D34: Bigambul

AIATSIS code: 
D34
AIATSIS reference name: 
Bigambul

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Name
Thesaurus heading language
Bigambul language D34
Thesaurus heading people
Bigambul people D34
ABN name
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ABS name
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Horton name
Bigambul
Ethnologue name
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ISO 639-3 code
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Tindale name
Bigambul
Tindale (1974)
Bigabul (valid variant used by one informant), Pikambul, Bigambal, Bigambel, Bee-gum-bul, Bigumble, Pikumbul, Pikumpal, Pikambal, Pikum-bul, Pickum-bul, Pickimbul, Pickumble, Picum-bul, Pikumbil, Begumble (['biga] = ['pika] == yes), Peekumble, Pickumbil, Picumbill, Preagalgh, Wigal-wollumbul, Wee-n' gul-la-m' bul.
O'Grady et al (1966)
Bigambul, Pikambul, Bigambal, Beegumbul, Pikambal, Pikumbul, Pickumbil
Glottocode
-
Other sources
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Synonyms
Bigambal, Pikambul, Bee gum bul, Beegumbul, Begumble, Bigabul, Bigambel, Bigumble, Bigunbil, Peekumble, Pickimbul, Pickum bul, Pickumbil, Pickumble, Picum bul, Picumbill, Pikambal, Pikum bul, Pikumbal, Pikumbil, Pikumbul, Pikumpal, Preagalgh, Pregalgh, Wee n gul la mbul, Wigal wollumbul, Bigumbil, Wee n gul la m bul
Comment
Comments: 

Dixon (2002) groups Bigambal (D34) together with the Bundjalung E12 languages while O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin classify it as a 'Wiradjuric' language (in Wafer & Lissarrague, 2008: 333).

Wafer and Lissarrague leave this discrepency unresolved; under the heading East Queensland Border languages they place Bigambal D34 and Gambuwal D29 together as they have a 75% cognate count indicating a possible dialectal relationship. 

Under the same heading they describe Yugambal E11 and Ngarbal E68 as having a 70% cognate count, and Marbal E91 (about which little is recorded) as closely related. Guyambal D35 is also described under the East Queensland Border languages but they caution more research is required to accurately define its relationships (2008: 332-334).

 

References: 
  • Condamine Alliance Australia. 2013. Languages of the Condamine. Toowoomba, Qld: Condamine Alliance. (L 040.003/4)
  • Dixon, R. M. W. 2002. Australian languages: their nature and development: Cambridge Language Surveys. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • MacPherson, John. 1904. Ngarrabul and other Aboriginal tribes. Pt. 2 Distribution of tribes. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales vol. 29, pt. 4, pp. 677-684. (RS 50/5)
  • Mathews, Robert Hamilton. 1902. Languages of some native tribes of Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. Journal of the Royal Society of NSW 36:135-190.
  • Tindale, Norman B. 1974. Aboriginal tribes of Australia: their terrain, environmental controls, distribution, limits, and proper names. Berkeley: University of California Press/Canberra: Australian National University Press.
  • Wafer, Jim & Amanda Lissarrague. 2008. A handbook of Aboriginal languages of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Nambucca Heads: Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative.
Status: 
Confirmed
Location
State / Territory: 
NSW
Location information: 

East of Nindigully, Qld., on Weir and Moonie rivers, north to Tara; at Talwood, Qld.; on MacIntyre River from east of Boomi to Texas; at Yetman, Boggabilla, and Middle Creek, N.S.W. (Tindale 1974).

... on the Weir and Macintyre Rivers, Queensland; they adjoin the Yualeai D54 on the east (Mathews 1902:143).

Bonshaw; Yetman and Boggabilla (On the MacIntyre River); Callandoon and the Weir River - in part (in Queensland). Ridley includes within his Pikimbul region the MacIntyre River, Callandoon and Weir River. Matthews gives Goondiwindi (MacIntyre R.) and Weltown (Weir R., Queensland) as belonging to the Pikumbil Tribe (MacPherson 1904:679).

... on the Queensland-NSW border around the Macintyre and Weir Rivers and extending north towards Millmerran. (Condamine Alliance Australia 2013).

 

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PDF icon Oates_D34.pdf
Tindale 1974
Programs
Activities: 
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People: 
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Indigenous organisations: 
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Speakers
Year Source Speaker numbers
1975Oates-
1984Senate-
1990Schmidt-
1996Census-
2001Census-
2004NILS1-
2005Estimate-
2006Census-
2011Census-
2014NILS2
2016Census-
2018-2019NILS3

Speaker numbers were measured differently across the censuses and various other sources listed in AUSTLANG. You are encouraged to refer to the sources.

Speaker numbers for ‘NILS 2004’ and ‘2005 estimate’ come from 'Table F.3: Numbers of speakers of Australian Indigenous languages (various surveys)' in 'Appendix F NILS endangerment and absolute number results' in McConvell, Marmion and McNicol 2005, pages 198-230 (PDF, 2.5MB).

Documentation
Type Documentation Status Documentation Score
Word list Less than 20 pages 1
Text Collection None 0
Grammar A few articles 1
Audio-visual None 0
Manuscript note: 
tape transcription/field note available (vocabulary)
Grammar: 
-
Dictionary: 
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Classification
Source Family Group Sub-group Name Relationship
Ethnologue (2005)          
Dixon (2002)   CENTRAL EAST COAST GROUP   Bigambal Bigambal
Wurm (1994)          
Walsh (1981)          
Oates (1975) Pama-Nyungan Wiradjuric Miyal Bigumbil  
Wurm (1972) Pama-Nyungan Wiradjuric Miyal Bigumbil  
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966) Pama-Nyungan Wiradjuric Miyal Bigumbil