Bidhawal language

Bidhawal
Birrdhawal, Bidwell
mŭk-dhang
Native toAustralia
RegionGippsland
EthnicityBidhawal
Extinct(date missing)
Latin transcription
Language codes
ISO 639-3ihw
Glottologgana1268
AIATSISS49
Aboriginal Victorian language territories. Bidhawal (labeled Bidwell) is at the right, in green.

The Bidawal language was an Australian Aboriginal language, either a dialect of or closely related to the Kurnai language, formerly spoken by the Bidhawal. However, it had borrowed a number of words referring to mammals, birds and celestial bodies from Ngarigo, as well as a smaller number of words from Thawa and Dhudhuroa. The Bidawal called their own dialect mŭk-dhang (or muk-thang) ("good speech"), and that of the neighbouring Kurnai gūnggala-dhang. The Kurnai, however, called their own dialect mŭk-dhang, and that of the Bidawal kwai-thang ("rough speech"). According to Alfred William Howitt, Bidhawal is a mixture of Kurnai, Ngarigo and Yuin.