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<TITLE>RE: [Mihalic] sik muruk</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>The Bislama equivalent is "sik blong faol" (faol = chicken - we dopnlt have cassowaries in Vanuatu!), but it looks like the same kind of thing ... reminding me of the Australian saying "running around like a chook with its head cut off".</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>J</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>-----Original Message-----</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>From: Bryant Allen [<A HREF="mailto:bryant.allen@anu.edu.au">mailto:bryant.allen@anu.edu.au</A>] </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 1:27 PM</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>To: mihalic@anu.edu.au</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Subject: [Mihalic] sik muruk</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>I heard this at Tumam (Dreikikir, East Sepik) in 1971-72, where there were </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>two male maternal cousins (mothers were sisters) who had severe epilepsy to </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>the point where they were badly burned and severely brain damaged. At first </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>I thought it was a reference to a 'spirit' cassowary who was causing the </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>fit doing bad things deep in the forest, but later I realized it is used </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>because the fit is similar to what a cassowary does when it is hit with an </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>arrow and thrashes about as it dies. I have not heard "sik muruk" used </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>anywhere else, but then I have not had too many conversations about </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>epilepsy either.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>B</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>At 12:05 PM 18/10/2006 +1000, you wrote:</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>> 1. sik muruk = epilepsy (Robin Hide)</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Dr Bryant Allen</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Senior Fellow</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Land Management Group</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Department of Human Geography</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>The Australian National University</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>ACT 0200 Australia</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>ANU CRICOS Provider Number is 00120C</FONT>
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