Djabugay language

Djabugay (or Djabuganjdji; see below for other names) is an endangered Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Djabugay people with 46 native speakers at the 2016 census.^[3][2] The Djabugay language region includes Far North Queensland, particularly around the Kuranda Range and Barron River catchment, and the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Cairns Regional Council.^[4]

Djabugay
Region	Queensland, Australia
Ethnicity	Djabugay, Buluwai, Yirrganydji (Irukandji)
Native speakers	81 (2021 census)[1]
Language family	Pama–Nyungan Paman Djabugay
Dialects	Djabugay Yirrgay (Irrukandji) Bulway Guluy Njagali (Nyagali)[2]
Language codes
ISO 639-3	dyy
Glottolog	dyaa1242
AIATSIS[3]	Y106
ELP	Djabugay
Djabugay is classified as Severely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Classification

Though sometimes placed in a separate Yidinyic branch of Pama–Nyungan, Bowern (2011) retains Djabugay in its traditional place within the Paman languages.^[5]

Dialects

The following languages are confirmed dialects of Djabugay by the AUSTLANG database maintained by Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. Djabugay is used both as a language name and a dialect name.^[3] Additional names for these languages and/or dialects have been listed after their names but terms do overlap and the lists are not exhaustive.

• Y106: Djabugay / Tjapukai – Barron River dialect, Binggu, Bulum-Bulum, Buluwai, Check-Cull, Chewlie, Dja:bugay, Djabugai, Djabuganjdji, Djabungandji, Dyaabugay, Dyabugandyi, Dyabugay, Hileman, Irukandjai, Kikonjunkulu, Kodgotto, Koko-Tjumbundji, Koko njunkulu, Koko nyungalo, Koko Tjumbundji, Kokonjunkulu, Kokonyungalo, Ngarlkadjie, Njakali, Nyakali, Orlow, Tapelcay, Tcabogai tjanji, Tja:pukanja, Tjabakai-Thandji, Tjabogai tjandji, Tjabogai tjanji, Tjabogaijanji, Tjabogaitjandji, Tjankir, Tjankun, Tjapukandji, Tjapukanja, Tjapunkandji, Tjunbundji, Toabogai tjani, Tuffelcey^[3][4][6]
• Y110: Bulway – Buluwan dyi, Buluwandji, Buluwandyi, Bulwandji, Bulwandyi^[7][8]
• Y111: Yirrgay – Chumchum, Dingal, Djabungandji, Dungara, Dungarah, Illagona, Irakanji, Irukandji, Tingaree, Tingeree, Umbay, Walpoll, Wongulli, Yerkanji, Yettkie, Yirgandji, Yirgay, Yirkandji, Yirkanji^[9][10]
• Y160: Guluy – Dyaabugay^[11]
• Y162: Nyagali – Njagali^[12]

Phonology

Consonants^[13]

	Labial	Apico- alveolar	Retroflex	Lamino- palatal	Dorso- velar
Plosive	b	d		ɟ	g
Nasal	m	n		ɲ	ŋ
Lateral		l
Rhotic		r	ɻ
Semivowel	w			j

Vowels^[13]

	Front	Back
High	i      iː	u      uː
Low	a      aː

Vocabulary

Some words from the Djabugay language, as spelt and written by Djabugay authors include:^[4][14]

• Bulurru: elsewhere known as Dreaming, the source of life.
• Gurrabana: where people and everything in Djabugay society and life is divided between wet and dry, this is the wet season side.
• Gurraminya: where people and everything in Djabugay society and life is divided between wet and dry, this is the dry season side.
• Djirri-nyurra: hello
• Guyu: fish
• Gan gula: kangaroo
• Bulmba: home
• Bana: rain
• Wuru: river
• Bungan: sun

See also

• Yidiny language

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021). "Cultural diversity: Census". Retrieved 13 October 2022.
2. Dixon, R. M. W. (2002). Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development. Cambridge University Press. p. xxxii.
3. Y106 Djabugay at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
4. This Wikipedia article incorporates text from Djabugay published by the State Library of Queensland under CC BY licence, accessed on 16 May 2022.
5. Bowern, Claire. 2011. "How Many Languages Were Spoken in Australia?", Anggarrgoon: Australian languages on the web, December 23, 2011 (corrected February 6, 2012)
6. "Djabugay". Endangered Languages Project. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
7. "Y110 Bulway". AUSTLANG. Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
8. This Wikipedia article incorporates text from Bulway published by the State Library of Queensland under CC BY licence, accessed on 20 May 2022.
9. "Y111 Yirrgay". AUSTLANG. Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
10. This Wikipedia article incorporates text from Irukandji published by the State Library of Queensland under CC BY licence, accessed on 20 May 2022.
11. "Y160 Guluy". AUSTLANG. Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
12. "Y162 Nyagali". AUSTLANG. Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
13. Patz, Elisabeth (1991). "Djabugay". In Dixon, R. M. W.; Blake, Barry J. (eds.). Handbook of Australian Languages. Vol. 4. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. pp. 245–347.
14. Duffin, Rhonda & Brim, Rosetta (1993?) Ngapi Garrang Bulurru-m: All Things Come from Bulurru. Kuranda, Queensland. ISBN 0-646-09380-0.

Further reading

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Language Wordlists: Djabugay Everyday Words, published by State Library of Queensland under CC-BY license, accessed 17 May 2022.