[1]
talara godana for rain to fall
karari talara godai
it is raining now (or today)
[2]
paja godana for a bird to swoop down
Context:
from a height, on to its prey.
kirki godana warai murlapara dakala
the kirki (hawk) swooped down today a pigeon to bite
today a hawk swooped down from above to grab a pigeon
[3]
paru godana for a fish to fall down
Context:
e.g. when it snaps its jaws out of the water and falls back again into the lake.
[4]
kirra godana for a boomerang to fall
kirra nauja mirindru godai
the boomerang falls from a height
[5]
kapirani godana to trample on top of a goanna
ninkida kapiri wirina warai, ngaiani godananto ninaia mankamankala
here a goanna glided into [a hole]; we must trample around with our feet to find out where her burrow is
[6]
naria godana to stamp (with one's feet) prior to dying
Ethnography:
If, for example, a man has been destined to die and no longer sees a way of escape, he stamps his feet on the ground and says:
ninkida ngana naria nandrau, ninkida ngani nari parananto
here me dead strike, here I dead want to be buried
strike me dead right here; this is where I want to be buried
[7]
buru godana for hail to fall
buru pirna godana warai ngampu naria
large hail[-stones] fell today, which nearly caused our death
[8]
billi godana for a net-bag to fall down
Context:
when imagined to be hanging on a tree.
billi nauja godana ngarina warai, watarali kutibana warai
net-bag he falling down came off, the wind tore off
the net-bag fell down, because the wind tore it off
[9]
daliri godana for a fog to descend
karari tinkani daliri godana warai
last night a fog descended
[12]
godana ngarina to heave in sight and descend [perhaps over a sandhill], to heave in sight and come closer
pinga godana ngarilapa ngaianangu wokarala
a group of blood-avengers has heaved in sight (over yonder) and is approaching in our direction
Grammar:
adverb use.
[13]
godana karitjina to emerge and steer [one's way] around
pinga nauja godana karitjiji ngapani
the group of blood-avengers has emerged and is steering [its way] around the lake
[14]
godana wirina to turn up [suddenly] and enter [the camp]
kana kulno godana wirina warai kamanelini jatala pinga wokaraila
a man came secretly in[-to camp] to inform his friends that a group of blood-avengers was on its way
[15]
butju godana for a blind man to fall
butju jidni minani wapai godaiati
O blind man, where are you going (or: what are you looking for)? You will fall
[17]
godana to fall through; to fall out
billi wilpani nganti godana warai, wilpa ngato wata najina warai
the creature fell out through a hole in my net-bag; I had not seen the hole
[18]
pindri godana for grasshoppers to fall down
pindri tarai ja godai
the grasshoppers are hopping up and (falling) down
[19]
ngapani godana to fall into water, to fall down into water
jinkani ngakani milkini ngapani godana warai
your child fell into the water before my very eyes
[20]
kudna godana for excreta to fall down
Idiom:
The [implied] meaning is 'to ascend'. The meaning of this simile
Reuther: "Vergleichung".
is not clear to me. This form of expression probably centres around the legendary pelican. As an aquatic bird, it ascends to an enormous height. Its excreta does not godana while it is swimming, but only after it has ascended [well] into the air. (A pelican excretes only after it has gained considerable height)
The sentence marked in parentheses is a marginal note by Reuther.
). It is from here that the meaning of 'ascending upward' is derived.
tampangara kudna godai miri pirna
pelican excreta falls down height great
the pelican's excreta falls from a great height. The real meaning is: the pelican ascends to a very great height
[21]
didinga godana to rain inside
Idiom:
Even this combination of words is difficult to translate into German. Didinga is the resounding (echo) of raindrops falling on the roof, that is to say, when the rain is audible from the interior of the hut.
Reuther's writing is hardly legible here, but the word looks like "Innenhuette"
godana means to fall down, i.e. when the rain is perceptible on one's body. The rain can only then be felt, when it seeps [or penetrates] through the holes or cracks. All this is implied in didinga godana.
ngakani pungandru didinga godai
In this instance Reuther varied the word from didinga to dingadinga, evidently in error.
it is raining in from [the roof of] my house
drops are falling on to my house; the rain is coming in through the holes and is dripping (falling) on to my body
[22]
gildi godana for fat to drip away
mara parau gildi godaiati!
hold your hand underneath, otherwise the fat will drip away
[23]
tjutju godana for insects to fall in
wajiluru turuni godai
a fly is falling into the fire
[24]
godana kurana to go round about; to circumvent; to cut off the way [of escape]; to grab someone unnoticed
jundru godana kurau ninaia patala
cut off his (the escapee's) line of retreat (by going round about), to grab him
Grammar:
adverb use.
[25]
muntja godana for sickness to overtake
neji jinkani muntja godai
your elder brother is laid up with sickness
[26]
pitikilkana godana to fall like a streak
jakajai! ditji naniwa pitikilkana godana warai
hullo, the shooting-star plummeted [to earth] like a streak
[27]
pita godana for wood to fall
Context:
i.e. a wooden weapon to come down [on somebody].
pita naka godai matja
the wood there falls down right now
someone is being killed over there
This is synonymous with: "someone over there is being consumed by the sword", (in this case by a spear).
Ethnography:
The fall of a shooting star signifies that someone (in the direction indicated) will be murdered the next day.
[28]
pirra godana for the moon to fall down
Context:
for the old moon to have vanished and the new moon to have appeared, (as, for example, when one has caught sight of the new moon for the first time).
pirra nauwa godaila
moon he (at some distance) falls down
the old moon has vanished, the new one has appeared ("started")
[29]
tajiani godana tarana for an assistant to stoop down and pick up
Context:
to help to stand up. If two men have a fight, so that they both finish up (lying) on the ground, and a third man (a bystander) helps (tajiani
helper to raise one of the two to his feet, a fourth man (who disapproves of the action of the third) will say:
minandru jidni tajiani godana tarai?
why you helper bending down raise up?
why do you, [acting the part of] a helper, bend down and pick him up?
Intervening, and helping a man who has been beaten.
[30]
kirra godana for a boomerang to fall
warle ninkida worana warai kirra karakara godananto?
who aimed in this direction, that the boomerang should have fallen [so] close to me?
[31]
tirimalina godana to fight and fall, to fall in battle
jakajai, nauja tirimalinandru godai! minandru jundru wata tajiani terkai?
dear me, he has fallen down in the fight (cause); why don't you stand by to help him?
[33]
milkigildi godana for tears to fall
Idiom:
figuratively, to allow to beat or defeat.
minandru jidni milkigildi godai?
why you tears let fall?
why do you shed tears? (or) why did you let yourself be beaten?
Answer:
bakalali ngani milkigildi godai
cold I tears make to fall
or, the cold pressed them out of me. That is to say, I could not gain the upper hand on account of the cold, (or) the cold made me numb.
[34]
kantji godana actually, really to fall down
jidni kantji godana warai
you were beaten