Multiparty storytelling in Umpila and Kuuku Ya’u

Figures & data

Table 1. Narratives in the corpus.

Title	Topic	Date recorded
Buthen Buthen	Stranded near miners camp at Buthen Buthen	14/03/07
King Fred	King Fred discovers a sea mine	23/03/07
Old Woman Wuthathi	Fishing trip with a Wuthathi elder	08/02/05
Land Handover	Trip to Coen for KULLA land trust agreement	04/09/08
Charlie	Pet emu Charlie chases Islander men visiting the Lockhart Mission	23/06/08
Spirit Relative	Encounter with ghost of an ancestor	12/08/07
That Sick	Flu epidemic in Mission times	21/05/05
We Go Country	Journey to Umpila country	18/08/08
My Country	Journey to Massey Creek	17/08/08
Kangaroo	Encounter with a large kangaroo	10/06/08
Preparation for Dance	Preparation for the Laura Dance Festival	05/07/07
Give Fright	Two boys play a trick on an old woman	30/06/08
Suzie and Cilla	Suzie and Cilla’s encounter with a sorcerer	04/09/08
Escaped Prisoners	Discovery of escaped prisoners living in the bush	02/04/07
Waiting for a Ride	Travelers stranded overnight near the old Lockhart River Airstrip	27/03/07
Stranded	Stranded at Pascoe River Mouth	25/07/11
Perth	Trip to Perth for an art exhibition opening	12/07/11
WW2	Encounter with American army planes in WW2	05/04/04
Hospital	Emergency trip to hospital in Cairns	17/07/10
Canberra	Trip to Canberra with Athol Chase	19/07/11

Table

(1)	1	RP	Marbot	nganan	kali-na
			marbot	1plexcACC^6	take-NF
			Marbot carries us
	2		(1.0)

Table

	3	RP	pula	pa’amu all be get a car too them too
			3plNOM	two
			those two (Anita and husband) had a car too
	4		(1.6)

Table

	5	RP	ngku-lu	mayi	atha-na	ngulu	Anita-lu	mukana
			dem.dist2-DM	food	bury-NF	3sgNOM	anita-ERG	Big
			over there she buried food there (implies damper buried in ashes), Anita and big mob there
	6		(0.5)
	7	NB	hm
	8		(1.1)

Table

	9	NB	pulka-nguna	atha-na =
			hot.ashes-LOC	bury-NF
			(she) buried (the food) in the hot ashes
	10	RP	=pulka-nguna	atha-na
			hot.ashes-LOC	bury-NF
			(she) buried (the food) in the hot ashes
	11		(.)
	12	DG	malngkan-nguna
			beach-LOC
			at the beach
	13		(.)

Table

	14	NB	°atha-na	[yeah°
			bury-NF	yeah
			buried yeah
	15	RP	[malngkan	miintha
			beach	good
			nice beach/sand
	16		(0.3)
	17	CS	hm
	(Hill 2007–2010: LCCH-V04Sep08_Suzie and Cilla)

Table

(2)	1	RP	ngulu	nga’a-lu
			3sgNOM	dem.dist1-DM
			that one
	2		(1.0)
	3	RP	api-na
			pick.up-NF
			picked up
	4		(.)
	5	RP	pipi:::::
			pipi (shells)?
	6		(0.4)
	7	NB	minya	nyakun =
			meat	mollusc
			nyakun [species of mollusc]
	8	RP	=yaw	[ nyakun
			yes	mollusc
	(Hill 2007–2010: LCHVDP04Sep08_Suzie and Cilla)

Table 2. Supporting narrator contributions to Waiting for a Ride.

Clause type	Question	Declarative	Evaluative	Continuer
Frequency	20	43	6	16
Total %	24%	51%	6%	19%

Table

(3)	1	NB	ngampula	got-im	yuma	mukan	pal’ana-na =
			1plincNOM	got-him	fire	big	prepare.fire-NF
			“we have to make a big fire”
	2	NB	=haaahuhhhh=
			haaahuhhhh

Table

	3	CS	hm	pula	wantant	pa’a-	inga-na	pa’amu	thathimalu
			hm	3plNOM	IGNOR	two-	say-NF	two	islanders
			hm what did those two say, the two Islanders?
	4		(0.2)
	5	NB	apa
			INTJ
			“oh dear!”
	(Hill 2007–2010: LCCH-V27Mar07_Waiting for a Ride)

Table

(4)	1	NB	yuma-na	mukana	pal’ana-na
			fire-?	big	prepare.fire-NF
			we made a big fire
	2		(.)
	3	CS	hmmm =
	4	RP	=pula	pa’amu	wantantu	ngampa	wini-na
			3plNOM	two	IGNOR	NEG	fright-NF
			how are those two, are they not frightened?
	5		(0.6)

