Language name and location: Djauan (Jawoyn), Australia [Refer to Ethnologue]
|
1. -jirriyn [ -ɟiriyn] j = ɟ palatal stop |
2. jatkorrng [ɟatkorŋ] |
3. three or severalː ɡulpan [ɡulpan] |
. manyː malnɡuyn [malŋuyn] ( or various other expressions meaning 'big crowd', etc.) |
Linguist providing data and dateː Prof. Francesca Merlan,
School of Archaeology &
Anthropology, the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia,
February 9, 2010. |
Other comments: The Jawoyn system is I think typical: one- two- several -many, one: root is -jirriyn (j= palatal stop), preceded by appropriate gender prefix masculine, feminine, neuter or zero. two: jatkorrang, three or several: gulpam, many: malnguyn (or various other expressions meaning `big crowd', etc.). Informants were often puzzled about whether gulpam was limited to three, or whether it could mean `several'. It seems in fact to have been used for both empirical situations. There were ways that the notion of 'hand' was used, as usual: stay away for ngan-barrak-jirriyn 'one hand' of days, and the like. |
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