Kalau Lagau Ya, Kalaw Lagaw Ya, Kala Lagaw Ya (), or the Western Torres Strait language (also several other names, see below) is the language indigenous to the central and western Torres Strait Islands, Queensland, Australia. On some islands, it has now largely been replaced by Torres Strait Creole.
Before colonization in the 1870s–1880s, the language was the major lingua franca of the Torres Strait cultural area of Northern Cape York Australia, Torres Strait and along the coast of the Western Province/Papua New Guinea. It is still fairly widely spoken by neighbouring Papuans and by some Aboriginal Australians. How many non-first language speakers it has is unknown. It also has a 'light' (simplified/foreigner) form, as well as a pidginised form. The simplified form is fairly prevalent on Badu and neighbouring Moa.
Names The language is known by several names besides Kalaw Lagaw Ya, most of which (including Kalaw Lagaw Ya) are names of dialects, spelling variants, dialect variants and the like — and include translations of the English terms, Western Island Language and Central Island Language: Language name (with regional and spelling variants)EnglishNotesKalaw Lagaw Ya / Kalau Lagau Ya / Kala Lagaw Ya Kalaw Kawaw Ya / Kalau Kawau Ya Kala Lagaw Langgus / Kala Lagau Langgus / Kalaw Lagaw Langgus / Kalau Lagau LanggusWestern Island LanguageLagaw Ya / Lagau YaHome Island LanguageLanggus LinggoLanguage, LingoKaywalgaw Ya / Kaiwaligau Ya / Kawalgaw YaIslanders' LanguageKowrareg (Kaurareg)IslanderKulkalgau YaBlood-Peoples' Languagekulka 'blood' was an important Central Islands cult figure, and brother to Malo-Bumai of Mer.Mabuiag/Mabuyag Mabuiag Island and Badu IslandWesten West Torres Western Torres StraitWestern Torres StraitDhadhalagau Ya Sentral / Central IslandsMid-Island, Central Island Language
One term used by Eastern Islanders and neighbouring Papuans for Kala Lagaw Ya is Yagar Yagar, from the word yagar (yá 'speech, etc.' + gár 'sympathy clitic' ('dear', 'please', etc.), often used by Western and Central Islanders in speech to show a sympathetic or nostalgic frame of mind.
In literature on the language the abbreviations KLY (Kalaw Lagaw Ya), KKY (Kalau Kawau Ya), KulY (Kulkalgau Ya), MY (Muwalgau Ya) and KY (Kaiwaligau Ya) are often used as abbreviations. The name Mabuiag , in English pronounced , is fairly widespread as a name for the language, this having been established by the Cambridge Expedition to Torres Strait, whose main research on the language was with Mabuiag material. Though the preferred term in English in Academia for some time was Kala Lagaw Ya, according to Ober, the form was always regarded as "colloquial" by native speakers. In a High Court decision on 7 August 2013, the decision was taken to officially term the language Kalau Lagau Ya, using the formal form.
When speaking to each other, speakers generally refer to the language as Langgus 'language' or use phrases such as KLY/KulY ngalpudh muli, MY-KY ngalpudh/ngalpadh muli, KKY ngalpadh muliz "speak(s) our language", e.g. KLY/KulY ngalpudh muuli, thanamunungu tidailai!, MY-KY ngalpudh/ngalpadh muuli, thanamuningu tidailai!, KKY ngalpadh muli, thanamulngu tidaile! 'Speak in our language so they don't understand!'. Ngalpudh/ngalpadh literally means 'like us'. The construction X-dh mula+i- 'speak X-like' is used to refer to speaking in a language, e.g. KKY markaidh muliz 'speak [in] English', zapanisadh muliz 'speak [in] Japanese', dhaudhalgadh muliz 'speak [in] Papuan', mœyamadh muliz 'speak [in] Meriam Mìr', thanamudh muliz 'speak like them, speak [in] their language'. It is otherwise common for speakers to use nominal phrases like KLY/KulY ngalpun ya, MY-KY ngalpun/ngalpan ya, KKY ngalpan ya 'our language' to refer to the language when speaking to each other.
