The following is the entry for this language as it appeared in the 14th edition (2000).
It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005). See also the corresponding entry in the current edition of Ethnologue.
SIL code: BCJ
ISO 639-2: aus
| Population | 20 (1999 Claire Bowern) including 16 Bardi, 3 Jawi. |
| Region | One Arm Point Aboriginal Community, Lombadina Aboriginal Community, Broome, Derby, Western Kimberley Region, Western Australia. |
| Alternate names | BARD, BARDI, BADI |
| Dialects | BARDI, JAWI. |
| Classification | Australian, Nyulnyulan. |
| Comments | Intelligibility is adequate between Bardi and Jawi dialects. Related to Nyigina, Warwa, Djawi, Nimanbur, Nyulnyul, Dyaberdyaber, Dyugun, Yawuru, which may be extinct. No monolinguals. English and Kriol are the second languages. English is generally spoken in the community, Kriol with Aboriginals from farther east. Children and adolescents can understand Bardi, but never seem to speak it. They appear to use English as their language. Speakers are over 40 years old. Dictionary. Literacy rate in second language: 60% in English. There is a feeling that English or Bardi are the languages that should be written, not Kriol. Christian. Nearly extinct. |
