roi' (1875), as used at George's River. The
Rev. J. Mathew writes:

"The aboriginal words for <i>fire</i> and <i>wood</i> are very
often, in fact nearly always, interchangeable, or interchanged,
at different places. The old Tasmanian and therefore original
Australian term for wood and fire, or one or the other
according to dialect, is <i>wi</i> (wee) sometimes <i>win</i>.
These two forms occur in many parts of Australia with numerous
variants, <i>wi</i> being obviously the radical form. Hence
there were such variants as <i>wiin, waanap</i>, <i>weenth</i>
in Victoria, and at Sydney <i>gweyong</i>, and at Botany Bay
<i>we</i>, all equivalent to fire. <i>Wi</i> sometimes took on
what was evidently an affixed adjective or modifying particle,
giving such forms as <i>wibra, wygum, wyber</i>,
<i>wurnaway</i>. The modifying part sometimes began with the
sound of <i>d</i> or <i>j</i> (into which of course <i>d</i>
enters as an element). Thus modified, <i>wi</i> became
<i>wadjano</i> on Murchison River, Western Australia;
<i>wachernee</i> at Burke River, Gulf of Carp.; <i>wichun</i>
on the Barcoo; <i>watta</i> on the Hunter River, New South
Wales; <i>wudda</i> at Queanbeyan, New South Wales. These last
two are obviously identical with the Sydney <i>waddy</i> =
`wood.' The argument might be lengthened, but I think what I
have advanced shows conclusively that <i>Waddy</i> is the
Tasmanian word <i>wi</i> + a modifying word or particle."

1814. Flinders, `Voyage,' vol. ii. p. 189:

"Some resembling the whaddie, or wooden sword of the natives of
Port Jackson."

1827. P. Cunningham, `Two Years in New South Wales,' vol. ii.
p. 20:

"It is amusing to see the consequential swagger of some of
these dingy dandies, as they pass lordly up our streets, with a
waddie twirling in their black paws."

1830. R. Dawson, `Present State of Australia,' p. 66:

"Such a weapon as their waddy is: it is formed like a large
kitchen poker, and nearly as heavy, only much shorter in the
handle. The iron-bark wood, of which it is made, is very hard,
and nearly as heavy as iron."

1844. Mrs. Meredith, `Notes and Sketches of New South Wales,'
p. 106:

"The word `waddie,' though commonly applied to the weapons of
the New South Wales aborigines, does not with them mean any
particular implement, but is the term used to express wood of
any kind, or trees. `You maan waddie 'long of fire,' means
`Go and fetch firewood.'"

1845. J. O. B