Lamalama language

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.

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

Naming and language relationships

In January 2019, the ISO database changed its reference name to Lamalama, from Lamu-Lamu.[3] As of August 2020, Glottolog calls it Lamalama,[4] while AIATSIS' Austlang database thesaurus heading is Mbarrumbathama language.[5]

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".[6]

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
  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. "lby". ISO 639-3. 25 January 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  4. "4.2.1 - Lamalama". Glottolog (in Javanese). Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  5. "Y136: Mbarrumbathama". AIATSIS Collection: AUSTLANG. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  6. "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.

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