Gumbaynggir language (also spelled Gumbaingari, Kumbainggar, Kumbaingeri, Gambalamam, and also called Baanbay) is an
Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the
Gumbaynggirr
The Gumbaynggirr people, also rendered Kumbainggar, Gumbangeri and other variant spellings, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. Gumbathagang was a probable clan or sub-group. The traditional lands of th ...
, who are native to the
Mid North Coast
The Mid North Coast is a country region in the north-east of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region covers the mid northern coast of the state, beginning from Port Stephens north of Sydney, and extending as far north as Woolgoo ...
of
New South Wales
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, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
. Gumbaynggir is the only surviving language in the Gumbaynggiric family of
Pama–Nyungan stock.
It has a
binary
Binary may refer to:
Science and technology Mathematics
* Binary number, a representation of numbers using only two digits (0 and 1)
* Binary function, a function that takes two arguments
* Binary operation, a mathematical operation that ta ...
way of counting numbers.
Phonology
Vowels
Consonants
Voiced stops may also be realised as voiceless sounds
, k, c, t when occurring in intervocalic positions.
Revitalization
Organised revitalisation of Gumbaynggir has been underway since 1986 when Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative was founded at Nambucca Heads. Classes in Gumbaynggir are taught through the North Coast Institute of TAFE up to Certificate II level.
Muurrbay and Many Rivers Aboriginal Language Centre (MRALC) supports Aboriginal language revitalization through activities that include:
- Providing access to linguistic expertise, and training for Aboriginal people.
- Recording languages wherever possible, and assisting with access to archival materials, providing a regional storage base for these materials.
- Producing language materials such as dictionaries or wordlists, grammars, learner's guides, transcriptions and translations.
- Providing community access to languages by using, and assisting communities to use information technology such as: Transcriber, Shoebox, Powerpoint and Adobe Audition.
- Employing linguists, Aboriginal language researchers and specialists in Information and Communication Technology.
- Raising awareness in the wider community about the value of Aboriginal languages.
In recent years, the Bularri Muurlay Nyanggan Aboriginal Corporation (BMNAC), established in 2010 by Gumbaynggirr and
Bundjalung man Clark Webb, has made great efforts to revitalise the Gumbaynggirr language. The BMNAC started in 2010 when two after school learning centres were set up at Wongala Estate Aboriginal Reserve and
Woolgoolga
Woolgoolga is a town on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Pacific Highway, approximately 550 km north of Sydney and 365 km south of Brisbane. The closest city to Woolgoolga is Coffs Harbour, which lies ...
High School. A third after school Learning Centre was established at William Bayldon Primary School in
Sawtell in 2012
Further efforts from the BMNAC saw the Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School open in February 2022. The first independent Indigenous bilingual primary school to ever operate in New South Wales
The school caters to students from K-2, and operates under the ethos of “Bularri Muurlay Nyanggan” meaning “Two Path Strong” in Gumbaynggirr languag
Funding
Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Cooperative Ltd at Bellwood receives funding from the following government organizations:
- The Australian Government has an Indigenous Languages Support (ILS) program which gives money to community driven digital and multi-media resources as a tool for maintenance, revival and development of native languages
- New South Wales Department of Aboriginal Affairs has funded the Muurrbay Center Sydney based Aboriginal Languages Summer School
In November 2011, the Australian government declared an Indigenous Protected Area for the Gumbaynggirr people. The Indigenous Protected Areas act protects the native land of indigenous Australians. The protection of the land ties into the spiritual beliefs of the Gumbaynggirr people and by protecting the land, the government is helping revitalize their culture.
See also
*
List of Aboriginal languages of New South Wales
Prior to colonisation in 1788, the Aboriginal Australians living in the areas now known as New South Wales spoke between 35 - 40 languages including between 70 - 100 dialects. Some of these languages are closely related, many are no longer spoken ...
References
External links
Bibliography of Gumbaynggir people and language resources at the
Rosetta Project: Kumbainggar Swadesh List
Gumbaynggiric languages
Indigenous Australian languages in New South Wales
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