [line crossed out] [line crossedout] [line crossed out] [word crossed out] 1) A single vowel between two consonants is joined to the latter as ya-la. II) When two consonants meet they are to be divided between the syllables; ng is only an apparent excepton, as it is to be considered one letter III) The double consonant so frequently occurring is always to be divided as darra IV) Two vowels when diphthongs are also to be divided as: yanai-ama.

Accentuation In dissyllables or trisyllables the accent usually lies on the first syllable which forms the radical part of the word Hence the accent on the first syllable is retained even in longer words which require more than one accent. A word of four syllables has its second accent on the third [indecipherable] penultimate syllable, a word of five also on the third or antepenultimate syllable words of six syllables & upwards have three accents on the first & third and antepenultimate or even fourth syllable from the termination as [indecipherable] is shown in the [indecipherable] or Indefinite future & the Too morrow's future. In the last case the [word crossed out] ultimate and penultimate syllables are pronounced in rapid succession The Imperative of the 2nd Verb: Sing: makes exception having sometimes the accent on the 1st syllable & so does the [indecipherable] form of the first Person invariably require the accent in the last syllable containing the Postfix Pronoun. The [indecipherable] Verbal noun likewise has often the accent on its last syllable or characteristic formmation. A few other exceptions may be [indecipherable] by the emphasis intended to be put. Example yar-ra To speak. dalgirri, shall eat, [indecipherable] muana, Bumallagirri, yarraingarugirri Ngillengngarriawagirri, Yan_na [indecipherable words]

[indecipherable] [indecipherable] 22 August 19- [indecipherable] Mr Wells

Aboriginal Dialect called [indecipherable] Declensions of Nouns Properly speaking there is only one original, or fundamental declension, but the assimilation, [words crossed out] to which the language has a strong tendency, causes in a few of the cases slight variations of the [indeipherable] of the nouns before the case-endings. [words crossed out] If the last letter but one is "i"; that that likewise exercises in one or two instances an influence. - To comprise all these slight variations the number of the declensions will amount to six. - run on It must however be observed

observed that here [words crossed out] the formation of cases differs materially from the usual modes used of other languages, at least from that of the Latin & Greek Languages. The simple or Nominative form undergoes no alteration but in forming its cases, it receives an additions [words deleted] by means of post-fixes. run on The only apparent exception to this rule is that of ejecting the letter "i" The number of cases cannot easily be fixed since almost every relation in which a noun may be placed, [word deleted] [words deleted] [word deleted] is signified by some post-fix or other, hence the cases must of necessity be numerous [word deleted] [words deleted] Those given in the examples following will include