1886. H. C. Kendall, `Poems,' p. 42_Austral English

"He took

His axe, and shaped with boughs and wattle-forks

A wurley, fashioned like a bushman's roof."

<hw>Xanthorrhoea</hw>, n. scientific name for a genus

of Australian plants, N.O. Liliaceae, having thick

palm-like trunks. They exude a yellow resin.

(Grk. Xanthos, yellow, and rhoia, a flow,

sc. of the resin.) They are called Black Boys

and Grass-trees (q.v.).

<hw>Yabber</hw>, n. Used for the talk of the aborigines.

Some think it is the English word jabber, with the first

letter pronounced as in German; but it is pronounced by the

aborigines yabba, without a final r. Ya

is an aboriginal stem, meaning to speak. In the Kabi dialect,

yaman is to speak: in the Wiradhuri, yarra.

1874. M. K. Beveridge, `Lost Life,' pt. iii. p. 37:

"I marked

Much yabber that I did not know."

1885. R. M. Praed, `Australian Life,' p. 28:

"Longing to fire a volley of blacks' yabber across a London

dinner-table."

1886. R. Henty, `Australiana,' p. 23:

"The volleys of abuse and `yabber yabber' they would then utter

would have raised the envy of the greatest `Mrs. Moriarty' in

the Billingsgate fishmarket."

1888. Rolf Boldrewood, `Robbery under Arms,' p. 55:

"Is it French or Queensland blacks' yabber? Blest if I

understand a word of it."

<hw>Yabber</hw>, v. intr. (See noun.)

1885. R. M. Praed, `Australian Life,' p. 19:

"They yabbered unsuspiciously to each other."

1887. J. Farrell, `How he died,' p. 126:

"He's yabbering some sort of stuff in his sleep."

<hw>Yabby</hw>, n. properly Yappee, aboriginal

name for a small crayfish found in water-holes in many parts

of Australia, Astacopsis bicarinatus. The Rev. F. A.

Hagenauer gives Yappy, in `Curr's Australian Race,'

vol. iii. p. 554, as a Gippsland word. Such variants as

the following occur--Yappitch, kapich, yabbechi,

yaabity. The distinction between the thin and thick

consonants is usually uncertain.

1894. `The Argus,' Oct. 6, p. 11, col. 2:

"In the case of small crayfish, called `yabbies,' . . . these

may be found all over Australia, both in large and small

lagoons. These creatures, whilst nearing a drought, and as the

supply of water is about to fail, burrow deeply in the beds of

the lagoons, water-holes, or swamps, piling up the excavations

on the surface over their holes, which I take, amongst other

reasons, to be a provision against excessive heat."

1897. `The Australasian,' Jan. 30, p. 224, col. 4:

"The bait used is `yabby,' a small crayfish found in the sand

on the beach at low tide. The getting of the bait itself is

very diverting. The yabbies are most prized by fish and

fishermen, and the most difficult to obtain. The game is very

shy, and the hunter, when he has found the burrow, has to dig

rapidly to overtake it, for the yabby retires with marvellous

rapidity, and often half a dozen lifts of wet sand have to be

made before he is captured. There is no time to be lost. In

quite twenty-five per cent. of the chases the yabbies get away

through flooding and collapse of the hole."

<hw>Yakka</hw>, v. frequently used in Queensland bush-towns.

"You yacka wood? Mine, give 'im tixpence;"--a sentence often

uttered by housewives. It is given by the Rev. W. Ridley, in

his `Kamilaroi, and other Australian Languages,' p. 86, as the

Turrubul (Brisbane) term for work, probably cognate with

yugari, make, same dialect, and yengga, make,

Kabi dialect, Queensland. It is used primarily for doing

work of any kind, and only by English modification (due to

"hack") for cut. The spelling yacker is to be

avoided, as the final r is not heard in the native

pronunciation.

<hw>Yam</hw>, n. a West Australian tuber, Dioscorea

hastifolia, Ness., N.O. Dioscorideae. "One of the

hardiest of the Yams. The tubers are largely consumed by the

local aborigines for food; it is the only plant on which they

bestow any kind of cultivation." (Mueller, apud Maiden,

p. 22.)

<hw>Yam, Long</hw>, n. a tuber, Discorea

transversa, R. Br., N.O. Dioscorideae. "The small

tubers are eaten by the aborigines without any preparation."

(Thozet, apud Maiden, p. 23.)

<hw>Yam, Native</hw>, n. a tuber, Ipomaea spp.,

N.O. Convolvulaceae. The tubers are sometimes eaten

by the aboriginals.

