MARRIAGE AND DESCENT AMONG AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES. 



121 



Owing to the different methods of subdividing the phratries, 

 the details of the rules regulating the intermarriage of the men 

 and women, and the descent of the progeny, are somewhat varied 

 in each system, but the fundamental principles are the same in 

 them all. Whether there are two, or four, or eight partitions of 

 the community, every division has an independent name by which 

 its members are easily recognised. Frequently, but not invariably, 

 the men are distinguished from the women by means of a mascu- 

 line and a feminine form of the name of each division. 



In dealing with the subject it will be necessary to supply tables 

 giving examples of the divisions of a tribe in each type of organi- 

 sation. Table No. 1 represents the Parn-kal'-la system, composed 

 of the two phratries only; Table No. 2 shows the Kam'-il-a-roi 

 method of four divisions; and Table No. 3 illustrates the Wom-by'-a 

 type, containing eight divisions. 



Table No. 1. 



Phratry. 

 A. 



Father. 

 Kirraroo 



Mother. 

 Matturrin 



Son. 

 Matturri 



Daughter. 

 Matturrin 



B. Matturri 



Kirrarooan 



Kirraroo 



Kirrarooan 





Table No. 



2. 





Phratry. Father. 



Ai (Murri 

 ^' I Kubbi 



Mother. 

 Butha 

 Ippath 



Son. 

 Ippai 

 Kumbo 



Daughter. 

 Ippatha 

 Butha 



-r, ! { Kumbo 

 ( Ippai 



Matha 

 Kubbitha 



Kubbi 

 Murri 



Kubbitha 

 Matha 





Table No. 



3. 





Phratry. Father. 



Mother. 



Son. 



Daughter. 



'Choolum 

 Cheenum 

 A. - 



Ningulum 

 Nooralum 



Palyarin 

 Bungarin 



Palyareenya 

 Bungareenya 





Jamerum 

 Yacomary 



Palyareenya 

 Bungareeny 



Chooralum 

 Chingulum 



Nooralum 

 Ningulum 



1 In the Kamilaroi tribe each phratry is distinguished by a proper 

 name — A. is called Dilbee, and B is known as Kuppathin, but I have used 

 the letters A and B so as to preserve uniformity in the three tables, for 

 purposes of reference. 



