BY FRITZ NOKTLING, M.A., PH.D. 75 



II. THE PERENNA (SPEAE). 



Accurding to Milligan (14) the following words were 

 xised for the designation of the wooden spear : — 



(1) Perenna (tribes from Oyster Bay to Pittwater). 



(2) Pe-na (tribes about Mount Royal, Bruni Island, 

 Recherche Bay, and the South of Tasmania). 



(3) Poena, pilhah (North-West and Western Tribes). 



The Rev. Norman supplies three more words (15), viz. : 

 — (4) Arlenar. (5) Peearner. (6) Pleeplar. 



And according to Calder, Dove uses the word 



(7) Rugga ; 



Jorgensen the word 



(8) Raccah ; 



and Roberts the word 



(9) Preena; 



while Scott in Milligan's Vocabulary (1890) uses 



(10) Preana. ' 



This is again a large list of words for a weapon about 

 which there cannot eixist the slightest mistake, but, as 

 usual, this list can be greatly I'educed. 



In the first instance, pe-na and poena are identical, as 

 well as perenna, preena, preana, and peearner. In fact, to me 

 it seems that there is no difference between the two words 

 of the first and the three words of the second group, and 

 that the word for spear can be spelled in any of the above 

 variations. 



From these differ, however, the words pilhah (Mill.) and 

 pleeplar (Norman) ; it may be probable that both words 

 are identical, but even if that be so it would be difficult to 

 explain the different spelling. 



But worse still are the words ai'lenar (Norman) and 

 rugga (Dove), or raccah (Jorg.). The last two words are 

 identical, but as exactly the same words have been used by 

 the same authors for designation of the hunting sticks, their 

 meaning is, to say the least of it, very unreliable. 



(14) I.e. under spear (wood). 



(15) I.e., page 335 (page 9 of the manuscript). 