Geographic distribution
Kalau Lagau Ya is spoken on the western and central islands of Torres Strait, between Papua New Guinea (Naigay Dœgam Dhaudhai "North-side Mainland/Continent", also called Mœgi Dhaudhai "Small Mainland/Continent", KKY Mœgina Dhaudhai) and the Australian mainland (Zey Dœgam Dhaudhai "South-side Mainland/Continent", also known as Kœi Dhaudhai "Big Mainland/Continent"), though on some islands it has now been largely replaced by Brokan (Torres Strait Creole).
There is some folk history evidence that the language was spoken as a first language in a few villages neighbouring Torres Strait in Papua. It was also formerly spoken by the Hiámo (Hiámu, Hiáma) of Daru (Dhaaru) to the north-east of Torres Strait, who were originally settlers from Yama [Yam Island] in Torres Strait, Hiámu/Hiámo/Hiáma being a Kiwai pronunciation of Yama. The main body of the Hiámo moved to the Thursday Island group to escape the Kiwai colonisation of Daru some centuries ago, while others (e.g. the Himo Bidedu Cassowary-FIsh Eagle clan) moved to Yama while maintaining their tribal lands on Daru.
Classification and external comparison The language is classified as being part of the Pama–Nyungan languages. Mitchell regard it as a mixed language with an Australian core (PamaNyungan) and Papuan and Austronesian overlays, while Capell and Dixon classify it among the Papuan languages. The personal pronouns are typically Australian, most kin terms are Papuan, and significant sea/canoe and agricultural vocabulary is Austronesian.,
Kalaw Lagaw Ya has only 6% cognation with its closest Australian neighbour, Urradhi, with a further 5% 'common' vocabulary (loans of various origins) — and about 40% common vocabulary with its Papuan neighbour, Meriam Mìr. Of 279 Proto-Paman forms only 18.9% have definite realisations in Kalaw Lagaw Ya, with a further 2.5% which may be present. One word that illustrates the problems of 'may-be' relationship is kùlbai (KKY kùlba) 'old', which may be a metathetic realisation of CA *bulgan 'big; old'. Potentially 80% of the vocabulary of the language is non-Australian, and includes Papuan and Austronesian items, as well as a significant body of words of unknown origin. Bouckaert, Bowern and Atkinson (2018) found that Kalaw Lagaw Ya had the highest number of 'unique' (that is, non-Pama-Nyungan) forms of any Australian language in their sample.
Australian (Common Australian) Papuan (Proto–East Trans-Fly) Austronesian (Proto–Central District) *nya-ga 'look' nagai-/nage-/nagi- id. *nyily 'name' nel id. *gamo 'belly' gamu 'body' *jana 'they' thana id. *p[ae]- 'that, there' pi-/pe- 'specifically yonder' *[w]aura 'trade wind, south-east trades' wœur(a) id. *ganyarra 'reptile' kœnara 'k.o. tree snake' *gabo 'cold' gabu id. *boro-ma 'pig' bùrùm(a) id. *galga 'spear' kœlak(a) id. *biro 'side' bero 'rib; side of boat, hillside, river bank, etc.' *pu[lr]i 'magic' puy(i) (older puuři) 'magic, plant'
Oral tradition and cultural evidence recorded by Haddon and Laade,, backed by archaeological evidence and linguistic evidence, shows that Austronesian trade and settlement in South-West Papua, Torres Strait and Cape York occurred; the languages have significant Austronesian vocabulary content, including items such as the following: Kalaw Lagaw Ya meaning Meriam Mìr meaning Bine(Papua) meaning Proto-OceanicAustronesian meaning maapu heavy (beberbeber) id. mæpu id. *mapa id. maalu deep, deep water, sea, deep water beyond edge of reef~shallows malo id. malu id. *mwaloq submerged rock~reef (where it disappears into sea depths) laba- cut, hack, strike (human) --- --- --- --- *la(m)pak strike (as with sword or flat weapon), slam something down, slap wœiwi mango waiwi id. wiwi id. *waiwai id. waaku mat; sail papék id. waaku id.(Kalaw Lagaw Ya loan) *paqu id. waaru turtle (nam) id. waaru id. (Kalaw Lagaw Ya loan) *ponu id.
