Waalubal (Wahlubal), also known as Western Bundjalung, Baryulgil, and Middle Clarence Bandjalang, is an
Australian Aboriginal language
The Indigenous languages of Australia number in the hundreds, the precise number being quite uncertain, although there is a range of estimates from a minimum of around 250 (using the technical definition of 'language' as non-mutually intellig ...
spoken by the
Western Bundjalung living in
North-East New South Wales.
Nomenclature
In the Western Bundjalung language, ''Wahlubal'' means "those who say Wahlu", ''Wahlu'' being the form of the second person nominative 'you' used in this variety. Wahlubal was spoken in the
Tabulam
Tabulam is a rural village in the far north-east of New South Wales, Australia, 800 kilometres from the state capital, Sydney. Tabulam is located on the Bruxner Highway (Highway 44) between Tenterfield and Casino and on the Clarence River. Acco ...
area, further downstream at
Baryulgil
Baryulgil is a rural locality in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. The locality is on the Clarence River (New South Wales), Clarence River in the Clarence Valley Council local government area.
History
According to the Geographical Names ...
the Wehlubal dialect was spoken, ''Wehlu'' being this dialects form of ''Wahlu.''
To the east across the range, at Rappville along Bungawalbin creek the Birihn dialect was spoken, ''Birihn'' meaning 'southern', slightly the north was the very similar but distinct Casino dialect, known only as Bundjalung.
These are all common exonyms and endonyms for the people and their languages. The generic term Bundjalung or Western bundjalung is also commonly used.
Geographic Distribution
Wahlubal is spoken along the Clarence river upstream from the
Yagir language.
Grammar
Demonstratives
Western Bundjalung possesses a complicated set of demonstratives that make a three-way distinction, with proximal, medial, and distal sets, there is a further distinguishing of demonstrative adjectives and location demonstratives. The adjective set can be additionally suffixed to create demonstrative pronouns, the adjective set has three forms for "things in sight", "things hidden or not in sight" and "things not there anymore", while the location set has forms to indicate the general area and definite area, and whether in sight or not in sight.
Adjective set
The above set can be suffixed with order 7 noun suffixes to form demonstrative pronouns that function like ordinary independent nouns. e.g. ''Yanindeh galani wangahbaya!'' 'Take this with you!
The 'not in sight' and 'not here anymore' forms can take the order 2 noun suffix -gan to form time words. E.g. ''gunahgan'' 'recently'.
Location set
References
Pama–Nyungan languages
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