Wiyabal is a member of the Yugambeh - Bundjalung dialect chain (Sharpe, 2005:vii). Sharpe indicates the name Wiyabal is derived from 'those who say wiya "you singular absolutive" (LIsmore)' (2001:7).
Capell identifies Widjabal with Wiyabal (1966); he mentions that Wurm worked with Mrs Charlotte Williams at Woodenbong. Wafer and Lissarrague (2008:355) conclude that the term Widjabal (E16) refers to a subgroup of Wiyabal (E16) (2008:355). This database follows that convention and applies the code (E16) to both names.
Wiyabal was previously listed under the code E15.1 and the former Languages Thesaurus listed Widjabal / Wiyabal under the code (E16). The Languages Thesaurus previously also listed Nyangbal under the same code (E16), but this is a different language which now has its own code, see E75.
Not to be confused with Wudjebal E96 See also other dialects in the Bundjalung - Yugembeh dialect chain: Bundjalung E12; Birihn E72; Casino language E73; Ngarabal E92; Dinggabal E16.1; Galibal E15; Geynyan D36; Gidhabal E14; Mananjahli E76; Minyangbal E18; Nerang Creek language E77; Nganduwal E78; Wahlubal E16.2; Wehlubal E80; Wudjebal E96 and Yugambeh E17.
Documentation for Bundjalung E12 may be relevant.
... Wiyabal was spoken around Lismore, Alstonville, Dunoon and Nimbin (Crowley, 1978:152).
Widjabal: Upper Richmond River from Kyogle south to Casino, east to Coraki; an inland tribe; Wijabal: Clarence and Richmond Rivers (Capell, 1966).
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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).
