. At the commencement of a
syllable or word I have given it as _ny_, but when terminating a word
I have used the Spanish letter.

_T_ is interchangeable with _d_; _p_ with _b_; and _g_ with _k_ in
most words where they are used.

As far as possible, vowels are unmarked, but in some instances, to
avoid ambiguity, the long sound of _a_, _e_ and _u_ are indicated
thus: a, e, u. In a few cases the short sound of _u_ is marked _u_.
_Y_ at the beginning of a word has its ordinary consonant value.

The Wiradyuri Language.

_Articles_.

There are no articles, properly so-called, in the language. The
demonstratives "this" and "that" do duty for our "a" and "the." If it
be desired to definitely say that only _one_ is meant, the numeral,
_ngunbai_, is employed.

In all the sentences illustrating the cases of nouns and other parts
of speech in this paper, the demonstratives are omitted. A native
would say, "Man [that over yonder] beat child [this in front]," the
proper demonstratives being inserted where illustrated by the
brackets.

_Nouns_.

_Number_.--There are three numbers, singular, dual and plural.
_Wamboin_, a kangaroo. _Wamboinbula_ a couple of kangaroos.
_Wamboingirbang_, several kangaroos.

_Gender._--In human family different words are used, as _men_ or
_gibir_, a man; _bulladyeru_ or _inar_, a woman; _birrengang_, a boy;
_ingargang_, a young girl; _yiramurung_, a youth; _megai_, a maiden;
_burai_, a child.

Among animals, word are used signifying "male" and "female"
respectively. _Wille bidyur_, a buck opossum; _wille gunal_, a doe
opossum. _Ngurun burramai_, hen emu; _ngurun bidyur_, a cock emu.

_Case_.--The cases are the nominative, nominative-agent, genitive,
accusative, instrumental dative and ablative.

The nominative simply names the person or thing under attention, as,
_mirri_ or _burumain_, a dog; _burrandang_, a native-bear; _wille_ or
_womburan_, an opossum; _wagan_, a crow; _bulgang_ or _burgan_, a
boomerang.

The nominative-agent requires a suffix to the noun, as, _gibirru
womburan dhe_, a man an opossume ate. _Bulladyerudu dhurung bume_, a
woman a snake struck (or killed). _Inarru wille dharalgiri_, a woman
an opossum will eat. _Burrandangu gurril dhara_, a native-bear leaves
is eating. _Mirridu wille buddhe_, a dog an opossum bit.

_Genitive_.--_Mengu bulgang_, a man's boomerang. _Bulladyerugu kunne_,
a woman's yamstick. _Burrandanggu bullung_, a native-bear's head.

_Dative_.--_Dhu