Lamalama language
Australian Aboriginal language
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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
- 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
| 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.