Karri-borlbme Kun-wok

mayhmayh

mayhmayh

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English Translation
(Kun-balandaken)
bird
Pronunciation
(Bale ka-yime karri-ngeybun?)

maɪʔmaɪʔ

Remember that in the spelling system for Bininj Kunwok dialects the letter 'h' is a glottal stop and not as in English, an aspirated consonant.

Morphology
(Karri-wokdjobdjobke)

The word is derived from the reduplication of the word mayh which has many meanings such as:
1. animal that can be hunted for its meat
2. rainbow serpent
3. sacred ceremony or rituals relating to the rainbow serpent

Notes
(Njalenjale)

Another word often used for small birds is kikkik. This word is used both as a generic for 'little bird' but also more specifically for the brown honeyeater Lichmera indistincta.

Usage
(Bale kabirri-yime?)

Kundjeyhmi:
Ka-bengyirri mayhmayh ka-wokdi.
He/She listens to the birds singing.

Kuwinjku:
Mirnidjokkolo mayhmayh nuye nin.
The Setaria apiculata grass belongs to a little bird, the double barred finch (Taeniopygia bichenovii).

Date
(Balekeno)
02 May 2014