Bayali language facts for kids

Bayali (also spelt Biyali, Baiali, Byelle, Byellee, and also known as Orambul or Urambal) is an extinct Australian Aboriginal language of Queensland in Australia, spoken in the Rockhampton and Gladstone areas, but a project is under way to revive the language.

Classification

Bayali belongs to the Pama–Nyungan language family. It has been classified together with Darumbal as a Kingkel language, but the two are not close, and Bowern (2011) reclassified Darumbal as a Maric language.

Map of traditional lands of Aboriginal people around Mackay, Rockhampton and Gladstone Queensland.

Language revival

Since 2017, the Central Queensland Language Centre has been working on helping to restore three languages from the region – Yiiman, Byelle and Taribelang (also known as Gureng Gureng). As of 2020^[update], Bayali (spelt Bayelle) is one of 20 languages prioritised as part of the Priority Languages Support Project, being undertaken by First Languages Australia and funded by the Department of Communications and the Arts. The project aims to "identify and document critically-endangered languages — those languages for which little or no documentation exists, where no recordings have previously been made, but where there are living speakers".

Some words from the Bayali language, as spelt and written by Bayali authors include:

• Girra: fire
• Gula: koala
• Guruman: kangaroo
• Kobbera: head