Biyay (Y130), Wargamay Y134 and Biyay Y220 are closely related dialects for which Wargamay is used as a language name. Dixon refers to lexical differences between two dialects: Biyay (Y130) of Hinchinbrook Island and at Lucinda Point on the mainland and Biyay Y220 of the mainland, south-west of Lucinda Point. Both groups of Biyay refer to themselves as Biyaygiri, constructed with the word for 'no' biyay + the derivational suffix '-giri 'with'. Wargamay speakers referred to Biyaygiri (Y130) as /guɲinbara/, constructed with guɲin 'coast' and -bara a derivational affix meaning 'belonging to' (Dixon, 1981: 2-3). Previously Bandjin was treated as both people and language name in the Thesaurus for the code Y130. Bandjin is a people name from Tindale (1974:165) based on the word /baɲdjin/ 'sea water' (Dixon, 1981:3).
Hinchinbrook Island and Lucinda Point on the adjoining mainland. Those on Lucinda Point are usually called Biaigiri, and once may have been a separate tribal unit (Tindale 1974:165). on Hinchinbrook Island and the adjacent mainland (south from the present town of Cardwell), a country of mountainous jungle and flat mangrove swamps, also appear to have spoken a dialect referred to as Biyay (and to have been themselves called Biyaygiri) (Dixon 1981:3).
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North Queensland Regional Aboriginal Corporation Languages Centre: https://www.nqraclc.com.au
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).
