The Wiradyuri and Other Languages of New South Wales | Page 6

the same suffix
as the causative. The wallaby, burrai, takes the genitive affix, as being
the possessor or recipient of the killing.

Accusative.--Except in such instances as the wallaby in the last example,
the accusative is the same as the nominative.
The genitive case is represented by an affix to the name of the property
as well as to that of the owner, a peculiarity which I was the first to
report[15] in Australian languages. Baualngu mirriwung, a man's dog.
Every object over which ownership may be exercised can be declined
for number and person, as under:-- Singular 1st Person My dog (dog
my) Mirridya. 2nd " Thy dog Mirridyi. 3rd " His dog MIrriwung. and
so on through all the persons of the dual and plural.
If a couple or more articles be claimed, an infix is inserted between the
noun root and the possessive affix, thus: Mirribuladya, dogs both mine;
mirridyimmadya, dogs several mine.
Dative.--Ngurani munnagai, to the camp come.
Ablative.--Ngurawurradyi yerribiwurri, from the camp go away.
Adjectives.
Adjectives follow the qualified nouns, and are inflected in the same
manner for number and case. Buru mununmang, a kangaroo large;
burubula mununbula, a couple of large kangaroos; burudyimma
munundyimma, several large kangaroos.
Casuative.--Baualga mununga mirri ngubuningga, a man large a dog
will beat. The other cases are also declined like the nouns. Frequently
one of the affixes, both in number and case, is omitted sometimes the
affix of the noun, and in other instances that of the adjective, being thus
eliminated, according to the euphony of the expression.
A predicative adjective becomes an intransitive verb, and is conjugated
accordingly. An example in the singular will be sufficient:
Singular 1st Person I am large Mununmangga. 2nd " Thou art large
Mununmandyi. 3rd " He is large Mununmañ.

Comparison of adjecitves is effected by such expressions as, Gudba
ngunu, yeddhung nin, bad this, good that. Yeddhung madi ngunu, this is
very good.
Pronouns.
These are declined for number, person and case, but are without gender.
They contain the inclusive and exclusive forms in the first person of the
dual and plural:
Singular 1st Person I Gulangga. 2nd " Thou Gulandyi. 3rd " He Dhanu.
Examples in the dual and plural are omitted, as their terminations will
appear in the conjugation of the verbs. The foregoing full forms of the
pronouns are used chiefly in answer to a question. In ordinary
conversation the pronominal suffixes to verbs, nouns and other parts of
speech, supply their place.
Towards, or with, me, gulangguria. Away from me, gulangguridyia.
Belonging to me, gulangguia. Myself, mittimbaldya, and so on. All
these can be inflected for number and person.
Demonstratives.--These may be classed under different heads, of which
the following are a few examples:
Position.--Ngunu, this, close. Ngunubun, this also. Niñ, that. Niñwulu,
that only. Wurranaguddha, that, a little way off. Warranandiwang, that,
farther still. Mudhamaguwarri, a long way off.
Direction.--Ngunaga, that (in rear of speaker). Barunggo, that (in front
of speaker). Ngunainbil, that this side (of something). Nguna-au, that
on other side (of something). Gagurwarru, that in the hollow.
Warrugunnawang, that on the rising ground, or hill.
Size.--Warranalang, that large one. Warranuggada, that small one.
Possessive.--Ningulangu, belonging to that. Warranalangu, belonging
to that large one. Nidyulangu, belonging to those two persons.

Number.--Warranungulu, those two. Warradyimmilañ, those several
animals or things.
Person.--Ngunadya, this mine. Ngunadyi, this thine. Ngunawung, this
his.
"This" and "that" in all the foregoing examples can also mean "here"
and "there" according to the context.
Interrogatives.--Who, ngunnaga? Whose, ngunnagangu? Who from,
ngunnaganguridyi? What, minya? What (did something), minyaga?
Verbs.
The verb has the usual moods and tenses, and is inflected throughout
for number and person. In the first person of the dual and plural there is
a variation in the affix to the verb to indicate the inclusion or exclusion
of the person spoken to.
Indicative Mood--Present Tense.
Singular 1st Person I beat Ngubumangga. 2nd " Thou beatest
Ngubumandyi. 3rd " He beats Ngubumañ. Dual 1st Person We, incl.,
beat Ngubumanga. We, excl., beat Ngubumangalu. 2nd " You beat
Ngubumanbu. 3rd " They beat Ngubumanbula. Plural 1st Person We,
incl. beat, Ngubumanyin. We, excl. beat, Ngubumanyilla. 2nd " You
beat Ngubumanhu. 3rd " They beat Ngubumandyula.
Past Tense.
1st Person I beat, indefinite Nguburingga. Singular, I beat recently
Ngubumuingga. I beat going along Ngubunyirringga. I beat long ago
Nguburiangga.
Future.
I will beat, indefinite Ngubuningga. I will beat soon Ngubumunningga.
The inflections extend through all the persons and numbers of the past

and future tenses by means of the suffixed particles shown in the
present tense.
Imperative.
Singular Beat thou Ngubi. Dual Beat you Ngubidyaiau. Plural Beat you
Ngubidyaianhu. Negative or prohibitive Beat not Ngubimuga.
Conditional Mood.
Perhaps I will beat Ngubuninggawundu.
Reflexive.
I am beating myself Ngubuwillimangga. I was beating myself
Ngubuwilliringga. I will beat myself Ngubuwilliningga. and