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 |
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| If a waterhole has really deep water |
| wah kaye-kurnh-kûnûkûn |
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| the water there is really strange |
| wadda kolhngeybuyan |
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| 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 ...