In this paper, I present a brief overview of the origins, use and transmission of female Aboriginal personal names I started to collect in 1983 at Yuendumu (Central Australia). Transmission patterns offer insights into the unique relationships amongst bestower, recipient and the Ancestral Beings.
Paper long abstract:
While there has been considerable interest in African and European systems of personal names little research has been directed at the sources of Australian Aboriginal personal names. While a few studies exist most were published several decades ago and generally offered analyses of male naming systems. In this paper I present a brief overview of the origins, use and transmission of personal names among women and girls grounded in data I started collecting in 1983 at Yuendumu, a Central Australian settlement mostly inhabited by Warlpiri people. I will discuss how naming and transmission patterns have evolved since the early 1980s, and continue to offer insights into the unique relationships amongst the bestower, the name holder and the Ancestral Beings in post-colonial times.