Lamalama language

Lamalama
Mbarrumbathama, Mba Rumbathama
Native toAustralia
RegionQueensland
EthnicityLamalama
Native speakers
3 (2016 census)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3lby
Glottologlamu1254
AIATSIS[2]Y136
ELPLamalama

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, 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 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.[9]
  • Fricatives /θ, ɕ/ can be heard as laminal and alveolar fricatives [s̻, s] when in word-initial position in free variation among speakers.[10]
  • /h/ can be heard as [x] when in word-initial position in free variation among speakers.[10]
  • The fricative trill /r̝/ is also heard as voiceless [r̝̥] in free variation in initial positions.[11]
  • The trill sound /r/ can be heard as voiceless [r̥] when in word-final contexts.[12]
  • All labial consonants can also be labialized optionally within the onset of stressed syllables, or when after high-back vowel sounds.[13]
  • Consonant lengthening [Cː] can be heard within the onset of stressed syllables.[14]

Vowels

Vowels[15]
Front Central Back
Close i u
Open a
Vowel allphones[16]
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

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

  • Verstraete, Jean-Cristophe (June 2018). "The Genetic Status of Lamalamic: Phonological and Morphological Evidence". Oceanic Linguistics. 57 (1): 1–30. doi:10.1353/ol.2018.0000. hdl:1885/255113. S2CID 149913795.

Notes

  1. ^ "Census 2016, Language spoken at home by Sex (SA2+)". stat.data.abs.gov.au. ABS. 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. ^ a b 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