| Gumbaynggirr | |
| Also Known As: | Kumbainggar |
| Region: | New South Wales, Australia |
| Ethnicity: | Gumbaynggirr, Banbai, ?Ngamba |
| Ref: | [1] |
| Date: | 2021 census |
| Speakers2: | (may include L2 speakers) |
| Familycolor: | Australian |
| Fam1: | Pama–Nyungan |
| Fam2: | Gumbaynggiric |
| Dia1: | Gumbaynggirr |
| Dia2: | Nymboidan |
| Dia3: | Gambalamam |
| Dia4: | Baanbay |
| Dia5: | ? Ngambaa[2] |
| Iso3: | kgs |
| Glotto: | kumb1268 |
| Glottorefname: | Kumbainggar |
| Aiatsis: | E7 |
| Map: | Gumbaynggiric languages.png |
| Map2: | Lang Status 20-CR.svg |
Gumbaynggir (also spelled Gumbaingari, Kumbainggar, Kumbaingeri, Gambalamam, and also called Baanbay) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Gumbaynggirr people, who are native to the Mid North Coast of New South Wales.
Gumbaynggir is the only surviving language in the Gumbaynggiric family of Pama–Nyungan stock.[3]
It has a binary way of counting numbers.
| Front | Central | Back | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | i iː | u uː | ||
| Low | a aː |
| Labial | Alveolar/ Retroflex | Palatal | Velar | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stop | b | d | ɟ | ɡ | |
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |
| Lateral | l | ||||
| Trill | r | ||||
| Approximant | w | ɻ | j |
Organised revitalisation of Gumbaynggir has been under way since 1986 when Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative was founded at Nambucca Heads.[5] Classes in Gumbaynggir are taught through the North Coast Institute of TAFE up to Certificate II level.
Muurrbay and Many Rivers Aboriginal Language Centre (MRALC) supports Aboriginal language revitalization through activities that include:[6] [7]
In recent years, the Bularri Muurlay Nyanggan Aboriginal Corporation (BMNAC), established in 2010 by Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung man Clark Webb, has made great efforts to revitalise the Gumbaynggirr language. The BMNAC started in 2010 when two after school learning centres were set up at Wongala Estate Aboriginal Reserve and Woolgoolga High School. A third after school Learning Centre was established at William Bayldon Primary School in Sawtell in 2012.[8]
Further efforts from the BMNAC saw the Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School open in February 2022. The first independent Indigenous bilingual primary school to ever operate in New South Wales.[9] The school caters to students from K-2, and operates under the ethos of “Bularri Muurlay Nyanggan” meaning "Two Path Strong" in Gumbaynggirr language.[10]
Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Cooperative Ltd at Bellwood receives funding from the following government organisations:
In November 2011, the Australian Government declared an Indigenous Protected Area for the Gumbaynggirr people. The Indigenous Protected Areas Act protects the native land of Indigenous Australians. The protection of the land ties into the spiritual beliefs of the Gumbaynggirr people and by protecting the land, the government is helping revitalise their culture.[13]