Biri, also known as Biria, Birri Gubba, Birigaba, Wiri, Perembba and other variants, 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 ...

of the

Mackay Mackay may refer to: *Clan Mackay, the Scottish clan from which the surname "MacKay" derives Mackay may also refer to: Places Australia * Mackay Region, a local government area ** Mackay, Queensland, a city in the above region *** Mackay Airport ...

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. some of the dialects have been undergoing a revival for some years.

Dialects

The following languages are regarded as confirmed dialects of Biri by the

AUSTLANG The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), established as the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (AIAS) in 1964, is an independent Australian Government statutory authority. It is a collecting, ...

database maintained by

AIATSIS The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), established as the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (AIAS) in 1964, is an independent Australian Government statutory authority. It is a collecting, ...

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

Yuwi

E54: Yuwi (Juipera, Toolginburra, Yuipera, Juwibara, Yuibera, Yuwiburra, Yuwibarra, Yuwibara): Yuwibara is treated as a dialect of Biri by

Angela Terrill Angela may refer to: Places * Angela, Montana * Angela Lake, in Volusia County, Florida * Lake Angela, in Lyon Township, Oakland County, Michigan * Lake Angela, the reservoir impounded by the source dam of the South Yuba River Fiction * Ang ...

, 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 assigned a status to it. 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

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, working on building word lists and developing a dictionary. The organisation First Languages Australia (a language advocacy body established in 2013) lends support. The language and people are usually referred to as

Yuwibara The Yuwibara, also written Yuibera and Juipera and also known as Yuwi, after their language, are an Aboriginal Australian people, originating from the area around present-day Mackay, on the east coast of Queensland, Australia. Country Accordin ...

today, with a 2020 native title determination made in this name.

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 The Gabulbarra people, also rendered Gabalbura, Gabalbara and Kabalbara, is an Aboriginal Australian people of an area in eastern Central Queensland, but there is little recorded information about them. Country Gabulbarra traditional lands ...

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.

Phonology

Consonants

Vowels

Vowels are noted as /a, i, u/.

Peoples

The following peoples spoke the dialects of Biri mentioned above: * Baradha people *

Biria people The Birri Gubba people, formerly known as Biria, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of Queensland. Language The Birri Gubba people spoke a number of languages in the Biri language group. Country The Biria held sway over some , ...

Gangulu people The Gangulu people, also written Kangulu, Kanolu, Kaangooloo, Ghungalu and other variations, are an Aboriginal Australian people from the Mount Morgan area in Queensland, Australia. Name At least one variant name for the Kangulu, ''Kaangooloo' ...

Garaynbal people The Garaynbal, also written Karingbal, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of Queensland. They spoke a dialect of Biri called Garaynbal, now extinct. Country According to Norman Tindale, the Karingbal had around of territory, aro ...

Giya people The Gia people, also known as Giya, Kia, Bumbarra, and variants, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of Queensland. Little is known of them. Language The Gia spoke Giya language, Giya/Bumbarra, a dialect of the Biri language, belong ...

(Gia) * Ngaro people *

Wiri people The Wiri were an Aboriginal Australian people of an area on the eastern side of the state of Queensland. They spoke a dialect of the Biri language called Wiri (also known as Widi). Country The Wiri's tribal lands spread over some from the Coas ...

Yambina people The Yambina were an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of Queensland, whose traditional lands lie inland (westwards) some distance from Mackay. Country Yambina lands included Logan Creek south of Avon Downs. They ran east to the Denham ...

Yangga people The Yangga, also spelt Jangga, were an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of Queensland. They are not to be confused with the Yanga people. Language Norman Tindale referred to the language as Jangga. Country According to Norman Tindale' ...

* Yetimarala people *

Yilba people The Yilba, also written Ilba and Jilba, are or were an Aboriginal Australian people of the present-day state of Queensland. Country In Norman Tindale's estimation, the Yilba were assigned a tribal domain extending over approximately , from the ...

Yuwibara people The Yuwibara, also written Yuibera and Juipera and also known as Yuwi, after their language, are an Aboriginal Australian people, originating from the area around present-day Mackay, on the east coast of Queensland, Australia. Country Accordin ...