D23: Gamilaraay / Gamilaroi / Kamilaroi

AIATSIS code:

D23

AIATSIS reference name:

Gamilaraay / Gamilaroi / Kamilaroi

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Name

Thesaurus heading language	Gamilaraay / Gamilaroi / Kamilaroi language D23
Thesaurus heading people	Gamilaraay / Gamilaroi / Kamilaroi people D23
ABN name	Kamilaroi language (Previously Gamilaraay language)
ABS name	Gamilaraay
Horton name	Kamilaroi
Ethnologue name	Gamilaraay
ISO 639-3 code	kld
Tindale name	Kamilaroi
Tindale (1974)	Kamilarai, Kamilari, Kamilroi, Kamilarai, Kamu-laroi, Kaamee'larrai, Kamileroi, Koomilroi, Komleroy, Gamilaroi, Gamilroi, Kahmilaharoy, Kamilary, Gumilroi, Gummilroi, Gummilray, Kimilari, Karmil, Kamil (['kamil] = no), Comleroy, Ghummilarai, Cammealroy, Kahmilari, Kakmilari (typographical error), Cumilri, Cam-ell-eri, Cum-milroy, Cummeroy, Gunnilaroi, K= no), Comleroy, Ghummilarai, Cammealroy, Kahml Duhai, Yauan (mystic language name), Tjake (mystic language name), Tyake.
O'Grady et al (1966)	Gamilaroi, Kamilarai, Kamilroi, Kamalarai, Koomilroi, Gunilroi, Guminilroi, Gumilray, Camleroy, Euhahlayi
Glottocode	gami1243
Other sources	Peel River language (Hale 1846) [Austin 2008:40]
Synonyms	Euahlayi, Guyinbaray, Juwalarai, Ualarai, Walarai, Weraerai, Wirajarai, Kamilarai, Kamilroi, Kamalarai, Koomilroi, Gunilroi, Guminilroi, Gumilray, Camleroy, Euhahlayi, Gamilray, Northern Gamilaraay, Peel River language, Kamilaori, Kamilari, Kamu, laroi, Kaameelarrai, Kamileroi, Komleroy, Gamilroi, Kahmilaharoy, Kamilary, Gumilroi, Gummilroi, Gummilray, Kimilari, Karmil, Kamil, Comleroy, Ghummilarai, Cammealroy, Kahmilari, Kakmilari, Cumilri, Cam ell eri, Cum milroy, Cummeroy, Gunnilaroi, Kahml Duhai, Yauan, Tjake, Tyake, Gomeroi

Comment

Comments:

The language name is constructed with the word gamil 'no' + proprietive suffix -araay which indicates a characteristic 'having' or 'with'; thus 'gamil-araay' or 'no-having'.

There are just a few words which are recorded as different in Yuwaalayaay D54 and Yuwaalaraay D27, while there are many more differences between these two language varieties and Gamilaraay D23. Therefore linguistically, but not socially, it is established that Gamilaraay, Yuwaalaraay, Yuwaalayaay are dialects of a single language.

One difference of note between Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay is the correspondance between /r /and /y/ in pairs such as maaru – maayu 'well'; muru – muyu 'nose'; biruu – biyuu 'hole' (Ash, Giacon and Lissarrague 2003: 5).

Wafer and Lissarrague make the case that Guyinbaraay D15, Wirraay-Wirraay D66 and Gawambaraay D39 are also dialects of the same language as Gamilaraay, Yuwaalaraay and Yuwaalayaay (2008: 216).

References:

Ash, Anna, John Giacon & Amanda Lissarrague eds. 2003. Gamilaraay - Yuwaalaraay - Yuwaalayaay dictionary. Alice Springs: IAD Press.
Austin, Peter, Corinne J. Williams & Stephen Wurm. 1980. The linguistic situation in north central New South Wales. In Papers in Australian Linguistics 13, 167-180. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
Austin, Peter. 2008. The classification of Pinikura, Western Australia. In Morphology and language history, Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 298. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Giacon, John. 2017. Yaluu: a recovery grammar of Yuwaalaraay and Gamilaraay: a description of two New South Wales languages based on 160 years of records (eBook). Canberra: Asia-Pacific Linguistics; College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University.
Giacon, John. 2020. Wiidhaa. An Introduction to Gamilaraay. Canberra: ANU Press Languages.
MacLean, Mark, & Giacon, John. 2020. Gamilaraay Yuwaalaraay Yuwaalayaay Pocket Dictionary and Phrasebook. Lightning Ridge: Barriekneal Housing and Community Ltd.
Wafer, Jim, and 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.
Wyndham, W.T. 1889. The Aborigines of Australia. Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, vol. 23, pp. 36-42. (RS 50/2)

Status:

Confirmed

Location

State / Territory:

NSW

Location information:

Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay area is roughly bounded by Walgett, Goodooga, Mungindi, Goondiwindi, Ashford, Tamworth, Murrurundi and Coonabarabran ... Yuwaalayaay was recorded in the Goodooga - Narran river area. (Ash, Giacon & Lissarrague 2003:5).

Its location is tentatively established as the area between the Barwon and Gwydir Rivers (Austin, Williams & Wurm 1980:169 re Northern Gamilaraay). ... the language once spoken in the central portion of this area from Walgett as far south as Willow Tree on the edge of the Great Dividing Range (Austin, Williams and Wurm 1980:169).

