K32: Yiiji

AIATSIS code: 
K32
AIATSIS reference name: 
Yiiji

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Name
Thesaurus heading language
Yiiji language K32
Thesaurus heading people
Yiiji people K32
ABN name
-
ABS name
Kimberley Area Languages, nec (Yiiji)
Horton name
Yiiji
Ethnologue name
Wunambal (Yeidji)
ISO 639-3 code
-
Tindale name
Jeidji
Tindale (1974)
Yeidji, Yeithi, Gwi:ni, Gwini, Kuini ('easterners,' name applied by the people at Kalumburu Mission), Kujini, Gu:jini, Ombalkari (place name east of the Forrest River Mission), Umbalgari, Miwu (said to be language name), Miwadange ('saltwater people'), Waringnari (error for Waringari, has a derogatory meaning, implying cannibalism), Morokorei (name of horde at Forrest River Mission).
O'Grady et al (1966)
Glottocode
-
Other sources
Synonyms
Yiidji, Forrest River, Kimberley Area Languages, Wunambal, Yeidji, Jeidji, Yeithi, Gujini, Gwini, Jeithi, Kuini, Kujini, Miwadange, Miwu, Morokorei, Ombalkari, Pikkolatpan, Umbalgari, Waringnari, Yeidthee, Yeeji, Yedji, Bugay, Worrorran
Comment
Comments: 

Yiiji is a non-Pama-Nyungan language of the Worrorran family, specifically Northern Worrorran, along with Miwa K44; Gunin/Kwini K36; Gambera K39; Wilawila K35; Wunambal K22; and (tentitively) Gulunggulu K59 (McGregor and Rumsey, 2009:8).

The languages of the Forrest River area appear to be very closely related. Jones (2006) equates Yeiji (K32), Gunin K36, Wunambal K22, Arruwarri K28 and 'Bamberre', stating that they are simply different names for the same language, which she calls the Forrest River Language.

Tindale (1974:153) also reports that 'the Jeidji (K32) people living near the Forrest River Mission, sometimes called Gwini K36, have also been termed Miwa K44'. Capell (1972:157) comments that he found no 'native term' for the various dialects of the Forrest River area, but that Gwini had sometimes been used.

 

References: 
  • Capell, Arthur. 1972. Cave painting myths: Northern Kimberley. Oceania and linguistic monographs no. 18. Sydney: University of Sydney. (B C238.30/C2)
  • Dixon, R. M. W. 2002. Australian languages: their nature and development: Cambridge Language Surveys. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Jones, Barbara. 2006. The Forrest River language: a book about the indigenous language of the Forrest River region. Halls Creek, WA: Kimberley Language Resource Centre.
  • McGregor, William, & Alan Rumsey. 2009. Worrorran revisited: the case for genetic relations among languages of the Northern Kimberley region of Western Australia: Pacific Linguistics 600. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
  • 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: 
WA
Location information: 

Forrest River from seacoast of Cambridge Gulf to Milligan ranges; south to Steere Hills; north to Mount Carty and Lyne River (Tindale 1974).

Maps: 
-
Links

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PDF icon Oates_K32.pdf
Tindale 1974
Handbook of Kimberley Languages (1988): 

Ngadawanga (A30 ) in Handbook of Kimberley Languages (1988).

5.22 Yiiji / Yeidji / Jeidji

Names of the language and different spellings that have been used:
Jeidji (AIAS, Oates & Oates, Oates), 'Jeidji (Tindale), Jeithi, Yeeji (KLS), Yeidji (Black, Black & Walsh, Kaberry), Yeithi, 'Ye'dji (SIL), Bugay (SIL), Forrest River (Capell)
Classification of the language:
Worrorran family; Wunambalic group
Identification codes:
AIAS: K32
Oates 1973: 48.1a (Oates & Oates 1970: 8Kr)
Capell: K8
Present number and distribution of speakers:
Wyndham area
Glasgow et al. - up to 500 speakers (late 1960s)
People who have worked intensively on the language:
No one
Practical orthography:
None
Word lists:
Kaberry (1937), Summer Institute of Linguistics (1971a, 1971b, 1971c, 1971d)
Textual material:
None
Grammar or sketch grammar:
None
Material available on the language:
Glasgow, D.I., Hocking, F.M. & Steiner, W.L. nd. Report [to AIAS] on surveys of languages and dialects of the north-east Kimberleys. 9pp. typescript. AIAS pMs 656.
Kaberry, P.M. 1937. Notes on the languages of east Kimberley, north-west Australia. Oceania 8. 90-103.
Summer Institute of Linguistics. 1971a. AIAS word list for N.E. Kimberleys survey: Bugay language. AIAS tapes A2179,2182,2189,2190,2191. 18pp. manuscript. AIAS pMs 1798.
_____ .1971b. AIAS word list for N.E. Kimberleys survey: Wumbulgari language. AIAS tape A2183. 18pp. manuscript. AIAS pMs 1762.
_____ .1971c. AIAS word list for N.E. Kimberleys survey: 'Ye'dji language. AIAS tapes A2177,2178,2180. 18pp. manuscript. AIAS pMs 1765.
_____ .1971d. [AIAS word list for N.E. Kimberleys survey: Yeidji language. AIAS tape A2190.] 5,2pp. typescript. AIAS pMs 2112. (A2; ).
Language programme:
None
Language learning material:
None
Literacy material:
None

McGregor, William. 1988 Handbook of Kimberley Languages. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. © Author.

AIATSIS gratefully acknowledge William McGregor for permission to use his material in AUSTLANG.

Programs
Activities: 
-
People: 
-
Indigenous organisations: 
-
Speakers
Year Source Speaker numbers
1975Oates-
1984Senate-
1990Schmidt-
1996Census-
2001Census-
2004NILS1-
2005Estimate?10
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 None 0
Audio-visual 1-10 2
Manuscript note: 
not available
Grammar: 
-
Dictionary: 
-
Classification
Source Family Group Sub-group Name Relationship
Ethnologue (2005) Wororan     Wunambal (Yeidji)  
Dixon (2002)   NORTH KIMBERLEY AREAL GROUP   Yiidji (=Forrest River) Wunambal McGregor (1993) further dialects: Wilawila, Gamberre, Kwini (=Gunin), Ginan, Miwa (=Bagu), Yiidji (=Forrest River)
Wurm (1994)          
Walsh (1981)          
Oates (1975) Wororan Wunambalic   Jeidji  
Wurm (1972)          
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966)