Lamalama language
| 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]
Naming and language relationships
In January 2019, the ISO database changed its reference name to Lamalama, from Lamu-Lamu.[4] As of August 2020[update], 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
| Labial | Dental | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plosive | voiceless | p | t̪ | t | c | k | ʔ |
| voiced | b | d̪ | d | ɟ | |||
| prenasal | ᵐb | ⁿ̪d̪ | ⁿd | ᶮɟ | ᵑɡ | ||
| Nasal | m | n̪ | n | ɲ | ŋ | ||
| Fricative | ɸ | θ | r̝ | ɕ | h | ||
| Lateral | l | ||||||
| Rhotic | r | ||||||
| Approximant | w | ɹ | j | ||||
- Voiceless fricative sounds /ɸ, θ, ɕ, h/ are heard as voiced [β, ð, ʑ, ɦ] when in consonant clusters and in intervocalic positions.
- Fricatives /θ, ɕ/ can be heard as laminal and alveolar fricatives [s̻, s] when in word-initial position in free variation among speakers.
- /h/ can be heard as [x] when in word-initial position in free variation among speakers.
- The fricative trill /r̝/ is also heard as voiceless [r̝̥] in free variation in initial positions.
- The trill sound /r/ can be heard as voiceless [r̥] when in word-final contexts.
- Labial consonants can also be labialized [ʷ] optionally within the onset of stressed syllables, or when after high-back vowel sounds.
- Consonant lengthening [Cː] can be heard within the onset of stressed syllables.
Vowels
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | u | |
| Open | a | ||
| Phoneme | Allophone | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| /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 |
Further reading
- Verstraete, J. (2018). The Genetic Status of Lamalamic: Phonological and Morphological Evidence. Oceanic Linguistics 57(1), 1-30. University of Hawai'i Press.
References
- ^ "Census 2016, Language spoken at home by Sex (SA2+)". stat.data.abs.gov.au. ABS. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ Y136 Lamalama at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
- ^ Crump, Des (20 July 2020). "Language of the Week: Week Eight - Lamalama". State Library Of Queensland. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ "lby". ISO 639-3. 25 January 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ "4.2.1 - Lamalama". Glottolog (in Javanese). Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ "Y136: Mbarrumbathama". AIATSIS Collection: AUSTLANG. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ "Y55: Morrobolam". AIATSIS Collection (Austlang). 26 July 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
Verstraete, J. (2019). Mbarrumbathama (Lamalama). Journal of the International Phonetic Association, 49(2), 265-288.