Parramatta, Gweea,
Cameera, Cadi, And Memel, Are Names Of Places.
The tribes derive their
appellations from the places they inhabit.
Thus Cemeeragal, means the men
who reside in the bay of Cameera; Cedigal, those who reside in the bay
of Cadi; and so of the others. The women of the tribe are denoted by
adding 'eean' to any of the foregoing words. A Cadigaleean imports a woman
living at Cadi, or of the tribe of Cadigal. These words, as the reader
will observe, are accented either on the first syllable or the penultima.
In general, however, they are partial to the emphasis being laid as near
the beginning of the word as possible.
[*Mrs. Johnson, wife of the chaplain of the settlement, was so pleased
with this name that she christened her little girl, born in Port Jackson,
Milba Maria Johnson.]
Of compound words they seem fond. Two very striking ones appear in the
journal to the Hawkesbury. Their translations of our words into their
language are always apposite, comprehensive, and drawn from images
familiar to them. A gun, for instance, they call 'gooroobeera', that is,
a stick of fire. Sometimes also, by a licence of language, they call
those who carry guns by the same name. But the appellation by which they
generally distinguished us was that of 'bereewolgal', meaning men come from
afar. When they salute any one they call him 'dameeli', or namesake, a term
which not only implies courtesy and good-will, but a certain degree of
affection in the speaker.
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