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.

Naming and language relationships

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

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".

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.
• 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.
• All labial consonants can also be labialized 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

Lamalama's vowels do not show contrastive length. There are two diphthongs, /ia/ and /ua/. /ia/ can raise to [iɛ], and /ua/ can raise to [uɔ].

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

References

• Verstraete, Jean-Cristophe (2019). "Mbarrumbathama (Lamalama)". Journal of the International Phonetic Association. 49 (2): 265–288. doi:10.1017/S0025100318000105. S2CID 263081044.