VOCABULARIES OF THE GEELONG AND COLAC TRIBES. 851 
CASE. 
The vowels a, cu, and uw, When suffixed to nouns, appear to 
serve as case endings. For example, murna, hand ; murnaa, in 
(the) hand; weing, fire; weingiw, to (the) fire; Sundayw, of 
Sunday.* 
DERIVATION OF NOUNS. 
A few examples of derivative and compound nouns that have 
been traced by the aid of F. Tuckfield’s vocabulary give an 
interesting glimpse of aboriginal word-formation. 
Derivatives appear to be formed by the aid of the suffix abil or 
bil, which signifies one of, or pertaining to ; thus— 
Tarekabil, signifies an erect person—one straight as a spear—tare, a spear ; 
k perhaps euphonic ; and abil pertaining to. (Wod-dow-ro.) 
Taregil is the Kolijon form of the word. 
Yanabil, a visitor, may perhaps be closely rendered as one of the comers, 
or one of the goers—yan expressing motion to a place, as in yan- 
gal-e-nut, to walk ; yan-garamela, to come back ; and yanik, I go. 
Nanworabil denotes a bear, opossum, or any furred animal; while 
Karignalabil, Creator ; gnariwel, an adult ; 
Kin-kin-bil, people ; and 
Nilarngwarabil, the finny tribe, are also examples. 
Abil was thus attached to a simple noun or verb, or to a compound word. 
Gunong, or a contraction of it, seems to aid as a suffix in forming :— 
Pedong, father Myungunong, liar 
Wardong, brother Dilokongong, fighter 
Gnurdong, mother Bilmgonong, thief. 
Lapmolong, widower 
Compound nouns consist of—(1) A noun preceded by a noun, as 
Korongwrong, frog-face; Mulgamom, shield-point. (2) A noun 
preceded by an adjective, as Nerimgenong, long-foot, Newlem-boit, 
bad heart. (3) A noun preceded by a verb, as Ponemelang, bite- 
rat—i.e., “an eater of rats.” 
These and similar compounds were the nicknames of indi- 
viduals, it being customary for the aborigines to name their 
children after some particular circumstance occurring at the time 
of birth, or after the food they eat, or a personal peculiarity. 
To the names of the females the sign of the feminine gender 
was also tacked on—Korinemurnongorok, korine, bitter; murnong, 
an edible plant; gorok, female. 
. *Sentences and Phrases—15, 18, 60-1, 94, 138, 147, 152, 172,196; Homily—6, 9, 12, 13, 
14. The Fall—22, 25, 
