Bayali language facts for kids

Bayali (also known as Biyali, Baiali, Byelle, Byellee, Orambul or Urambal) is an Aboriginal language from Australia. It was once spoken by people living in the Rockhampton and Gladstone areas of Queensland. Sadly, Bayali is now an extinct language, meaning it is no longer spoken by anyone as their main language. However, there is an exciting project happening to bring the language back to life.

What is the Bayali Language?

Bayali is part of a very large group of languages called the Pama–Nyungan language family. This family includes most of the Aboriginal languages spoken across Australia. Experts once thought Bayali was closely related to another language called Darumbal. But now, many believe they are not very close. Some experts have even placed Darumbal in a different language group called the Maric languages.

This map shows the traditional lands of Aboriginal people around Mackay, Rockhampton, and Gladstone in Queensland.

Bringing Bayali Back to Life

Since 2017, a group called the Central Queensland Language Centre has been working hard to help restore three local languages. These languages are Yiiman, Byelle (which is another name for Bayali), and Taribelang (also known as Gureng Gureng).

As of 2020, Bayali (spelled Bayelle in this project) is one of 20 languages chosen for special help. This help comes from the Priority Languages Support Project. This project is run by First Languages Australia and gets money from the Department of Communications and the Arts. The main goal is to find and record languages that are in great danger of being lost forever. This includes languages where little or no information exists, and where no recordings have been made before. The project aims to find any living speakers who might remember parts of these languages.

Bayali Words

Here are some words from the Bayali language, written down by Bayali people:

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