birding-aus

Re: birding-aus Bird raving

To: Goodfellow <>
Subject: Re: birding-aus Bird raving
From: Laurence and Leanne Knight <>
Date: Sun, 15 Aug 1999 18:36:27 +1000
Goodfellow wrote:
> 
> The right to speak out certainly isn't and hasn't been the norm in many
> cultures, for instance among bush Aboriginal people.  It makes them
> really easy to suppress.
> 
> Political correctness means that a few visible people belonging to the
> dominant culture and having the strings to pull can build a mould into
> which they try to squeeze others with global, national and regional
> consequences.   Over time cultures outside of the mainstream become an
> empty shell of practices acceptable to the wider society.  Minority
> opinions are suppressed.
> 
> Have a look at what happens with bird names.  Now obviously the good of
> having common bird names as with any term, is that everyone knows what
> everyone else is talking about.  But this works on a regional basis as
> well.  Members of my Kuninjku language group all know what bird we mean
> by Djagana.   But regional bird names are suppressed by names adopted by
> the wider society, and that includes Aboriginal language names.  Whether
> that's good or bad depends on who you are.  If you're a visitor or
> newcomer to a region you probably want names you are familiar with.  But
> there are unintended consequences, namely the loss of legitimacy of
> regional differences, and languages.   Bird names are  part of the total
> process that causes national, regional differences that helped locals
> make sense of their world, gave them a sense of identity, to be subsumed.
> 
> People down south may all agree on calling Jabiru, Black-necked Stork or
> Owl-faced Finch, Double-barred Finch.  Has anyone asked long-term locals?
>  Or bush Aboriginal people?  When it was decided to name Grey Whistler,
> did anyone take into account the fact that our bird is brown?  Not only
> that but the type was taken up here?
> 

I don't see anything wrong with having alternate "common names".  I for
one prefer "weero" to "cockatiel" - it more accurately captures the
essence of the species [and cockatiel has dutch origins].  I also reckon
panpanpallella would be a fair moniker for the crested bellbird.

Generally though, I think most common names [eg malleefowl,
spinifexbird, whipbird] are fairly descriptive of the birds in question
for English speakers.

Just out of interest, how many common names have aboringinal origins [eg
budgerigar]?

Regards, Laurie.
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