Box 4 Folder 3: New South Wales place names, 1899-1903 - Page 91

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Aboriginal Place names and other Words with their meanings, peculiar
                     to the Richmond & Tweed River Districts
                                                                    by T. Rankin
                                                                    District Surveyor

  In accordance with the Surveyor Generals request I have the honour to transmit lists shown hereunder of Native place names & other words with their meanings.
  There is very great difficulty in obtaining the correct meaning of Native names of places as probably the dialects differ even in quite adjacent localities. Some of the Native words and their meanings will serve to check the meanings given to place names.
I collected most of these names and words from Mr Francis Mcquilty of Blakebrook near Lismore, who has more knowledge of the Blacks and their language and customs than any other man in the district.
He can converse easily and fluently with the natives in the neighbourhood of Lismore and says that the same language with slight variation is spoken on the Tweed and extends inland from the seaboard of the Richmond & Tweed districts for about 150 Miles, but the language spoken by the Natives on the Clarence seaboard and inland is quite distinct from that of the Richmond.
  The letter 'U' is frequently used, but it is not pronounced as in 'tune' or as in 'fun', but usually as it would be if the double 'o' in 'moon' were sounded very short.
  When the 'U' comes before or after the double 'r' it is sounded as in lung. The construction and spelling of the words as given in the list indicates as nearly as possible the accentuation. I think the opportunity should not be lost of obtaining further information of this interesting
and Euphonious language from Mr McQuilty, who can also supply many particulars of the strange customs and laws of the various tribes.
  This information has been delayed as I could not at once find any one sufficiently acquainted with the subject to give the required information and when I heard of McQuilty I got as much from him as I could during the time at his disposal, and then deferred sending the list on until I had again seen him.