Breen said Mayi is the word for 'speech' or 'language' in two mutually unintelligible but closely related languages from the Gulf area of Queensland, one being Mayi-Kutuna G24 and the other being a dialect chain comprising Ngawun, Mayi-Thakurti G16, Mayi-Kulan G25, Mayi-Yapi G20 and Wunumara G16.1. Breen also says that Mayi is used by speakers to refer to these two languages as a group (1981:2, 15).
At Iffley (in later postcontact times only), at Taldora and Millungera; east to Gregory Range and Saxby Downs; southwest to Julia Creek (Tindale 1974).
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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).
Gavan, Breen 1981. The Mayi languages of the Queensland gulf country Canberra: AIAS. [mainly on Ngawun]
Gavan, Breen 1981. The Mayi languages of the Queensland gulf country Canberra: AIAS.
