The Gundungurra Language | Page 3

to want of space.
Verbs.

Verbs have the singular, dual and plural numbers, the usual persons and
tenses, and three principal moods, viz., indicative, imperative and
conditional. The verb-stem and a contraction of the pronoun are
incorporated, and the word thus formed is used in the conjugation.
INDICATIVE MOOD.
Present Tense.
Singular. First Person I throw (throw I) Yerreemangga Second Person
Thou throwest Yerreemandyee Third Person He throws Yerreema[n~]
Dual. First Person We throw, incl. Yerreemang'a We throw, excl.
Yerreemangaloong Second Person Ye throw Yerreemanboo Third
Person They throw Yerreemanboola
Plural. First Person We throw, incl. Yerreemanyan We throw, excl.
Yerreemanyalla Second Person Ye throw Yerreemanthoo Third Person
They throw Yerreemandyoolung
Past Tense.
Singular. First Person I threw (threw I) Yerreeing'ga Second Person
Thou threwest Yerreerindyee Third Person He threw Yerreering
Dual. First Person We threw, incl. Yerreering'a We threw, excl.
Yerreeringaloong Second Person Ye threw Yerreeringboo Third Person
They threw Yerreeringboola
Plural. First Person We threw, incl. Yerreeooranyan We threw, excl.
Yerreeooranyulla Second Person Ye threw Yerreeooranthoo Third
Person They threw Yerreeooradyoolung
Future Tense.
Singular. First Person I will throw Yerreeningga Second Person Thou
wilt throw Yerrenindyee Third Person He will throw Yerreeni[n~]
Dual. First Person We will throw, incl. Yerreening'a We will throw,

excl. Yerreeningaloong Second Person Ye will throw Yerreenimboo
Third Person They will throw Yerreenimboola
Plural. First Person We will throw, incl. Yerreeninyan We will throw,
excl. Yerreeninyulla Second Person Ye will throw Yerreemunanthoo
Third Person They will throw Yerreemunadyoolung
IMPERATIVE MOOD.
Singular Second Person Throw thou Yer'-ree Dual Second Person
Throw ye Yer'-ree-ou' Plural Second Person Throw ye
Yer'-ree-a-nhoor'
CONDITIONAL MOOD.
Perhaps I will throw Yerreeningga booramboonda
If a negative meaning be required, it is effected by means of an infix,
mooga, between the verb-stem and the abbreviated pronoun. One
example in the first person singular in each tense will exhibit the
negative form of the verb:
I am not throwing Yerreemoogamangga I did not throw
Yerreemoogaringga I will not throw Yerreemooganingga
This negative infix can be applied in the same manner to all the persons
of the three tenses.
There are numerous modifications of the verbal suffixes to convey
variations of meaning; as, "I threw at him," "He threw at me," etc.,
which can be conjugated for number and person. Case can also be
indicated in this way, as already stated in dealing with the nouns.
Verbs have no passive voice. If a native desires to state that a fish was
swallowed by a pelican, he would say, "A pelican swallowed a fish."
Prepositions.
Some prepositions can be used separately, as dhooreegoong, between;

warroo, around; willinga, behind, and several others, thus:
Dhooreegoong ngullawoolee, between trees two or between two trees;
gunbee warroo, the fire around or around the fire.
A prepositional meaning is often obtained by a verb; thus, instead of
having a word for "up" or "down," a native will say, Boomaningga, up I
will go; woor[a^]ramuningga, down I will go. Many of the prepositions
admit of conjugation for number and person, as in the following
example:
Singular. First Person Behind me Willing[i|]a Second Person Behind
thee Willinganyee Third Person Behind him Willing[a^]woong
Dual. First Person Behind us, incl. Willingangulla Behind us, excl.
Willingangullung Second Person Behind ye Willingang[a^]wooloong
Third Person Behind them Willingangawoolangoo
Plural. First Person Behind us, incl. Willinganyanung Behind us, excl.
Willinganyanungoo Second Person Behind ye Willinganthooroong
Third Person Behind them Willingadyanung
Adverbs.
Space will not permit of a list of adverbs any further than to illustrate
how some of them can be conjugated:
Singular. First Person Where go I Ngoondeeneea Second Person Where
goest thou Ngoondeenee[n~]ee Third Person Where goes he
Ngoondeeneeoong
Dual. First Person Where go we, incl. Ngoondeeneenga Where go we,
excl. Ngoondeeneengoolung Second Person Where go ye
Ngoondeeneewoo Third Person Where go they Ngoondeeneewoola
Plural. First Person Where go we, incl. Ngoondeenee[n~]nun Where
go we, excl. Ngoondeenee[n~]ulla Second Person Where go ye
Ngoondeenee[n~]oo Third Person Where go they
Ngoondeeneeyoolung

Adverbial meanings are sometimes conveyed by means of verbs, as
beetyballeema[n~], he (or it) goes out of sight. Conjunctions and
interjections are few and unimportant.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Gundungurra Language, by R. H.
Mathews
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