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Introduction

Notes on the Transcription

The texts are divided into lines whenever the narrator pauses. The length of these pauses is indicated by one dash per second of pause. Hesitations in mid-line, at which points the breath is held at the glottis, are indicated by commas. Extended vowels, ‘growls’ or breathy expressions are indicated by adding more letters to the extent of one per second. The texts are also broken up into episodes. The change from one episode to the next is indicated largely in changes of content: a change of character, place or time.

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Aboriginal English

Some description of this variety of English should help readers be aware of linguistic features not present in standard English. Kimberley Aboriginal English often does not distinguish gender in pronouns (females are referred to as ‘he’ or ‘him’) and at the same time introduces dual pronouns which may explicitly include or exclude the person speaking or the person spoken to. Paddy Roe uses, though rarely in these texts, ‘yunmi’ (you, and me) for himself and his addressee, ‘yuntupella’ (you two fellas) for two people spoken to, excluding himself, and ‘mintupella’ (me and two fellas) for himself and someone else excluding the addressee. Paddy Roe has partially adopted plurals for nouns, but alternates this with the Aboriginal English lack of plural marking on nouns.

 

Paddy Roe crafting a Boomerang

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Teresa Roe and kids

Sunset Ethnography

A film by Aaron Burton

 
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