<hw>Yam, Round</hw>, n. i.q. Burdekin Vine, under

Vine.

<hw>Yam-stick</hw>, n. See quotation 1882, Tolmer.

1863. M. K. Beveridge, `Gatherings,' p. 27.

"One leg's thin as Lierah's yamstick."

1880. Fison and Howitt, `Kamilaroi and Kurnai,' p. 195:

"Behind the pair stands the boy's mother holding her

`yam-stick' erect, resting on the ground."

1882. A. Tolmer, `Reminiscences,' vol. ii. p. 101:

"The natives dig these roots with the yam-stick, an

indispensable implement with them made of hard wood, about

three feet in length, thick at one end and edged; it is

likewise used amongst the aboriginal tribes of South Australia,

like the waddy, as a weapon of offence."

1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Squatter's Dream,' c. iii. p. 31:

"Why, ole Nanny fight you any day with a yam-stick."

<hw>Yama</hw>, n. aboriginal name for a tree;

probably a variant of Yarrah (q.v.).

1838. T. L. Mitchell, `Three Expeditions,' vol. ii. p. 54:

"The `Yama,' a species of the eucalyptus inhabiting the

immediate banks, grew here, as on the Darling, to a gigantic

size. . . . The `yama' is certainly a pleasing object, in

various respects; its shining bark and lofty height inform the

traveller at a distance of the presence of water; or at least

the bed of a river or lake."

<hw>Yan Yean</hw>, n. the reservoir from which Melbourne

obtains its water supply: hence commonly used for water from

the tap.

1871. Dogberry Dingo, `Australian Rhymes and jingles,' p. 8:

"O horror! What is this I find?

The Yan Yean is turned off."

<hw>Yarra-Bend</hw>, n. equivalent to the English word

Bedlam. The first lunatic asylum of the colony of

Victoria stood near Melbourne on a bend of the river Yarra.

<hw>Yarrah</hw>, n. aboriginal name for a species of

Eucalyptus, E. rostrata, Schlecht; often called the

River Gum, from its habit of growing along the banks of

watercourses, especially in the dry interior of the continent.

According to Dr. Woolls (apud Maiden, p. 511),

Yarrah is "a name applied by the aboriginals to almost

any tree." The word is not to be confused with Jarrah

(q.v.). As to etymology, see Yarraman.

<hw>Yarra-Herring</hw>, n. name given in Melbourne to a

fresh-water fish, Prototroctes maraena, Gunth.; called

also Grayling (q.v.).

<hw>Yarraman</hw>, n. aboriginal name for a horse.

Various etymologies are suggested; see quotation, 1875.

The river "Yarra Yarra" means ever flowing, sc. fast.

[A possible derivation is from Yaran, a common word in

New South Wales and South Queensland, and with slight variation

one of the most common words in Australia, for beard and

sometimes hair. The mane would suggest the name.

--J. Mathew.]

1848. T. L. Mitchell, `Tropical Australia,' p. 270:

"It was remarkable that on seeing the horses, they exclaimed

`Yarraman,' the colonial natives' name for a horse, and that of

these animals they were not at all afraid, whereas they seemed

in much dread of the bullocks."

1875. W. Ridley, `Kamilaroi and other Australian Languages,'

p. 21:

"Horse-yaraman. All the Australians use this name, probably

from the neighing of the horse, or as some think from `yira'

or `yera,' teeth (teeth), and `man' (with)."

Ibid. p. 104:

"Language of George's River. Horse--yaraman (from `yara,' throw

fast)."

1885. R. M. Praed, `Australian Life,' p. 4:

"Yarraman being the native word for horse."

<hw>Yarran</hw>, n. aboriginal name adopted by the

colonists for several Acacias (q.v.)--Acacia

homalophylla, A. Cunn., called also Spearwood;

A. linifolia, Willd., called also Sally; A.

pendula, A. Cunn., called also Boree, and

Weeping or True Myall (see Myall).

1891. Rolf Boldrewood, `A Sydney-side Saxon,' p. 99:

"That infernal horse . . . pretty near broke my leg and

chucked me out over a yarran stump."

<hw>Yate</hw>, or <hw>Yate-tree</hw>, n. a large West

Australian tree, Eucalyptus cornuta, Labill., yielding

a hard tough elastic wood considered equal to the best ash.

<hw>Yellow-belly</hw>, n. In New South Wales, the name

is given to a fresh-water fish, Ctenolates auratus;

called also Golden-Perch. See Perch. In Dunedin

especially, and New Zealand generally, it is a large flounder,

also called Lemon-Sole, or Turbot (q.v.).

