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]
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]
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 |
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 |