Y1: Kala Lagaw Ya^

AIATSIS code: 
Y1
AIATSIS reference name: 
Kala Lagaw Ya^

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Name
Thesaurus heading language
Kala Lagaw Ya language Y1
Thesaurus heading people
ABN name
Kala Lagaw Ya language
ABS name
Kalaw Kawaw Ya/Kalaw Lagaw Ya
Horton name
Kala Lagaw Ya
Ethnologue name
Kala Lagaw Ya
ISO 639-3 code
mwp
Tindale name
-
Tindale (1974)
O'Grady et al (1966)
Kowrarega, Karualaig
Glottocode
kala1377
Other sources
Kala Lagaw Ya (both a language name and a dialect name), Mabuiag (both a language name and a dialect name), Kala Lagaw Langgus (both a language name and a dialect name) Yagar Yagar (a language name), Kala Kawaw Ya (a language name and the name of another dialect (Y2)) [Ober 2007 p.c.]
Synonyms
Kalaw Kawaw Ya/Kalaw Lagaw Ya, West Torres, Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Kala Lagaw Langgus, Yagar Yagar, Mabuiag, Kowrarega, Karualaig, Kala Lagaw Langgus Yagar Yagar, Kala Kawaw Ya, Gumulgal people, Torres Strait Islander language, Torres Strait Islander people, Western Torres Strait Language
Comment
Comments: 

Kala Lagaw Ya is the preferred name for the 'Western Torres Strait Language'. Kala Lagaw Ya also refers to one of five dialects of this language, the others are: Mabuyag Y239, Kalaw Kawaw Ya Y2, Kulkalgaw Ya Y4, and Kawalgaw Ya Y5. See also Torres Strait Creole P2 and Meriam Mir Y3.

Kala Lagaw Ya is also known as Yagar Yagar (Ober p.c. 2007) and Kala Lagaw Langgus.

Note that ABS does not make a distinction between Kalaw Lagaw Ya (Y1) and Kalaw Kawaw Ya (Y2) and thus Census data probably covers both language varieties.

Gumulgal people are from Mabuiag Island. 

 

References: 
  • Round, Erich and Lesley Stirling, 2015. Universals of split argument coding and morphological neutralization: Why Kala Yagaw Ya is not as bizarre as we thought. Australian Journal of Linguistics 35(3):251-281.
Status: 
Confirmed
Location
State / Territory: 
QLD
TSI
Location information: 

Mabuiag and Badu islands (Ober ASEDA 485). Contemporary location Mabuiag and Badu islands, as well as Bamaga, Cairns, Townsville (Stirling 2010:180)

Maps: 
-
Links

Search MURA language®

Search OZBIB

Search Trove

Search Worldcat

PDF icon Oates_Y1.pdf
Torres Strait Island Language Plan
Awaye! Word Up: Elma Kris
Programs
Activities: 

A few materials were published from School of Australian Linguistics mid-80's. SIL produced a few materials early 80's and also has carried out bible translation work. British & Foreign Bible Society also carried out bible translation work in 1900.

People: 
Ephraim Bani, Rod Kennedy, Wolfgang Laade, Margaret Elizabeth Lawrie, Anna Shnukal, Ray Sidney, Magani Malu Kes -
Indigenous organisations: 

Kala Lagaw Ya Facebook
Goemulgaw (Torres Strait Islanders) Corporation
Mabuiag Island via Thursday Island QLD 4875:
Mura Badugal (Torres Strait Islanders) Corporation
Badu Island Council
Badu Island via Post Office, Thursday Island QLD 4875

Speakers
Year Source Speaker numbers
1975Oates-
1984Senate2800
1990Schmidt3000 - 4000
1996Census929
2001Censussee KKY
2004NILS1many
2005Estimate700
2006Census1216
2011Census985
2014NILS2
2016Census957
2018-2019NILS3

Speaker numbers were measured differently across the censuses and various other sources listed in AUSTLANG. You are encouraged to refer to the sources.

Speaker numbers for ‘NILS 2004’ and ‘2005 estimate’ come from 'Table F.3: Numbers of speakers of Australian Indigenous languages (various surveys)' in 'Appendix F NILS endangerment and absolute number results' in McConvell, Marmion and McNicol 2005, pages 198-230 (PDF, 2.5MB).

Documentation
Type Documentation Status Documentation Score
Word list Small (20-100 pages) 2
Text Collection Large (more than 200 pages) 4
Grammar A few articles 1
Audio-visual More than 10 3
Manuscript note: 
tape transcription/field note available
Grammar: 
-
Dictionary: 

Ober, Dana and Kennedy, Rod. Kalaw Kawaw Ya dictionary, ASEDA 0485.

Classification
Source Family Group Sub-group Name Relationship
Ethnologue (2005) Pama-Nyungan Kala Lagaw Ya   Kala Lagaw Ya Kala Lagaw Ya [dialects: Kalaw Kawaw]
Dixon (2002)   TORRES STRAIT GROUP   West Torres (also: Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Kala Lagaw Langgus, Yagar Yagar) West Torres (also: Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Kala Lagaw Langgus, Yagar Yagar) - Ford and Ober (1986) dialects on each island: Mabuiag, Badu, Dauan, Saibai, Boigu, Moa, Yarn, Sue, Yorke and Coconut
Wurm (1994) Pama-Nyungan Kala Lagaw Ya   Kala Lagaw Ya  
Walsh (1981) Pama-Nyungan Kala Lagaw Ya   Kala Lagaw Ya  
Oates (1975) Pama-Nyungan Mabuiag Western Mabuiag Mabuiag  
Wurm (1972) Pama-Nyungan Mabuiagic   Mabuiag  
O'Grady, Voegelin and Voegelin (1966) Pama-Nyungan Mabuiagic Kaurareg, Muralag is also Y2 Kalaw Kawaw Ya Mabuiag