Some expressions assign a somewhat more active role to body parts, where they are described as seeing, smelling, or generally perceiving things. Usually this represents premonitions, as can be illustrated with the Kaytetye expression (Central Australia) alemele arenke, literally ‘see with the belly’, meaning ‘have a feeling that something will happen, have a premonition’. Sometimes the sense is more clearly emotional, as in Kaurna (South Australia) tangka martulyainthi ‘liver smelling, sensing’, which means ‘to like, to long for someone or something’. This type of expression remains quite rare, and only concerns abdominal body parts – mostly the belly and the liver –, as well as the throat. In Alyawarr (Central Australia) for instance, ahentyarl areyel ‘throat see’ means ‘want something you can’t get, worry about a situation you can’t do anything about’. Seeing or recognizing with the eyes can also associate with being flirtatious or jealous, as in Yolngu Matha (Arnhem Land) mel-dharaŋan ‘eyes recognize, understand’, meaning ‘covet, desire’. This reflects the behaviors of people who are attracted to each other, which can predictably involves looking at each other.

References

Amery, Rob. Emotion Metaphors in an Awakening Language: Kaurna the language of the Adelaide Plains. Paper presented at the 2017 Australian Linguistics Society Conference, Sydney, Australia, 2017.

Bowern, Claire and David Zorc. Yolngu Matha dictionary. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, AILEC 0778, n. d.

Green, Jennifer, David Blackman and David Moore. Alyawarr to English dictionary. Alice Springs: IAD Press, 2019.

Ross, Alison and Myfany Turpin. Kaytetye to English Dictionary. Alice Springs, N. T.: IAD Press, 2012.