Page:The Native Tribes of South Australia (1879).djvu/332

 250 THE PORT LINCOLN TRIBE. however, are totally different. The following examples will explain this more fully:  Parnkalla. Nauo. English. Ninna Niino Thou Idna Tyina Foot Yurno Tyendu Sun Kubmanna Kuma One Kalbelli Kutta Two Karnko Wamo House Karnkuru Wamuyu To the house Ngukata Ngukanna To go Ngukayu Ngukalye In order to go Ngukaka Nguka Go Both dialects terminate every word with a vowel, which makes it difficult for them to pronounce English correctly. Hence arise corruptions like theseknipy for knife, boatoo for boat, bullocky for bullock, Williamy for William, &c. The Parnkalla is a peculiarly soft and even melodious language when carefully and slowly pronounced, which the natives, however, seldom do, but on the contrary they often contract two words into one, or abbreviate long words, thereby completely spoiling the naturally pleasant effect. The women and small children pronounce by far the best. It is not well possible to describe the language within the limits of this report, so as to give to a person wholly unacquainted with it even an approximate idea of its structure, I shall therefore content myself with comprising the most striking peculiarities under the following heads:  1. The letters F, V, H, and all sibilants, do not occur in it. 2. It has no articles, either definite or indefinite. 3. It recognises no distinction of gender beyond that necessarily contained in such words as father, mother, brother, sister, &c.; the pronoun pana answers for the three English pronouns, he, she, and it. 4. It has no relative pronouns, the want of which is obviated by circumlocutions, or the use of demonstrative pronouns instead. 5. Besides the singular and plural it has a dual number, to be used when only two persons or objects are the subject of conversation.