The Wayilwan (also rendered Weilwan or Wailwan; also known as Ngiyambaa Wayilwan and Ngemba Wayilwan) are an
Aboriginal Australian
Aboriginal Australians are the various indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, excluding the ethnically distinct people of the Torres Strait Islands.
Humans first migrated to Australia 50,000 to 65,000 year ...
people of the state of
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
. They are a clan of the
Ngiyambaa (nee-yam-bar) nation.
Name
The Wayilwan
ethnonym
An ethnonym () is a name applied to a given ethnic group. Ethnonyms can be divided into two categories: exonyms (whose name of the ethnic group has been created by another group of people) and autonyms, or endonyms (whose name is created and used ...
is derived from their word for "no" in the
Ngiyambaa language
The Ngiyampaa language, also spelt Ngiyambaa, Ngempa, Ngemba and other variants, is a Pama–Nyungan language of the Wiradhuric subgroup. It was the traditional language of the Wangaaypuwan and Wayilwan peoples of New South Wales.
Speaker ...
, (''wayil/weil/wail'').
Like other Ngiyampaa people such as the
Wangaaypuwan
The Wangaaypuwan, also known as the Wongaibon or Ngiyampaa Wangaaypuwan, are an Aboriginal Australian people who traditionally lived between Nyngan, the headwaters of Bogan Creek, and on Tigers Camp and Boggy Cowal creeks and west to Ivanhoe ...
, they also referred to themselves according to their home country.
Language
The Wayilwan spoke the dialect of Ngiyambaa called "Ngiyambaa Wayilwan" and as such also called themselves "those who speak Ngiyampaa the Wayilwan way".
Country
Wayilwan country covered , running along the southern bank of the
Barwon River from
Brewarrina
Brewarrina (pronounced ''bree-warren-ah''; locally known as "Bre") is a town in north-west New South Wales, Australia on the banks of the Barwon River in Brewarrina Shire. It is east of Bourke and west of Walgett on the Kamilaroi Highway, a ...
to
Walgett
Walgett is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia, and the seat of Walgett Shire. It is near the junctions of the Barwon and Namoi Rivers and the Kamilaroi and Castlereagh Highways. In 2021, Walgett had a population of 1,377.
In the ...
, and along Marra Creek and the
Castlereagh,
Marthaguy, and
Macquarie rivers. Their southern frontier was at
Quambone and in the vicinity of
Coonamble
Coonamble is a town on the central-western plains of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the Castlereagh Highway north-west of Gilgandra. At the 2016 census, Coonamble had a population of 2,750. It is the regional hub for wheat growing and ...
.
Social organisation
The Wayilwan were divided into
kin groups, one of which is known: the ''Waiabara''.
Alternative names
* ''Ngemba'' (name of their language)
* ''Ngemba'' (name of their language)
* ''Ngiumba'' (name of their language)
* ''Ngiyambaa'' (name of their language)
* ''Ngiyambaa Wayilwan'' (those who speak Ngiyambaa the Wayilwan way)
* ''Waal-won''
* ''Wahoon'' (misprint)
* ''Wailwan''
* ''Wailwun''
* ''Wali''
* ''Waljwan''
* ''Wallwan''
* ''Weilwan''
* ''Weilwun''
* ''Wilawun''
* ''Wile Wan''
* ''Wilwan''
Notes
Citations
Sources
*
*
{{authority control
Aboriginal peoples of New South Wales