Page:An Australian language as spoken by the Awabakal.djvu/453

 give an answer to every one that asketh a reason of their hope. My time, therefore, must be devoted wholly to that single object until I am competent ; and whatever may be the expenses, or whatever may be the privations of individuals to reclaim sinners, whether black or white, the remembrance of it will be no more, or, if it exist, it will excite only a song of praise when we shall behold the great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues standing before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands, saying, " Thou hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests for ever. Amen."

��Doctor Johnson observes that the orthography of a new langiuage formed by a synod of grammarians upon principles of science would be to proportion the number of letters to that of sounds, that every sound may have its own character, and every character a single sound. Doctor Lowth's rule hath been attended to in syllabication — namely, " Divide the syllables in spelling, as they are naturally divided in a right pronunciation," so that, to use the words of another author, " Syllabication shall be the picture of actual pronunciation."

The English alphabet is used with little variation of sound, The table (an abridgement) shews the fixed sounds of tlie letters and syllables agreeably to the English, examples, leaving nothing arbitrary.

The attempt to form the aboriginal speech into a written language with perspicuity is made on the above principles ; time only can decide on its practicability.

L. E. THRELKELD.

ABOEIGINAL SENTENCES TEEBALLT RENDEEED INTO ENGLISH UNDERNEATH THE EESPECTITE WORDS.

1. Nga-to-a. — The pronoun I in answer to a question, as, it is Z; it is used also in a relative sense, it is I tvJio. The pronunciation of the n^ is very soft, but exactly the same as nfj in hanq, hang. The pronoun J, when forming the simple subject to the verb, is lang, I.

Nganke un-nung ? ngatoa un-ne; m., who is there? itisi

Who (is) there I this.

I^gatoa man-nun; man-nun bang; «?., it is I who will take.

I take-will ; take-will I.

Ngatoa un-te ka-tan; un-te bang ka-tan; m., I am

I at this place am. at this place I am. here.

Ngatoa weya-leyn; wean bang; m., I am speaking; I

I speak-iiig ; speak I. speak.

�� �