E57: Wiri

AIATSIS code: 
E57
AIATSIS reference name: 
Wiri

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Name
Thesaurus heading language
Wiri language E57
Thesaurus heading people
Wiri people E57
ABN name
-
ABS name
-
Horton name
Biri (Wiri)
Ethnologue name
Biri (Wirri)
ISO 639-3 code
-
Tindale name
Wiri
Tindale (1974)
Widi (valid alternative), Wierdi.
O'Grady et al (1966)
Wierdi, Widi
Glottocode
-
Other sources
-
Synonyms
Wirri, Widi, Biri, Biria, Gongolo, Widi, Wierdi, Wirdi, Witi
Comment
Comments: 
Wiri is a Biri E56 dialect from Central Queensland. A word list in Curr (1887), 'Fort Cooper: Aminungo tribe' (no. 145) is described by Oates and Oates as 'possibly' referring to Barna E53 (1970:173), but Breen describes the Fort Cooper wordlist as Wirri (E57) (2009:227). Breen assigns Yuwibara E54 to Wirri (E57) on the basis of geography and shared items with Tindale's Widi (E57) wordlist (1938 in Breen 2009:228). Breen says that the spelling of this dialect is in some doubt, it may be that Wiri and Biri E56 are a pair involving initial lenition of /b/ to /w/. Breen spells it Wirri on the basis that Chesney, who recorded a speaker in 1966, wrote Widi, indicating a tap (2009:228), although the name was not included in the recording. Other dialects of the Biri language include Biri E56, Yangga E52, Yilba E55, Miyan E50, Gabulbarra E45, Baradha E48, Baranha E53, Yambina E51, Yetimarala E63, Garaynbal E38, Gangulu E40 and the Brown River language (Breen, 2009).
References: 
  • Breen, Gavan. 2009. The Biri dialects and their neighbours. In Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia. 133(2):219-256.
  • Chesney, Estrella. 1966. Wiri language elicitation. CHESNEY_E01 - 01301A
  • Terrill, Angela. 1998. Biri: Languages of the world 258. München: Lincom Europa.
  • 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.
Status: 
Confirmed
Location
State / Territory: 
QLD
Location information: 
Tindale's given area is probably accurate as far as it goes, but it should be extended south down to Clermont (Terrill 1998:71). On Coast Range behind Mackay; inland to Nebo and heads of Suttor and Bowen rivers; on Connor and Denham ranges (Tindale 1974).
Maps: 
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Links

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PDF icon Oates_E57.pdf
Tindale 1974
Programs
Activities: 
-
People: 
wiri
Indigenous organisations: 
-
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
TypeDocumentation StatusDocumentation Score
Word listLess than 20 pages1
Text CollectionNone0
GrammarA few articles1
Audio-visualLess than 11
Manuscript note: 
tape transcription/field note available
Grammar: 

Terrill, Angela. 1998. Biri. Munich: Lincom. Beale, Anthony. 1974. A grammar of the Biri language, ms.

Dictionary: 
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Classification
SourceFamilyGroupSub-groupNameRelationship
Ethnologue (2005)Pama-NyunganMaricBiri (Wirri)
Dixon (2002)GREATER MARIC GROUPMaric proper subgroupWirri (or Widi)Biri* (or Biria, Birigaba) Beale (1974) (note that Terrill 1998 is a publication of some of Beale's materials) further dialects: Gangulu, Wirri (or Widi), Yilba, Baradha, Yambina, Yetimarala, Garanjbal, Yangga
Wurm (1994)Pama-NyunganMaricWiri
Walsh (1981)Pama-NyunganMaricMariWiri
Oates (1975)Pama-NyunganMaricMariWiri
Wurm (1972)Pama-NyunganPama-MaricMariWiri
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966)Pama-NyunganPama-MaricMariWiri