The Natural History of the Varieties of ManLatham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)
Science
The Natural History of the Varieties of Man
Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)
Ethnology
4. Head=_imocila_, Ombay; _moos_ (= hair), Darnley Island; _moochi_ (=
hair), Massied; _immoos_ (= beard), Darnley Islands; _eeta moochi_, (=
beard) Massied.
5. Knee=_icici-bouka_, Ombay; _bowka_, _boulkay_ (= forefinger),
Darnley Islands.
6. Leg=_iraka_, Ombay; _horag-nata_, Jhongworong dialect of the
Australian.
7. Bosom=_ami_, Ombay; _naem_, Darnley Island.
8. Thigh=_itena_, Ombay; _tinna-mook_ (= foot), Wioutro dialect of
Australian. The root, _tin_, is very general throughout Australia in
the sense of _foot_.
9. Belly=_te-kap-ana_, Ombay; _coopoi_ (= navel), Darnley Island.
10. Stars=_ipi-berre_, Mangarei; _bering_, _birrong_, Sydney.
11. Hand=_tanaraga_, Mangarei; _taintu_, Timbora; _tamira_, Sydney.
12. Head=_jahé_, Mangarei; _chow_, King George's Sound.
13. Stars=_kingkong_, Timbora; _chindy_, King George's Sound, Australia.
14. Moon=_mang'ong_, Timbora; _meuc_, King George's Sound.
15. Sun=_ingkong_, Timbora; _coing_, Sydney.
16. Blood=_kero_, Timbora; _gnoorong_, Cowagary dialect of Australia.
17. Head=_kokore_, Timbora; _gogorrah_, Cowagary.
18. Fish=_appi_, Mangarei; _wapi_, Darnley Island.
It is considered, that this list, short as it, is calculated to
contract the broad line of demarcation, implied in the following
extract from Marsden:--
"We have rarely met with any Negrito language, in which many corrupt
Polynesian words might not be detected. In those of New Holland or
Australia, such a mixture is not found. Among them no foreign terms
that connect them with the languages, even of other _Papua_ or Negrito
countries, can be discovered; with regard to the physical qualities of
the natives, it is nearly superfluous to state, that they are Negritos
of the most decided class."
TIMOR.
The multiplicity of languages, or dialects, spoken on the island
Timor, has been noticed by most voyagers. Some have put the mutually
unintelligible forms of speech as high as thirty. Unfortunately the
details of this variety are not known. Such Timor vocabularies as
we possess, represent the language of Koepang; the locality where
the contact with the trading world both of the East and West, is
greatest, _i.e._, with the Dutch and with the Malays. This makes the
language Malay--though less Malay than the Malay of Sumatra, Celebes,
and Borneo; the points wherein it differs being, frequently, points
wherein it agrees with the Bima, Savu, and Endé, and other intermediate
islands. Nevertheless, it is highly probable that the Timor of
Koepang no more exactly represents the languages of some of the
wilder mountaineers of the interior, than the Malay of Kedah exactly
represents the languages of the Samang or Jokong.
When the wilder inhabitants are represented at all, they are
represented as approaching the character of the Negro.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account