Biri language


Biri, also known as Biria, Birri Gubba, Birigaba, Perembba and other variants, is an Australian Aboriginal language in an area between Mackay and Townsville of Queensland spoken by the Birri Gubba people. A grammar of Biri proper was written before the language was silenced. some of the dialects have been undergoing a revival for some years.
At least eight languages had been previously regarded as dialects of Biri. Recent research is finding that at least some of these languages, including Gangulu, Barada, Wirri and Garaynbal, have significant lexical, morphological and phonological differences to Biri, and as such should be considered distinct languages. All are covered in this article.

Related languages

The following languages are regarded as closely related languages of Biri by the AUSTLANG database maintained by AIATSIS. Only one alternative name is given, for brevity; most have many more. Most, if not all, of these languages were silenced during the 19th and 20th centuries, but many of them are now being reawakened by their respective communities.
  • E38: Garaynbal
  • E40: Gangulu
  • E48: Barada
  • E51: Yambina
  • E52: Yangga
  • E54: Yuwi
  • E55: Yilba
  • E57: Wiri
  • E58: Giya
  • E59: Ngaro
  • E63: Yetimarala / Yetimarla

    Yuwi

E54: Yuwi : Yuwibara is treated as a dialect of Biri by Angela Terrill, based on George Bridgeman and Pierre-Marie Bucas' list in Curr, having over 80% in common with Biri. However Gavan Breen assigns it to Wiri – another dialect of Biri – on the basis of geography and other evidence. AIATSIS had not as of 2020 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 State Library of Queensland, working on building word lists and developing a dictionary. The organisation First Languages Australia lends support.
The language and people are usually referred to as Yuwibara 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.

Gabulbarra

is name for a people of Central Queensland, but little is known about their language. The Gabulbarra People are closely connected with Barada People and may have spoken a similar language to Barada.

Phonology

Consonants

Vowels

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

Peoples

The following peoples spoke the dialects of Biri mentioned above:
  • Barada people
  • Biria people
  • Gangulu people
  • Garaynbal people
  • Giya people
  • Ngaro people
  • Wiri people
  • Yambina people
  • Yangga people
  • Yetimarala people
  • Yilba people
  • Yuwibara people