namma hole

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

n.


a native well. Nammais an aboriginal word for a woman's breast.

1893. `The Australasian,' August 5, p. 252, col. 4:

«The route all the way from York to Coolgardie is amplywatered, either `namma holes' native wells) or Governmentwells being plentiful on the road.»

1896. `The Australasian,' March 28, p. 605, col. 1:

«The blacks about here [far west of N.S.W.] use a word nearlyresembling `namma' in naming waterholes, viz., `numma,'pronounced by them `ngumma,' which means a woman's breast. Itis used in conjunction with other words in the native names ofsome waterholes in this district, e.g., `Tirrangumma' =Gum-tree breast; and ngumma-tunka' = breast-milk, the water insuch case being always milky in appearance. In almost allnative words beginning with n about here the first n has the ng sound as above.»

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

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