... traditionally spoken over a vast area of New South Wales [...extending] west of the Great Dividing Range, apparently from as far south as near the current town of Murrurundi and the Page River, to the areas where are now located Tamworth, Narrabri, Moree, Boggabilla, Mugindi, Collarenebri, Walgett and Gunnedah (Austin 2008:38).

Maps:

Links

Search MURA people®

Search MURA language®

Yuwaalaraay gaay Gamilaraay garay

William Ridley

Awaye! Word Up: Seeing value in Blakwork

Awaye! Word Up: Lasey Dunaman is Miss First Nation

Awaye! Word Up: Because of her: Ziggy Ramo

Awaye! Word Up: Remembering Myall Creek

Awaye! Word Up: Blackie Blackie Brown: Traditional Owner of Death

Awaye! Word Up: Archie Moore's "choose-your-own misadventure"

Awaye! Word Up: Art and activism in the white cube

KAMILAROI PLANT AND ANIMAL ENCYCLOPAEDIA

Gamilarray Pronunciation and writing

Gamilaraay Yuwaalaraay Guladha

Kamilaroi - A Nations Identity

STORY TOLD IN GAMILARAAY - My Weekend with Pop

Yidaki Vibes

Programs

Activities:

Gamilaraay - introduction to an Australian Indigenous Language. School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics. Australian National University.
https://programsandcourses.anu.edu.au/course/INDG6003

UNDERGRADUATE ANU-INDG2003-2021: Speaking Gamilaraay 1
http://www.open.edu.au/subjects/australian-national-university-speaking-gamilaraay-1-anu-indg2003

CERTIFICATE 1 in Fundamental Aboriginal Languages for personal use: National Course Code: 107003NAT
http://www.tafensw.edu.au/course/-/c/c/10703NAT-01/Certificate-I-in-Fundamental-Aboriginal-Languages-for-Personal-Use

Gamilaraay Online Language Booklet 1, 2, 3 can be downloaded.

People:

Rev. William Ridley, R.H. Mathews, Gerhardt Laves, Norman Tindale, Stephen Wurm, Anna Ash, Peter Austin, Janet Mathews, Corinne Williams, Bill Reid, Suellyn Tighe, Tracey Cameron, John Giacon, Amanda Lissarrague, Anna Ash

Indigenous organisations:

Regional Enterprise Development Institute - https://redie.org.au/culture-and-language/

Winangali Aboriginal Child & Family Centre - http://https://www.winanga-li.org.au

Speakers

Year	Source	Speaker numbers
1975	Oates	-
1984	Senate	-
1990	Schmidt	-
1996	Census	-
2001	Census	-
2004	NILS1	a few?
2005	Estimate	5
2006	Census	37
2011	Census	87
2014	NILS2
2016	Census	105
2018-2019	NILS3	251-500

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	Large (more than 200 pages)	4
Text Collection	Less than 20 pages	1
Grammar	Small grammar (100-200 pages)	3
Audio-visual	1-10	2

Manuscript note:

tape transcription/field note available

Grammar:

Giacon, John. 1999. Yaama maliyaa, Yuwaalaraay - Gamilaraay: an Aboriginal languages textbook. Walgett, NSW: Walgett High School, Yuwaalaraay Gamilaraay Program.

Dictionary:

Ash, Anna, Giacon, John, and Lissarrague, Amanda. 2003. Gamilaraay, Yuwaalaraay & Yuwaalayaay dictionary Alice Springs: IAD Press.

Austin, Peter and Nathan, David. 1996. Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay Web Dictionary (http://coombs.anu.edu.au/WWWVLPages/AborigPages/LANG/GAMDICT/GAMDICT.HTM).

Giacon, John and Nathan, David. 2000. Gayarragi, Winangali - Find and Hear (an electronic resource available from http://lah.soas.ac.uk/projects/gw/. Includes words, sentences, stories and songs.)

Classification

Source	Family	Group	Sub-group	Name	Relationship
Ethnologue (2005)	Pama-Nyungan	Wiradhuric		Gamilaraay
Dixon (2002)		CENTRAL NEW SOUTH WALES GROUP	Central inland New South Wales subgroup*	Gamilaraay (Kamilaroi)	Gamilaraay (Kamilaroi) Williams (1980) further dialects: Yuwaalaraay, Yuwaaliyaay (Euahlayi), Gunjbaraay, Gawambaraay, Wirayaraay (or Wiriwiri), Walaraay
Wurm (1994)	Pama-Nyungan	Wiradhuric		Gamilaraay
Walsh (1981)	Pama-Nyungan	Wiradhuric		Gamilaraay, Northern Gamilaraay	Gamilaraay (Kamilaroi) [dialects: Gamilaraay, Northern Gamilaraay, Guyinbaraay, Gamilaraay, Wiriyaraay, Gawambaraay, Yuwaaliyaay]
Oates (1975)	Pama-Nyungan	Wiradjuric	Main Wiradjuric	Gamilray
Wurm (1972)	Pama-Nyungan	Wiradjuric	Main Wiradjuric	Kamilaori
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966)	Pama-Nyungan	Wiradjuric	Main	Kamilaroi