Speaking, Talking, Telling

Spoken Language and Text Corpora

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Manuel Pamkal: Kidjdjan (ceremonial taboos)

Manuel Pamkal telling the story of Kidjdjan

Manuel Pamkal

nûnh ngey
As for me
ngaye-wurdurdninj-kûno ke
when I was a little kd
bulungan kah-yinmowoninj dawo
my dad told me the story
nunh dayeboniyan
When you're hunting
dayeniyan
When you see
Kunabibi
Kunabibi ceremony
Yaburdurrwa Mardayin kardû nunh
Yaburdurrwa, maybe Mardayin
dayeyidjnjiyan
When you have had your
karrûwanjing
first time through the ceremony
o karrûburrkûnh mak manjh dangeybuyan
ro the second time through the ceremony, you can't mention the name of any animal
like bolungngong, o
like Rainbow Snakes, or
yawurral-ngong
taipans
ngurrurdu-ngong
emus
djah-dja-yinmiyan munu like
You're only allowed to call them
Kidjdjan
Kidjdjan
nunh mak bulu dangeybuyan
you can't call them by name
o kurnhnokah nunh kaye
If a waterhole has really deep water
wah kaye-kurnh-kûnûkûn
the water there is really strange
wadda kolhngeybuyan
you can't name the water there
Kidjdjan nunh manjh
Kidjdjan, that is
kah-wehno, nunh kaye-kolh
it's no good, to name that waterhole
ngeybuyan o ngeybuyan manjh
or mention the name of an animal
kenbo ngahleng-
Later then I... (changes voice to that of his dad)
nunh djahlng-
Like when you
karrûbakabaka-woyan, Kunabibi
have been through a good number of Kunabibi ceremonies
Yaburdurrwa
Yaburdurrwa
nunh kahmon
Then it's OK
dahlng
dahlngngeybuyan manjhngong, kurnhngong
Then you can start calling animals and places by name
kahmon
It's OK
Kanh yawurrinjkeno, kahwehno
At that age of being a teenager (in those days), it was tough
mak kangeybuyan, Kidjdjan nunh
You can't name those Kidjdjan things
kahke
, nothing
nalah-dja-yiniyan Kidjdjan
You will just say Kidjdjan
bonj, Bangardi
That's finished, Bangardi

All Dalabon Stories

Alice Boehm: My Life

Alice Boehm tells the story of her life. Recorded by Nick Evans in Maningrida, July 1993.

David Karlbuma: Yayminji

This recording was made during a fieldtrip to Yayminji and surrounding areas in 1995 with Nick Evans, George Chaloupka, Pina Giuliani and Murray Garde, to record rock art, knowledge of traditional plants, and Dalabon and Kune language

Lily Bennett tells a 'funny story'

Recorded by Maïa Ponsonnet on 18th May 2011, near Dordluk creek, just before Beswick on the highway, with Lily Bennett and Nikibini Daluk, working on Dalabon. Lily Bennett tells a 'funny story' that took place close to Manyallaluk, probably around 1980. Final transcript and translation by Maïa Ponsonnet, December 2016. Some slight retranscriptions added to this file by Nick Evans, March 2017

Maggie Tukumba: Buladjbuladj story

Maggie Tukumba telling the Buladjbuladj story. Recorded by Nick Evans.

Maggie Tukumba: Korlomomo and Berrerdberrerd

Maggie Tukumba is telling the story of Korlomomo and Berrerdberrerd, the crocodile and the rainbow bee eater.

Manuel Pamkal: Kidjdjan (ceremonial taboos)

Manuel Pamkal telling the story of Kidjdjan

Naworneng and Mimih

This story was recorded from the late Jack Chadum at Weemol Springs in the Northern Territory in June 1992 by Nick Evans and Murray Garde. Several other Dalabon speakers were also present, including Don Buninjawa, Maggie Tukumba (Chikappa) and Flora (surname unknown). A masterpiece of dramatic, humorous story-telling, it recounts the meeting between a character called Naworneng, who is on his way back from a successful hunting trip, and a “Mimih” spirit – Mimihs are slender spirits that d...

Queenie Brennan: Whistleduck, Ghostbat and Rainbow

Queenie Bangarn Brennan is telling the traditionnal story of the Whistleduck, Ghostbat and Rainbow. This story was recorded by Maïa Ponsonnet on 5th of May 2011 at Barunga. A Kriol version told by Queenie on the same day can be accessed via the ELAR archive.

The Emu Story

This story was told to Nick Evans and Murray Garde at Weemol Spring in 1992 by Jackie Chadum and Don Buninjawa, with some prompting and further commentary by Maggie Tukumba. It has been transcribed by myself, Murray Garde, and Sarah Cutfield, with assistance at various points from Maggie Tukumba, Alice Ngalkandjara, Peter Mandeberru and Dudley Lawrence at transcription sessions in 1992 (Maningrida), 1995 (Bulman) and 2017 (Weemol). It is a complex performance, partly in medley style and partly ...