Lamalama language

Last updated

Lamalama
Mbarrumbathama, Mba Rumbathama
Native to Australia
Region Queensland
Ethnicity Lamalama
Native speakers
3 (2016 census) [1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3 lby
Glottolog lamu1254
AIATSIS [2] Y136
ELP Lamalama

The Lamalama language, also known by the clan name Mbarrumbathama (Austlang) or Mba Rumbathama, formerly known as Lamu-Lamu or Lama-Lama, is a Paman language of Queensland, Australia. Lamalama is one of four languages once spoken by the Lamalama people, the others being Morrobolam (Umbuygamu), Mbariman-Gudinhma, and Umpithamu. [3]

Contents

Naming and language relationships

In January 2019, the ISO database changed its reference name to Lamalama, from Lamu-Lamu. [4] As of August 2020, Glottolog calls it Lamalama, [5] while AIATSIS' Austlang database thesaurus heading is Mbarrumbathama language. [6]

Austlang says, quoting linguist Jean-Cristophe Verstraete (2018), that Lamalama, Rimanggudinhma (Mbariman-Gudhinma) and Morrobolam form a genetic subgroup of Paman known as Lamalamic, "defined by shared innovations in phonology and morphology". Within this subgroup, "Morrobolam and Lamalama form a phonologically innovative branch, while Rumanggudinhma forms a more conservative branch". [7]

Phonology

Consonants

Consonants [8]
Labial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive voiceless p t c k ʔ
voiced b d ɟ
prenasal ᵐb ⁿ̪d̪ ⁿd ᶮɟ ᵑɡ
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Fricative ɸ θ ɕ h
Lateral l
Rhotic r
Approximant w ɹ j

Vowels

Vowels [15]
Front Central Back
Close i u
Open a
Vowel allphones [16]
PhonemeAllophoneNotes
/i/[ ɪ ]in unstressed syllables
[ ɨ ]in stressed syllables
[ ʉ ], [ ɵ ]when following labial consonants
/a/[ ɐ ]in free variation with [a]
[ ə ]in unstressed syllables
[ æ ]when in the context of palatal sounds
[ ɛ ]realized within the diphthong /ia/
[ ɔ ]realized within the diphthong /ua/
/u/[ ʊ ]in unstressed positions

Lamalama's vowels do not show contrastive length. [17] There are two diphthongs, /ia/ and /ua/. [18] /ia/ can raise to [iɛ], and /ua/ can raise to [uɔ]. [19]

Further reading

Notes

  1. "Census 2016, Language spoken at home by Sex (SA2+)". stat.data.abs.gov.au. ABS. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  2. Y136 Lamalama at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
  3. Crump, Des (20 July 2020). "Language of the Week: Week Eight - Lamalama". State Library Of Queensland. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  4. "lby". ISO 639-3. 25 January 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  5. "4.2.1 - Lamalama". Glottolog (in Javanese). Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  6. "Y136: Mbarrumbathama". AIATSIS Collection: AUSTLANG. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  7. "Y55: Morrobolam". AIATSIS Collection (Austlang). 26 July 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  8. Verstraete 2019, p. 266.
  9. Verstraete 2019, p. 273.
  10. 1 2 Verstraete 2019, p. 272.
  11. Verstraete 2019, p. 275.
  12. Verstraete 2019, p. 276.
  13. Verstraete 2019, pp. 277–279.
  14. Verstraete 2019, pp. 276–277.
  15. Verstraete 2019, p. 279.
  16. Verstraete 2019, p. 280-281.
  17. Verstraete 2019, p. 280.
  18. Verstraete 2019, p. 281.
  19. Verstraete 2019, p. 282.

References