gin

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris

n. a native word for an aboriginal woman,and used, though rarely, even for a female kangaroo. See quotation 1833. The form gun (see quotation 1865) looksas if it had been altered to meet gunae, and of coursegenerate is not derived from gunae, though it may be adistant relative. In `Collins's Vocabulary' occurs «din, awoman.» If such a phonetic spelling as djin had beenadopted, as it well might have been, to express the nativesound, where would the gunae theory have been?


1798. D. Collins, `Account of English Colony in New SouthWales,' Vocabulary, p. 612:

«Din – – a woman.»

1830. R. Dawson, `Present State of Australia,' p. 152:

«A proposition was made by one of my natives to go and steal agin (wife).»

Ibid. p. 153:

«She agrees to become his gin.»

1833. Lieut. Breton, R.N., `Excursions in New South Wales,'p. 254:

«The flying gin (gin is the native word for woman or female) isa boomall, and will leave behind every description of dog.»

1834. L. E. Threlkeld, `Australian Grammar,' p. x:

«As a barbarism [sc. not used on the Hunter], jin – – a wife.»

1845. J. O. Balfour, `Sketch of New South Wales,' p. 8:

«A gin (the aboriginal for a married woman).»

1846. C. P. Hodgson, `Reminiscences of Australia,' p. 367:

«Gin, the term applied to the native female blacks; not fromany attachment to the spirit of that name, but from some (tome) unknown derivation.»

1846. J. L. Stokes, `Discovery in Australia,' vol. I. c. iv.p. 74:

«Though very anxious to . . . carry off one of their `gins,'or wives . . . he yet evidently holds these north men in greatdread.»

1847. J. D. Lang, `Cooksland,'p. 126, n.:

«When their fire-stick has been extinguished, as is sometimesthe case, for their jins or vestal virgins, who have charge ofthe fire, are not always sufficiently vigilant.»

1852. G. C. Mundy, `Our Antipodes' (edition 1855), p. 98:

«Gins – – native women – – from gune, mulier, evidently!»

1864. J. Rogers, `New Rush,' pt. 2, p. 46:

«The females would be comely looking gins,

Were not their limbs so much like rolling-pins.»

1865. S. Bennett, `Australian Discovery,' p. 250:

«Gin or gun, a woman. Greek gunae and derivative wordsin English, such as generate, generation, and the like.»

1872. C. H. Eden, `MY Wife and I in Queensland,' p. 118:

«The gins are captives of their bow and spear, and are broughthome before the captor on his saddle. This seems the orthodoxway of wooing the coy forest maidens. . . . All blacks arecruel to their gins.»

1880. J. Brunton Stephens, `Poems' [Title]:

«To a black gin.»

1885. R. M. Praed, `Australian Life,' p. 23:

«Certain stout young gins or lubras, set apart for the purpose,were sacrificed.»

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