Biri dialect
| Biri | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Australia |
| Region | Queensland |
| Ethnicity | Birri Gubba |
| Extinct | late 20th century[1] |
| Revival | exist |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | bzr |
| Glottolog | biri1256 |
| AIATSIS[2] | E56 |
| ELP | Biri |
Biri, also known as Biria, Birri Gubba, Birigaba, Perembba and other variants, is a dialect of the Australian Aboriginal language of the same name formerly spoken along the Bowen River in the state of Queensland, by the Birri Gubba people.[3]
Phonology
A basic phonetic sketch of Biri is given below. A full phonological analysis cannot be conducted due to the data.
Consonants
| Bilabial | Alveolar | Dental | Palatal | Velar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stop | b | d | d̪ | ɟ | ɡ |
| Nasal | m | n | n̪ | ɲ | ŋ |
| Lateral | l | ||||
| Rhotic | r ⟨rr⟩ ɻ ⟨r⟩ | ||||
| Semivowel | w | j |
- /d̪/ is realized as [ð] intervocalically and word-initially before /a/ and /i/.
- /g/ becomes /w/ before and after /u/.
- /n/ and /l/ are realized somewhat retroflex before and after /u/.[1]
Vowels
Vowels are noted as /a, i, u/. Vowels are raised and fronted before palatals and backed before /w/.
Long /aː/ occurrs in only two words, being waːga 'work', an English loan, and gaːgini 'Reg Dodd', a personal name.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Terrill, Angela (1998). Biri.
- ^ E56 Biri at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
- ^ Breen, Gavan (January 2009). "The Biri Dialects and their Neighbours". Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia. 133 (2): 219–256. doi:10.1080/03721426.2009.10887121. ISSN 0372-1426.