Karri-borlbme Kun-wok

kaboyo (W, I) kakolhyo (E)

kaboyo (W, I) kakolhyo (E)

Listen Yi-biddjuyme (Click play)

English Translation
(Kun-balandaken)
There is water.
Pronunciation
(Bale ka-yime karri-ngeybun?)

guh-bo-yow— or if you know IPA (and it helps if you can learn IPA when learning another language):
[ˈgabɔyɔ]

Morphology
(Karri-wokdjobdjobke)

ka- is the third person singular non-past (tense) prefix that goes on verbs (and predicate nouns), -bo- is the incorporated word for water and -yo is the verb 'to lie/exist' which we learnt in the last post. Thus:
ka-bo-yo 'it-water-lies' > there is water

Notes
(Njalenjale)

This word can be used as a statement of fact or a question. It is also a way to ask for water which is not as direct as this:

Kukku kanbowo! 'Give me water'
but rather:
Kaboyo? 'Is there any water?'

Usage
(Bale kabirri-yime?)

Ngakombukdowen, kaboyo?
(Nga-kom-buk-dowen ka-bo-yo)
I am thirsty, is there any water?
(literally 'my throat is dead dry')

You could also be more emphatic by stating the word for water:
Kukku kaboyo?
Water, is there any water?

In Kuninjku from Maningrida you don't say kukku but kunronj for 'water':
Kunronj kaboyo?
Water, is there water?

In Kuninjku the incorporated form for water is still -bo- as it is in Kunwinjku and Gundjeihmi, but in Kune it changes to -kolh-:
Kakolhyo 'there is water/is there water?'

Just choose the dialect that is relevant for the community where you are living (subscribers on this list are living all over the Bininj Kunwok region— Kakadu, Gunbalanya, Maningrida, various outstations). If you don't live in Kakadu or Arnhem Land, learn the Kunwinjku version as it has by far the largest number of speakers.

Ngarridjalwam wanjh ngarrihnang kaboyo.
We kept going and then we saw there was water (there).

Date
(Balekeno)
25 Oct 2012