Chapter XIII

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

aimlessly drifting

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

any thing at all

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading If I tried to keep her, she would only run away or be ill.

dearly loved

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

plural of “camp” — temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

provide a cure for, make healthy again

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

dreamy in mood or nature

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

divisible by two

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

opinion or judgment

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

longing to return home

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading If I tried to keep her, she would only run away or be ill.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

and nothing more

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading If I tried to keep her, she would only run away or be ill.

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

lacking zest or vivacity

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

prolonged unfulfilled desire or need

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

engage in

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

not any; not one

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

not one thing; not anything

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

on one occasion

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

and nothing more

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

have ownership or possession of

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading If I tried to keep her, she would only run away or be ill.

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

move or cause to move back and forth

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

comparatives of “soon” or “early”

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

a discussion intended to produce an agreement

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

in or at that place or location

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

tested and proved useful or correct

From this reading If I tried to keep her, she would only run away or be ill.

precisely as stated

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

plural of “wandering” — travelling about without any clear destination

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

past form of “watch” — look attentively

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

at the time that

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

during the time that

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

a Caucasian

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

plural of “white” — a Caucasian

From this reading We whites sometimes grow very weary and “bush hungry” when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellow’s longing for his own people, and his beloved “bush.” Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her.

which person or people

From this reading She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

in the company of; together with

From this reading For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking “out bush” with big dreamy eyes.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading She was homesick—“bush hungry”—hungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anything—if only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.