In the above table the following explanations will be found useful:

Thus the reading of the numerals runs: One, two, three, two-two (four), two and three (five), or one hand part (five), hand finger-nails one (six), hand finger-nails two (seven), hand finger-nails three (eight), hand finger-nails four (nine), two hand parts (ten), foot toe-nails one (eleven).

To imply a repetition or continuance of action, the frequent use of the same verb is avoided by the Sunday Islanders, but the same effect is achieved by reiterating the word “garra” indefinitely. The expression of continued action is usually in the present tense and is mostly applied to words like “running,” “walking,” “jumping,” “sleeping,” “raining,” “blowing,” “bleeding,” etc., etc. For example, a man from a tree or other look-out might be describing to his companions below, the doings of their hunting party out on the plain; while the latter keep moving, he conveys the fact to his hearers by ejaculating “garra, garra, garra, ...” The direction of the hunters’ movements is indicated by the swing of his hand. The moment the observer in the tree stops saying “garra,” the people below know that the hunters have ducked or have temporarily ceased the pursuit.

The terminal syllable of a word is never uttered very clearly by an aboriginal; and it is consequently difficult to distinguish between a short e, a, o, or u. This is particularly true of the language used by the old men, the defectiveness being often increased by the gaps between the incisors resulting from the initiation ceremonies.

There are occasions, however, when the last syllable receives especial emphasis. The Wongapitcha word for plenty is “ura”; when the idea of plenty is great the word becomes “ura-ku,” with an intentional intonation upon the “ku”; and when the plenty is extraordinary, the word receives yet another syllable and becomes the superlative “ura-ku-pu.”

The simple affirmative of the Aluridja, which has also been adopted by the Arunndta, is “o,” less commonly “u”; but when strong affirmation is intended the word is changed to “owa,” or “owau.”

The ordinary negative of the Arunndta is “itja”; but forcibly expressed this may become “itjama” or “itjingalai.”

Any sudden exclamation or accidental noise, like a cough or sneeze, might be exaggerated by the addition of a syllable at the end. When a Sunday Islander sneezes he makes a word out of the natural noise sounding like “Tish-e!”

An exclamation which is common practically to all Australian tribes, and may express surprise, fear, pain, or disgust, is a very liquid “irr.” The Arunndta have strengthened this monosyllabic cry by giving it the suffix “ai”; nowadays the word is, however, mostly pronounced “Yerrai!” A variety of the last-named, but not quite so forceful, is “Yakai!” A sudden fright or the anticipation of harm might produce a very short “i,” without any indication of the presence of the liquid consonant.