Table

	6	NB	pula	nga’a-l	pa’amu
			3plNOM	dem.dist1-DM	two
			those two
	7		(0.4)

Table

	8	NB	aa	ngay	inchi-nya-lana	ngampa	wini-mpu
			Ah	1sgNOM	tell-NF-3plACC	NEG	fright-IMP.PL

Table

			ngampula	wuna-tha
			1plincNOM	sleep-FUT
			I speak to them, “don’t be frightened, we will sleep”
	(Hill 2007–2010: LCHVDP27Mar07_Waiting for a Ride)

Table

(5)	1	CS	hm	pula	wantant pa’a-	inga-na	pa’amu	thathimalu
			hm	3plNOM	IGNOR two-	say-NF	two	islanders
			hm what did those two say, the two Islanders?
	2		(0.2)

Table

	3	NB	apa
			INTJ
			“oh dear!”
	4		(1.0)
	5	RP	ngulu	wini-na
			3sgNOM	frighten-NF
			he was frightened
	6		(.)

Table

	7	NB	nganan-	ngampulan	[ngaani	ngachi-ka
			1plexcACC	1plincACC	IGNOR	find-FUT
			“something will find us lot – us all!”

Table

	8	LP	[nga’a-l-ki	xxxxx
			dem.dist1-DM-DUB	?
			those/that one might
	9		(.)

Table

	10	DG	chilpu	kalma[-na	lo
			old.man	come-NF	GEN
			the old man came
	11	LP	[kalma-na	Masic
			come-NF	Masic
			came from Masic (island)
	12	RP	nyii =
			yes
			yes
	13	DG	=chilpu	kalma-lu	[chilpu-lu
			old.man	come-?	old.man-ERG
			the old man came, the old man
	14	RP	[nyii
			yes
			yes
	15		(0.4)

Table

	16	DG	nga’a-l	chilpu	yuma	nga’a
			dem.dist1-DM	old.man	fire	dem.dist1
			that old man at the fire there
(Hill 2007–2010: LCHVDP27Mar07_Waiting for a Ride)

Table

(6)	1	CS	nga’a-l	wini-na =
			dem.dist1-DM	fright-NF
			that one is frightened

Table

	2	RP	=pa’anama	paacha[na
			sit.down	daylight
			sit down till daylight

Table

	3	NB	[wini	nyii
			fright	yes
			frightened yes
	4		(.)
	5	RP	pa’anama	[paachana
			sit.down	daylight
			sit down till daylight

Table

	6	DG	[oh	nga’a-lu	xxxxx
			oh	dem.dist1-DM	?
			oh that one
	7		(1.0)
	8	NB	wayimu	wuna-na ngayu	<nga’a-l >
			woman	camp-NF 1sgNOM	dem.dist1-DM
			the woman and I sleep
	9		(1.0)
	10	CS	yuma	yinchu
			fire	close
			close to the fire
	(Hill 2007–2010: LCHVDP27Mar07_Waiting for a Ride)

Table

(7)	1	LP	ngulu	(.)	maampa	nga’a-lu	ngayu
			3sgNOM		♀C	dem.dist1-DM	1sgNOM

Table

		ing-	ingka-n	maampa-laka
		cry	cry-NF	♀C-PATHOS
		that one, son, I cry out for poor son!
	(Hill 2007–2010: LCHVDP23Mar07_King Fred)

Table 3. Distribution of supporting narrator evaluative comments in King Fred.

Turn no.	Preceding narration summary	Supporting narrator comment
53–58	King Fred orders his fellow Night Island people to go down to the beach and try to open the mine.	Poor old man! Son, hey my son!
70–72	The girls carry down an axe to help prise open the mine.	Oh no they carry the axe for something! (They) might hit it!
90–96	The white men at the lighthouse notice the events unfolding on the beach.	That one, son, I cry out for poor son!
121–123	King Fred hangs his name plate around his neck to identify himself as chief to the white men.	Chief hey they call him, son that belongs me, that one.
127–136	The white men explain that they have been hitting a mine and that the explosion could have killed them.	Could burn. Oh no! No. Hit it and it will explode! (explosion gestured)
139–143	King Fred runs away, abandoning the Night Island group he leads.	(i) Don’t run away with fright son! (ii) Son was lucky he didn’t hit the right place, if it had blown up he would have turned to nothing.
147–157	The white men instruct them to watch the mine being detonated. Description of King Fred running away is repeated.	(i) Oh dear, he was frightened, that one, my poor son! (ii) If son had hit that right spot the light would burnt them to nothing.
169–171	The smoke of the explosion rises up and spreads across the sky.	Oh no!

