Re: KU and GYN as oldest words for woman


John Atkinson wrote:

I assume you mean Alexander Wyclif Reed, the New Zealand publisher, who was
the author of books on Maori legends, books on Maori place-names, and
several children's books. Since he wasn't much interested in the Australian
aborigines, he probably didn't realise how ridiculous this list is. True,
many compilers of Australian wordlists had tin ears and couldn't even spell
their own language, but this bloke certainly takes the cake.

(...)

I see he includes "gin", which is Australian English for an aboriginal
woman, and comes from /diyin/, meaning woman or wife in Dharug, the Sydney
language.

Also, "gunee" is /gunay/, Wiradhuri (central western NSW) for mother.

And "kurtoo" is /gurdu/, Nyungar (Western Australia) for spouse (wife or
husband)

"Kurunto", not to mention "quei" and "cue-on" (however these monstrosities
were really pronounced), must come from yet other languages, somewhere else
in Australia.

Wow!

John.

Yes, Alexander Wyclif Reed. I got a pocket book by him,
very fine and charming translations of aboriginal legends,
with a glossary. He loved those legends, and so I trusted
him. He died in 1979, the book was printed again in the
1990s. If the words were so far out as you say, the editors
would have given corrections, or left out the appendix.

Here you are with words for female, girl and woman from

Pintupi / Luritja Dictionary, 3rd edition, KC & LE Hansen
Institute for Aboriginal Development Alice Springs 1991

kungka n. female: generic; girl; woman; refers to women
of all ages and stages; may refer specifically to girls from
toddlers to puberty; (...) 'kungkawara' refers to girls from
puperty to approximately 25 years who may or may not
be married (...)

kungka walytja idm. wife; lit. 'female own relative' may
refer to a promised spouse but usually to one who has
been married for some time; the term defines one's own
spouse from all others in spouse relationships (...)

kungkarrankalpa n. group of stars; known as the seven
sisters; mythology says these are Napaltjarri women being
chased for intercourse by a Tjakamarra who is represented
by another bright star to the south of the sisters ((must be
the Plejads and Aldebaran, FG))

kungkawara n. young woman; i.e. after first intercourse
and before she bears children, married or single (...)

kuyunypa n. girl; female before puberty; used vocatively
(...)

Regards Franz Gnaedinger

.

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