Austral English Part 91

Used both of loose stones and of rocks. The G is hard.

1834. L. E. Threlkeld, `Australian Grammar,' p. x. [In a list of `barbarisms']:

"Gibber, a stone."

[Pace Mr. Threlkeld, the word is aboriginal, though not of the dialect of the Hunter District, of which he is speaking.]

1852. `Settlers and Convicts; or Recollections of Sixteen Years'

Labour in the Australian Backwoods,' p. 159:

"Of a rainy night like this he did not object to stow himself by the fireside of any house he might be near, or under the `gibbers' (overhanging rocks) of the river... ."

1890. A .J. Vogan, `Black Police,' p. 338:

"He struck right on top of them gibbers (stones)."

1894. Baldwin Spencer, in `The Argus,' Sept. 1, p. 4, col. 2:

"At first and for more than a hundred miles [from Oodnadatta northwards], our track led across what is called the gibber country, where the plains are covered with a thin layer of stones--the gibbers--of various sizes, derived from the breaking down of a hard rock which forms the top of endless low, table-topped hills belonging to the desert sandstone formation."

Gibber-gunyah, n. an aboriginal cave-dwelling.

See Gibber and Gunyah, also Rock-shelter.

1852. `Settlers and Convicts; or, Recollections of Sixteen Years' Labour in the Australian Backwoods,' p. 211:

"I coincided in his opinion that it would be best for us to camp for the night in one of the ghibber-gunyahs. These are the hollows under overhanging rocks."

1863. Rev. R. W. Vanderkiste, `Lost, but not for Ever,' p. 210:

"Our home is the gibber-gunyah, Where hill joins hill on high, Where the turrama and berrambo Like sleeping serpents lie."

1891. R. Etheridge, jun., `Records of the Australian Museum,'

vol. i. no. viii. p. 171:

"Notes on Rock Shelters or Gibba-gunyahs at Deewhy Lagoon."

Giddea, Gidya, or Gidgee, adj.

aboriginal word of New South Wales and Queensland for--

(1) a species of Acacia, A. homalophylla, Cunn. The original meaning is probably small, cf. gidju, Warrego, Queensland, and kutyo, Adelaide, both meaning small.

(2) A long spear made, from this wood.

1878. `Catalogue of Objects of Ethno-typical Art in National Gallery, Melbourne,' p. 46:

"Gid-jee. Hardwood spear, with fragments of quartz set in gum on two sides and gra.s.s-tree stem. Total length, 7 feet 8 inches."

1885. R. M. Praed, `Australian Life,' p. 51:

"Gidya scrubs."

1889. J. H. Maiden, `Useful Native Plants,' p. 357:

"A. homalophylla. A `Spearwood.' Called `Myall'

in Victoria... . Aboriginal names are ... Gidya, Gidia, or Gidgee (with other spellings in New South Wales and Queensland). This is the commonest colonial name ... much sought after for turner's work on account of its solidity and fragrance... . The smell of the tree when in flower is abominable, and just before rain almost unbearable."

1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Colonial Reformer,' c. xvii. p. 211:

"I sat ... watching the shadows of the gydya trees lengthen, ah! so slowly."

1890. C. Lumholtz, `Among Cannibals,' p. 37:

"Kind of scrub, called by the colonists gydya-scrub, which manifests itself even at a distance by a very characteristic, but not agreeable odour, being especially pungent after rain."

1896. Baldwin Spencer, `Home Expedition in Central Australia,'

Narrative, p. 22:

"We camped beside a water-pool on the Adminga Creek, which is bordered for the main part by a belt of the stinking acacia, or giddea (A. homalophylla). When the branches are freshly cut it well deserves the former name, as they have a most objectionable smell."

Gill-bird, n. an occasional name for the Wattle-bird (q.v.).

1896. `Menu' for October 15:

"Gill-bird on Toast."

Gin, n. a native word for an aboriginal woman, and used, though rarely, even for a female kangaroo. See quotation 1833. The form gun (see quotation 1865) looks as if it had been altered to meet gunae, and of course generate is not derived from gunae, though it may be a distant relative. In `Collins's Vocabulary' occurs "din, a woman." If such a phonetic spelling as djin had been adopted, as it well might have been, to express the native sound, where would the gunae theory have been?

1798. D. Collins, `Account of English Colony in New South Wales,' Vocabulary, p. 612:

"Din--a woman."

1830. R. Dawson, `Present State of Australia,' p. 152:

"A proposition was made by one of my natives to go and steal a gin (wife)."

Ibid. p. 153:

"She agrees to become his gin."

1833. Lieut. Breton, R.N., `Excursions in New South Wales,'

p. 254:

"The flying gin (gin is the native word for woman or female) is a boomall, and will leave behind every description of dog."

1834. L. E. Threlkeld, `Australian Grammar,' p. x:

"As a barbarism [sc. not used on the Hunter], jin--a wife."

1845. J. O. Balfour, `Sketch of New South Wales,' p. 8: