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Not to be confused with Nhanhagardi language, also known as Wiri.

Biri is a language traditionally spoken in an area between Mackay and Townsville of Queensland by the Birri Gubba people. Several grammatical descriptions of Biri were written[3][4][1] before the language was silenced,[nb 1] but has been undergoing revival by the community for some years.[6]

At least eight distinct languages have been historically regarded as dialects of Biri.[7] Recent research is finding that at least some of these varieties, such as Gangulu, Barada, Wirri and Garaynbal, have significant lexical, morphological and phonological differences to Biri, and as such should be considered distinct languages.[8]

Traditional lands of Aboriginal people around Mackay, Rockhampton and Gladstone in Queensland

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,[5] but many of them are now being reawakened by their respective communities.

  • E38: Garaynbal (Garingbal)[9]
  • E40: Gangulu (Kaangooloo)[10]
  • E48: Barada (Thar-ar-ra-burra)[11]
  • E51: Yambina (Jampal)[12]
  • E52: Yangga (Jangga)[13]
  • E54: Yuwi (Juipera)[14]
  • E55: Yilba (Yukkaburra)[15]
  • E57: Wiri (Widi)[16]
  • E58: Giya (Bumbarra)[17]
  • E59: Ngaro (Giya)[18]
  • E63: Yetimarala / Yetimarla[19]

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 October 2020 assigned a status to it.[14]

Yuwi had no recorded speakers between 1975 and 2016 according to AUSTLANG,[14] but efforts are being made to revive the language.[20] 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,[21] lends support.[22]

The language and people are usually referred to as Yuwibara today,[23][24] with a 2020 native title determination made in this name.[25]

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).[18]

Gabulbarra

Gabulbarra is name for a people of Central Queensland, but little is known about their language. The Gabulbarra people are closely connected with the Barada people[26] and may have spoken a similar language to Barada.

Notes

  1. ^ For an overview of the sociopolitical history of First Nations languages, see the Report of the Third National Indigenous Languages Survey (NILS3).[5]

References

  1. ^ a b Terrill, Angela (1998). Biri.
  2. ^ E56 Biri at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  3. ^ Beale, Tony. (1974). A grammar of the Biri language of north Queensland. AIATSIS.
  4. ^ Holmer, Nils M. (1983). Linguistic Survey of South-Eastern Queensland. Pacific Linguistics.
  5. ^ a b Lee, J; Battin, J; Marmion, D; Smith, R; Wang, T; AIATSIS (2020). “Report of the Third National Indigenous Languages Survey (NILS3)” (PDF). Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.
  6. ^ “Birri Gubba Online Training”. Living Languages. 3 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  7. ^ Terrill, A. (1993). Biri. (Bachelor of Arts (Honours)). Australian National University, Canberra.
  8. ^ Tudor-Smith, G., & Watson, T. (2024). Reanalysing and Recategorising Central Maric Languages Using Cultural Knowledge. Paper presented at the Australian Languages Workshop, Canberra.
  9. ^ E38 Garaynbal at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  10. ^ E40 Gangulu at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  11. ^ E48 Baradha at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  12. ^ E51 Yambina at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  13. ^ E52 Yangga at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  14. ^ a b c E54 Yuwi at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  15. ^ E55 Yilba at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  16. ^ E57 Wiri at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  17. ^ E58 Giya at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  18. ^ a b E59 Ngaro at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  19. ^ E63 Yetimarala / Yetimarla at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  20. ^ Studies, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (2 August 2022). “Language status – map and graph data”. aiatsis.gov.au. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  21. ^ “First Languages Australia”. First Languages Australia. 29 April 2020. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  22. ^ Maddison, Melissa; Wykeham, Ollie (13 January 2020). “How Welcome to Country helped save the Yuwi language from the brink of extinction”. ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  23. ^ Battley, Daniel; Kesteven, Sophie (26 March 2015). “Yuwibara language kept alive in Mackay”. ABC Tropical Queensland. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  24. ^ “Traditional Owners”. Reef Catchments. 9 September 2020. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  25. ^ “Native Title Determination Details: QCD2020/001 – Yuwibara People”. National Native Title Tribunal. 7 October 2010. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  26. ^ National Native Title Tribunal. “QCD2024/018 – Barada Kabalbara and Yetimarala People #1”. Retrieved 9 August 2025.

Further reading