Some of the Austronesian content is clearly South-East Papuan Austronesian: word Kalaw Lagaw Ya Gudang (Australia) Kiwai (Papua) Motu (Central District, Papua) Proto–SE Papuan Proto-Oceanic nacre, mother-of-pearl maay(i) (OKY maaři) maari mari mairi *mwa[lr]i ? outrigger sayim(a) OKY sařima charima sarima SE Kiwai harima darima *nsarima *saRaman pig bùrùm(a) — boroma boroma *boro-ma *mporok rope, cord wœru KKY wœrukam(i) uuru waro varo *waro *waro head, origin, base of tree, etc. kuik(u) KLY kuiiku --- — PCD *quiqui id. *kulikuli *kulukulu 'head-end, upper part'
The linguistic history of the Torres Strait area is complex, and interaction of well over 2500 years has led to many layers of relationship between the local languages, including many words that are obviously common, such as the following 'trade' words in Torres Strait area languages.
Kalaw Lagaw Ya Meriam Mìr Kiwai (Papua) Agöb (Papua) Gudang (Australia) Urradhi (Australia) Anguthimri (Australia) Mpakwithi (Australia) gii tusk, knife, tusk/knife-life formation gir tusk/knife-life formation giri tusk, knife, tusk/knife-life formation ? ? kiri/ghiri knife kiri knife kiri knife sœguba tobacco sogob tobacco suguba tobacco ? — tyughubha tobacco tyughubhu tobacco ? yœuth(a) long house, hall; church ìut (alt- eut) church — ? ? yutha house —— mœruka any strange four-legged animal —— ? ? murruku horse ? marruku horse mœrap(i) bamboo marep marabo ? marrapi marrapi ? marrapi eso thanks esoau ? eso ? ? ? ? paaudh(a) peace paud ? piuda paaudha ? ? ? warup(a) drum warup warupa (w)arapa warrupa (w)arrupa (w)arrupa (w)arrupa thuurik(a) cutting tool tulik turika turika Bine turi/turikæ ? thurriya crowbar thurriya crowbar thurriya crowbar
However, the question of external relationships of Kalaw Lagaw Ya is also complicated by resemblances between both the Paman (Pama-Nyungan, Australian languages) and the Trans-Fly (Papuan) languages. Though few, these may be significant, and include forms such as those noted below, not all of which appear in Kalaw Lagaw Ya. Such resemblances could point to a deep-level relationship dating back to before the flooding of Torres Strait at the end of the last age, as claimed by Mitchell or they could point to genetic inheritance and subsequent language contact, as discussed by Alpher, Bowern, and O'Grady 2009.Alpher et al. 2008. Torres Strait Language Classification. in Bowern, Evans, and Miceli (eds). _Morphology and Language History_ Amsterdam: John Benjamins Proto-Paman (or a specific North Cape York language) meaning Proto-Trans-Fly meaning Kalaw Lagaw Ya meaning *kaalu ear *Vtkuru hear kaura; kùrusai- (compounds only) ear *ŋaa(na) who *ŋana id. ngaa id. *mini good *mi:nji id. miina real, true, very anha Urradhi, Gudang breath *ŋana id. ngœna id. wintamwintama Urradhi star *mpintom id. (thithuy(i) OKY thithuri) id. *nyupun one *[ni/yi/dVr]ponV id. wœrapùn(i) ùrapùn (wara 'one of a group') id. *pama man, person *pyama id. (mabaig lit. 'walker') id.
Personal pronouns A comparison of the Kalaw Lagaw Ya, Meriam Mìr, Kiwai and Uradhi personal pronouns show similarities and differences in typology. In comparison to Uradhi, Kalaw Lagaw Ya has an archaic typology — or, rather, Uradhi has innovated, having lost the Common Australian 1, 2 and 3 plurals. Kiwai does not have 1–2 pronouns, while Meriam Mìr does not have a dual and trial/paucal set of pronouns which correspond to its verb system. The Kalaw Lagaw Ya system, like that of Uradhi, is Australian:
+Kalaw Lagaw Ya (KKY dialect) singular dual plural 1st person 1st–2nd person — 2nd person 3rd person masc fem
+Meriam Mìr singular non-singular 1st person 1st–2nd person — 2nd person 3rd person Note that except for Meriam Mìr, the Trans Fly languages also have two-gender masculine-feminine systems, though not marked on the pronouns themselves.
+Kiwai singular dual trial plural 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
+Urradhi singular dual plural 1st person 1st–2nd person — 2nd person 3rd person
However, even though the system has no real surprises for Australian linguistics, it is clear that Kalaw Lagaw Ya has innovated in the 1st and 2nd pronouns, which have the following CA origins: