Pirriya_language

Pirriya language

Pirriya language

Extinct Australian Aboriginal language

"Biria language" redirects here. Not to be confused with the Biri language, also of Queensland.
"Bidia language" redirects here. Not to be confused with the Bidiya language of Chad.

Pirriya (also Birria, Bidia, Kunggari, Kulumali, and Kungadutji) is an extinct and unclassified Australian Aboriginal language.[1] It was spoken by the Bidia people (also known as Biria) of the western and central western Queensland, including Barcoo Shire, Whitula Creek, Cooper Creek, and Jundah.[2][3]

Quick Facts Native to, Ethnicity ...

It is not to be confused with the Biri language and its dialects, also a Queensland language, spoken by the Biria people.

Classification

Geographically it lay between the Karnic and Maric languages, but had no obvious connection to either; the data is too poor to draw any conclusions on classification.[4] Dixon (2002)[5]: xxxiii  classes Pirriya with Kungkari as a subgroup of the Maric languages while Breen (1990) suggests it may be a Karnic language.[6]: 64 

Phonology

Consonants

More information Peripheral, Laminal ...

The dental /l̪/ only rarely occurs.

Vowels

More information Front, Central ...

The long /uː/ is considered rare.[7]

Vocabulary

Some words from the Birria language, as spelt and written by Birria authors include:[3]

  • Billar: spear
  • Binoor: bandicoot
  • Boorong: rock
  • Bowra: kangaroo
  • Burlo moori: good day
  • Gulburri: emu
  • Noka: water
  • Ullatah: moon

References

  1. [1]
    L36 Pirriya at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  2. [2]
    This Wikipedia article incorporates text from Pirriya published by the State Library of Queensland under CC BY licence, accessed on 30 May 2022.
  3. [3]
    This Wikipedia article incorporates text from Birria published by the State Library of Queensland under CC BY licence, accessed on 30 May 2022.
  4. [4]
    Bowern, Claire (2001). "Karnic classification revisited". In J Simpson; et al. (eds.). Forty years on. Canberra Pacific Linguistics. pp. 245–260. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021.
  5. [5]
    Dixon, R. M. W. (2002). Australian Languages: their nature and development. Cambridge University Press.
  6. [6]
    Breen, Gavan (1990). Salvage studies of Western Queensland Aboriginal languages (PDF). Pacific Linguistics B-105. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
  7. [7]
    Blake, Barry J.; Breen, Gavan (1990). Pirriya. In Gavan Breen (ed.), Salvage studies of Western Queensland Aboriginal languages: Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University. pp. 6–21.


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