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Biri language

{{Short description|Extinct Australian Aboriginal language}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}

{{use Australian English|date=January 2020}}

{{confuse|text=Nhanhagardi language, also known as Wiri}}

{{Infobox language

| name = Biri

| altname = Eastern Maric

| states = Australia

| region = Queensland

| ethnicity = Biria, Kangulu, Wiri, Yuibera, Yilba, Barada, Yambina, Yetimarala, Karingbal, Yangga, Giya (Bumbarra), Baranha, Miyan

| extinct = ?

| familycolor = Australian

| fam1 = Pama–Nyungan

| fam2 = Maric

| dia1 = Biri

| dia2 = Garaynbal

| dia3 = Gangulu

| dia4 = Baradha

| dia5 = Yambina

| dia6 = Yangga

| dia7 = Yilba

| dia8 = Wiri (Widi)

| dia9 = Giya (Bumbarra)

| dia10 = Yetimarala/Yetimarla

| dia11 = Yuwi (Yuipera)?

| dia12 = Mandalgu?

| lc1 = bzr

| ld1 = Biri

| lc2 = gnl

| ld2 = Gangulu

| lc3 = xgi

| ld3 = Garingbal

| aiatsis = E56

| aiatsisname = Biri, etc.

| glotto = east2716

| glottorefname = Eastern Maric

| revived = some dialects

}}

Biri, also known as Biria, Birri Gubba, Birigaba, Wiri, Perembba and other variants, is an Australian Aboriginal language of the Mackay area of Queensland spoken by the Birri Gubba people. There are at least eight languages regarded as dialects of Biri, and two which are related but whose status is not yet fully determined (see the table to the right). All are covered in this article.

A grammar of Biri proper was written before the language became nearly extinct. {{as of|January 2020}} some of the dialects have been undergoing a revival for some years.{{Cite web |last=Crump |first=Des |date=2020-06-09 |title=Language of the Week: Week Two - Birria |url=https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/language-week-week-two-birria |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=State Library Of Queensland |language=en}}

Dialects

File:Tribes around Gladstone1.png and Gladstone in Queensland]]

The following languages are regarded as confirmed dialects of Biri by the AUSTLANG database maintained by AIATSIS. Only one alternative name is given, for brevity; most have many more. All of these dialects appear to be extinct; AUSTLANG shows no speakers for any of them since 1975.

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

  • E38: Garaynbal (Garingbal){{AIATSIS|E38| Garaynbal}}
  • E40: Gangulu (Kaangooloo){{AIATSIS|E40| Gangulu }}
  • E48: Baradha (Thar-ar-ra-burra){{AIATSIS|E48| Baradha}}
  • E51: Yambina (Jampal){{AIATSIS|E51| Yambina}}
  • E52: Yangga (Jangga){{AIATSIS|E52| Yangga }}
  • E54: Yuwi (Juipera)
  • E55: Yilba (Yukkaburra){{AIATSIS|E55| Yilba}}
  • E57: Wiri (Widi){{AIATSIS|E57| Wiri}}
  • E58: Giya (Bumbarra){{AIATSIS|E58| Giya }}
  • E59: Ngaro (Giya){{AIATSIS|E59|Ngaro }}
  • E63: Yetimarala / Yetimarla (Bayali){{AIATSIS|E63| Yetimarala / Yetimarla}}

{{div col end}}

=Yuwi=

E54: Yuwi (Juipera, Toolginburra, Yuipera, Juwibara, Yuibera, Yuwiburra, Yuwibarra, Yuwibara): Yuwibara is treated as a dialect of Biri by Angela Terrill, based on George Bridgeman and Pierre-Marie Bucas' list in Curr (Vol.3, pp. 44–51), having over 80% in common with Biri. However Gavan Breen assigns it to Wiri (E57) – another dialect of Biri – on the basis of geography and other evidence. AIATSIS had not {{as of|lc=yes|October 2020}} assigned a status to it.{{AIATSIS|E54| Yuwi}}