Table

(8)	1	RP	ngu’ulana	inga-na	para	(.)	thungky	mukan	paa’i-cha
			2plACC	say-NF	white.person		black	big	stand-FUT
			the white people said to you lot, “the big black smoke will stand up”

Table

	2		(0.8)
	3	RP	nhanu	wantantu
			2sgNOM	IGNOR
			“how are you?” (they asked King Fred)
	4		(0.6)

Table

	5	RP	ngayu	waatha-ngka	ngay	wini-na
			1sgNOM	go-PRES.CONT	1sgNOM	frighten-NF
			“I’m going, I’m frightened”
	6		(.)

Table

	7	RP	way	ngampula	[na-
			hey	1plincNOM	?
			“hey we all ?-”

Table

	8	KH	[apa	ngulu	wini-na	nga’a-lu
			INTJ	3sgNOM	fright-NF	dem.dist1-DM
			[maampa-laka
			♀C-PATHOS
			oh dear, he was frightened, that one, my poor son!

Table

	9	KH	[huuuuhaaahh
	10		(.)
	11	KH	chilpu
			old man
			the old man
	12	RP	hm
	(Hill 2007–2010: LCHVDP23Mar07_King Fred)

Table

(9)	1	RP	pintipinti-na	kani-ma
			run-NF	up-DIR
			(he) ran and ran upwards
	2		(.)

Table

	3	LP	kuyi	ngampa	pintipinti	[maampa	wini-nyu=
			again	NEG	run.IMP	♀C	fright-?
			again don’t run away with fright son!

Table

4

RP

[huhhahhaha

Table

5

KH

=huhhuhu

Table

	6	RP	ngulu	atha-nya=
			3sgNOM	cover-NF
			he (took) cover/buried himself

Table

	7	LP	=maampa	mini-ku	wiiyanku	tha’i-na
			♀C	good-GEN	another	hit-NF
			son had luck, (he) hit it in some way
	8		(.)

Table

	9	LP	aachi-na-tha	now	well	antha	ulmpay
			burn-NF-DUTY	now	well	before	nothing
			and it should have burnt well before then, but nothing happened.
	10		(.)

Table

	11	RP	inga-na	ngu’ula	waathi	ngungku	ngaachi	ngu’ulungku
			say-NF	2plNOM	go	dem.dist2	place	2plGEN
			ilpi-n	kukuku
			return-NF	dem
			(they) said “you lot go over there to your place (the mission) and then look back from there”
	(Hill 2007–2010: LCHVDP23Mar07_King Fred)

Table

(10)	1	RP	nhanu	wantantu
			2sgNOM	IGNOR
			“how are you?” (they asked King Fred)
	2		(0.6)

Table

	3	RP	ngayu	waatha-ngka	ngay	wini-na
			1sgNOM	go-PRES.CONT	1sgNOM	frighten-NF
			“I’m going, I’m frightened”
	4		(.)

Table

	5	RP	way	ngampula	[na-
			hey	1plincNOM	?
			“hey we all ?-”

Table

	6	LP	[apa	ngulu	wini-na	nga’a-lu
			INTJ	3sgNOM	fright-NF	dem.dist1-DM
			[maampa-laka
			♀C-PATHOS
			oh dear, he was frightened, that one, my poor son!

Table

	7	KH	[huuuuhaaahh
	8		(.)
	9	KH	chilpu
			old man
			the old man
	10	RP	hm
	11		(.)

Table

	12	LP	apa	maampa	tha’i-na	il’a	aachi-nya	ulmpay
			oh	♀C	hit-NF	light	burn-NF	nothing
			oh if son had hit that right spot the light would burnt them to nothing

Table

	13	RP	ngu’ula
			2plNOM
			(the white men said) “you lot

Table

	14	RP	nhanu	ngi’i	tha’i-ka
			2sgNOM	dem.prox	hit-FUT
			if you will hit this”
	15		(1.3)

Table

	16	RP	ngu’ula	maka-ka
			2plNOM	die-FUT
			(the white men said)“you lot will die”
	(Hill 2007–2010: LCHVDP23Mar07_King Fred)

Hill, C. (2007–2010). Paman languages: Umpila, Kuuku Ya’u, Kaanju. Endangered Languages Archive (0059).

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Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available through restricted access (community consent required) in the Endangered Languages Archive at http://elar.soas.ac.uk/deposit/0059, reference number paman-hill-0059.