Spencer & Gillen

A journey through Aboriginal Australia

Arunta Vocabulary (Alice Springs)

Physical Description

45 page handwritten document. Along the left hand side of the page is written Written on first page (by another hand, not Spencer's) is what appears to be – “Don. Mrs. A Rowan and Lady Young, Dec. 1951” – It is presumed therefore that this list was donated by Baldwin Spencer’s daughters Alline Rowan (nee Spencer) and Lady Dorothy Young (nee Spencer).

Transcript

Page 1

Arunta vocabulary (Alice Springs)
aai - interjection – hear! listen!
albulya- very old
alla - the nose
alimma - the liver
alalchura - nostril
alinga - the sun
alinya - the tongue
alknintha - flame
alkirakira - shining clear
alkirintwarra
alkirilpa - transparent
alkira - bright, not cloudy – sky -
alkna - eye
alkna quarta - eye ball
alnanbūtnanbūbūma - to jump like a kangaroo
atnana - to drive away
alknailpila - eye lash
alknailpa - eye lid
alkna pirta - white of eye
alknambima - awake. also to bloom to flower
alknaultilkima - to look angry
arrawurra - to overlook
umbuma - to burn
alknaltīra - clean, clear
alkar, alknarilima (or unchimalirrema) - to look back

Images

Rights: State Library of New South Wales

Document Details

Date Made
Circa 1912
Creator
Date Collected
ca.1912
Region
Central Australia
State
Northern Territory

Subjects

Language Groups
Places

Institution

Institution
Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
Registration
MLMSS 29/4 Item 7

Classification

Primary Subject
Language