Yuwi had no recorded speakers between 1975 and 2016 according to AUSTLANG, but efforts are being made to revive the language. After a group of Yuwi descendants had worked hard to revive the language, by January 2020 elders were able to conduct "Welcome to Country" ceremonies in language. It was a long process, which included Elders consulting with the State Library of Queensland, working on building word lists and developing a dictionary. The organisation First Languages Australia (a language advocacy body established in 2013{{cite web | title=First Languages Australia | website=First Languages Australia | date=29 April 2020 | url=https://www.firstlanguages.org.au/about/about | access-date=16 October 2020}}) lends support.{{cite news|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|website=ABC News|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-13/traditional-language-recovered-and-used-in-welcome-to-country/11846940|title=How Welcome to Country helped save the Yuwi language from the brink of extinction|first1=Melissa|last1= Maddison|first2= Ollie|last2= Wykeham|date=13 January 2020|access-date=13 January 2020}}

The language and people are usually referred to as Yuwibara today,{{cite web | last1=Battley | first1=Daniel | last2=Kesteven | first2=Sophie | title=Yuwibara language kept alive in Mackay | website=ABC Tropical Queensland | date=26 March 2015 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2015/03/26/4205236.htm | access-date=18 October 2020}}{{cite web | title=Traditional Owners | website=Reef Catchments | date=9 September 2020 | url=https://reefcatchments.com.au/traditional-owners/ | access-date=18 October 2020}} with a 2020 native title determination made in this name.{{cite web | title=Native Title Determination Details: QCD2020/001 - Yuwibara People| website=National Native Title Tribunal | date=7 October 2010 | url=http://www.nntt.gov.au/SearchRegApps/NativeTitleClaims/Pages/Determination_details.aspx?NNTT_Fileno=QCD2020/001 | access-date=18 October 2020}}

=Ngaro=

E59: Ngaro's status as a separate dialect is unconfirmed, with a Tindale wordlist being the only source. Breen assigns it to Wiri (E57).

=Gabulbarra=

Gabulbarra is name for a people of Central Queensland, but little is known about their language. Gavan Breen thinks that they spoke a dialect of Biri, and the status of their language is recorded as "potential" on AUSTLANG.{{AIATSIS|E45|Gabulbarra}}

Phonology

= Consonants =

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

! rowspan="2" |

! colspan="2" |Peripheral

! colspan="2" |Laminal

! colspan="2" |Apical

Bilabial

!Velar

!Palatal

!Dental

!Alveolar

!Retroflex

Stop

|{{IPA|b}}

|ɡ

|ɟ

|d̪

|d

|

Nasal

|{{IPA|m}}

|{{IPA|ŋ}}

|ɲ

|{{IPA|n̪}}

|n

|

Lateral

|

|

|

|

|{{IPA|l}}

|

Rhotic

|

|

|

|

|{{IPA|r}}

|{{IPA|ɻ}}

Semivowel

| colspan="2" |{{IPA|w}}

|j

|

|

|

= Vowels =

Vowels are noted as /a, i, u/.{{Cite book|title=Biri|last=Terrill|first=Angela|year=1998}}

Peoples

The following peoples spoke the dialects of Biri mentioned above:

{{div col}}

{{div col end}}

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

  • {{cite CiteSeerX |title=Selected bibliography of the Birria / Biria / Pirriya language and people held in the AIATSIS Library |first=Eleanor|last= Galvin|date= May 2011 |citeseerx=10.1.1.648.5911 }}
  • {{cite web|url=https://aiatsis.gov.au/sites/default/files/docs/collections/language_bibs/biri_birri_gubba.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412024322/https://aiatsis.gov.au/sites/default/files/docs/collections/language_bibs/biri_birri_gubba.pdf|archive-date=12 April 2020|title=Selected Bibliography of the Biri / Birri Gubba language and peopleheld in the AIATSIS Library |first=Lisa |last= Marcussen|date= Dec 2014|publisher=AIATSIS Library }}

External links

  • [https://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/permalink/61SLQ_INST/11l3i0/alma99183850919502061 Reawakening (Mackay) Community Language Journey Digital Story], State Library of Queensland

{{Pama–Nyungan languages|East}}

Category:Maric languages

Category:Extinct languages of Queensland

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