Yugambeh-Bandjalang | |
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Bandjalang, Yugambeh, Githabul | |
Region | Queensland & New South Wales, Australia |
Ethnicity | Bundjalung people, Githabul, Yugambeh people etc |
Native speakers
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20 (2005) to 95 (2006 census) |
Pama–Nyungan
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Dialects |
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Latin with slight modifications | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | Variously: – Bandjalang – Githabul – Minjungbal – Arakwal (not a specific dialect) – Yugambeh |
Glottolog | band1339 |
AIATSIS |
E12 Bundjalung (cover term), E17 Yugambeh |
Bandjalangic languages (green) among other Pama–Nyungan (tan)
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Yugambeh-Bundjalang, or Bandjalang is a dialect continuum of Australian Indigenous languages, that is spoken in northeastern New South Wales and South-East Queensland.
Bundjalung consists of a number of dialects, including Yugambeh (sometimes confused with Yugambal), Nganduwal, Minjangbal, Njangbal, Biriin, Baryulgil, Waalubal, Dinggabal, Wiyabal, Gidabal, Galibal, and Wudjeebal; Language varieties in the group vary in degree of mutual intelligibility. Bowern (2011) lists Yugambal, Githabul, Minjungbal, Ngara:ngwal, and Bandjalang as separate Bandjalangic languages.
Yugambeh-Bandjalang is spoken over a wide geographic area; the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Logan River catchment as the northern boundary, the Clarence River forming the south and south-western boundaries, and the Northern Tablelands marking the western boundary.
Varieties of Bundjalung may have a vowel system of either 3 or 4 vowels that also contrast in length, resulting in either 6 or 8 phonemic vowels in total.
In practical orthography and some descriptions of the language, the letter "h" is often used after the vowel to indicate a long vowel.
Vowel Alternations
/a/ and /e/ are neutralised as [ɛ] before /j/.
The low central vowel /a/ can be fronted and raised following a palatal consonant, and backed following a velar consonant.