<hw>Yellow Fever</hw>, sc. the gold-fever.

1861. T. McCombie, `Australian Sketches,' p. 47:

"Evident symptoms of the return of the `yellow' fever,

and a journey to the new goldfields seemed to be the only cure."

<hw>Yellow-head</hw>, n. name given to a bird of New

Zealand, Clitonyx ochrocephala, or Native Canary

(q.v.), common in South Island. See Clitonyx.

<hw>Yellow Jacket</hw>, n. a name given to various

gum-trees, and especially to Eucalyptus melliodora,

Cunn., E. ochrophlora, F. v. M., and E. rostrata,

Schlecht, all of the N.O. Myrtaceae. They all have a

smooth yellowish bark, and many other names are applied to the

same trees.

<hw>Yellow Lily</hw>, n. a Tasmanian name for the

Native Leek. See Leek.

<hw>Yellow-tail</hw>, n. The name is given in Victoria

to the fish Caranx trachurus, Cuv. and Val.; the

Horse-Mackerel (q.v.) of England. In New South Wales,

it is Trachurus declivis, a slightly different species,

also called Scad; but the two fish are perhaps the same.

Seriola grandis, Castln., also of the Carangidae

family, is likewise called Yellow-tail in Melbourne. In

New Zealand, the word is used for the fish Latris

lineata, of the family of Sciaenidae, and is also a

name for the King-fish, Seriola lalandii, and for

the Trevally.

<hw>Yellow Thyme</hw>, n. a herb, Hibbertia

serpyllifolia, R. Br., N.O. Dilleneaceae.

<hw>Yellow-wood</hw>, a name applied to several Australian

trees with the epithets of Dark, Light, Deep, etc., in

allusion to the colour of their timber, which is allied to

Mahogany. They are--Acronychia laevis, Forst.,

N.O. Rutaceae; Rhus rhodanthema, F. v. M.,

N.O. Anacardiaciae; Flindersia oxleyana,

F. v. M., N.O. Meliaceae. See also Satin-wood.

<hw>Yuro</hw>, n. i.q. Euro (q.v.).

<hw>Zebra</hw>-fish, n. name given to the fish

Neotephraeops zebra, Richards.

<hw>Zebra-Wolf</hw>, n. i.q. Tasmanian Wolf,

or Tasmanian Tiger (q.v.).

<hw>Zelanian</hw>, a scientific term, meaning `pertaining to

New Zealand,' from Zelania, a Latinised form of

Zealand.

<hw>Zosterops</hw>, n. the scientific name of a genus

of Australian birds, often called also popularly by that name,

and by the names of Wax-eye, White-eye,

Silver-eye (q.v.), Ring-eye, Blight-bird

(q.v.), etc. From the Greek zowstaer, a girdle,

`anything that goes round like a girdle' (`L. & S.'), and

'owps, the eye; the birds of the genus have a white

circle round their eyes. The bird was not generally known in

New Zealand until after Black Thursday (q.v.), in 1851,

when it flew to the Chatham Islands. Some observers, however,

noted small numbers of one species in Milford Sound in 1832.

New Zealand birds are rarely gregarious, but the

Zosterops made a great migration, in large flocks,

from the South Island to the North Island in 1856,

and the Maori name for the bird is `The Stranger' (Tau-hou).

Nevertheless, Buller thinks that the species

Z. caerulescens is indigenous in New Zealand.

(See under Silver-eye, quotation 1888.)

The species are--

Zosterops caerulescens, Lath.

Green-backed Z.--

Z. gouldi, Bp.; called also Grape-eater,

and Fig-eater (q.v.).

Gulliver's Z.--

Z. gulliveri, Castln. and Ramsay.

Pale-bellied Z.--

Z. albiventer, Homb. and Jacq.

Yellow Z.--

Z. lutea, Gould.

Yellow-rumped Z.--

Z. westernensis, Quoy and Gaim.

Yellow-throated Z.--

Z. flavogularis, Masters.

1897. A. J. Campbell (in `The Australasian,' Jan. 23), p. 180,

col. 3:

"I have a serious charge to prefer against this bird [the Tawny

Honeyeater] as well as against some of its near relatives,

particularly those that inhabit Western Australia, namely, the

long-billed, the spine-billed, and the little white-eye or

zosterops. During certain seasons they regale themselves too

freely with the seductive nectar of the flaming bottle-brush

(Callistemon). They become tipsy, and are easily caught

by hand under the bushes.In the annals of ornithology I know of

no other instance of birds getting intoxicated."