LANGUAGE, ETC., ABORIGINES OF PORT STEPHENS. 105 



Present Tense — Mur'-rook = Good. 



Nut'-wa mur'-rook, I am good 



Yee-nil-ar mur'-rook, Thou art good 



Nu-ar mur'-rook He is good 



Nyee-un mur'-rook We are good 



Noo-rar mur'-rook You are good 



Bara mur'-rook They are good 



Past Tense — Yer'-ra-kee = Bad. 



Yer'-ra-kee nut'-wa gut'-ta-la, I was or have been bad 



Yer'-ra-kee yee-nu-ar gut'-ta-la Thou wast or hast been bad 



Yer'-ra-kee nu-ar gut'-ta-la He was or has been bad 



Yer'-ra-kee nyee-un gut'-ta-la We were or have been bad 



Yer'-ra-kee noo-rar gut'-ta-la You were or have been bad 



Yer'-ra-kee ba'-ra gut'-ta-la They were or have been bad 



Future Tense. 



Mur'-rook nut'-wa gun'-yee I will or shall be good 

 Mur'-rook yee-nu-ar gun'-yee Thou wilt or shalt be good 



Mur'-rook nti-ar gun'-yee ' He will or shall be good 



Mur'-rook nyee-un gun'yee We will be good 



Mur'-rook noo'-rar gun'-yee You will or shall be good 



Mur'-rook ba'-ra gun'yee They will be good 



3. The articles "a" and "the" are not translated. 



4. Personal pronouns; possessive. — These are always placed 

 before the noun they agree with. 



Example I. — 1. Bee-num'-ba Bar-ra-kun'. 2. E-goo-ba Kun'-ni. 

 3. Bur'-rub-ba gum'-ml. 4. Noon'-gum-bah mir'-ree. 



Translation — 1. Your boomerang. 2. This yamstick. 3. My 

 spear. 4. Her dog. 



5. Nouns. — The nominative is generally placed foremost in the 

 sentence, the objective usually follows it, and the verb governing 

 the object is placed last. 



Example II. — 1. Mir'-ree goo bud-jee-la. 2. Nut'-wa ba-ra 

 bun-yil'-a. 3. Nut'-wa koor'-ee to6-ree-al'-la. 4. Mut'-too 

 koor'-ee bud-jeeVla. 



