If low savage names for relationships meant that (no doubt they do not, or not often) then they would undeniably prove nothing as to a system of communal marriage. A baby points to any man or woman and says ‘pa’ or ‘ma,’ without any theory of communal marriage. Thus philologists must first interpret for us the original significance of these savage names of relationships. Once given, they would last, whatever they originally implied. Dr. Westermarck has urged this point.[11] In the terms themselves there is, generally, nothing which indicates that they imply an idea of consanguinity.’ ‘Pa, papa’ (father), ma, mama (mother), and scores of others, ‘are formed from the earliest sounds a child can produce,’ and ‘have no intrinsic meaning whatever.’ Dr. Westermarck gives a long list of such words, applied to ‘fathers, and all the tribe brothers of fathers,’ and the same for mothers, concluding ‘that we must not, from these designations, infer anything as to early marriage customs.’ He does not deny that other terms of relationship have roots of independent meaning, ‘but the number of those that imply an idea of consanguinity does not seem to be very great.’ In Lifu (Melanesia), the word for ‘father’ means ‘root;’ for ‘mother,’ ‘foundation’ or ‘vessel;’ for ‘sister,’ ‘not to be touched;’ for ‘elder and younger brother,’ ‘ruler’ and ‘ruled.’[12] The terms for father and mother denote consanguinity; the others, customary law, and status. If we only knew the meanings, say, of the Urabunna words for relationships, we should learn much. But the truly amusing fact is that Mr. Fison, for example, did not know the language of the natives, and thought that probably not six white men in Australia had an adequate knowledge, and an adequate access to the notions, of the tribesmen. Of these one had been initiated, and, like a gentleman, declined to break the oath of secresy.[13] This was in 1880. Things may have improved. But unless our authorities know the languages, where are we? We do know that seniority is indicated: Father’s elder brothers are Gampatcha Kuka (Warramunga tribe).