Kalaamaya language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kalaamaya |
|
|---|---|
| Karlamay | |
| Native to | Australia |
| Region | Western Australia |
| Ethnicity | Kalamaia, ?Njakinjaki |
| Native speakers | 1 fluent L2; several partial (2021) |
| Language family |
Pama–Nyungan
|
| Dialects |
?Nyaki Nyaki
|
| AIATSIS | A4 Kalaamaya, A1 |
Kalaamaya, also known as Karlamay, is a language from the Pama–Nyungan language family. It is spoken in Western Australia. This language is not very well known, meaning there isn't much information or many old records about it. However, it seems to be closely related to the Nyungar languages.
What is Kalaamaya?
Kalaamaya is an Indigenous Australian language. It belongs to a large group of languages called Pama–Nyungan. These languages are found across most of mainland Australia. Kalaamaya is part of the Nyungic branch within this family.
Related Languages
Some other language varieties are linked to Kalaamaya. One is called Nyaki Nyaki, also known as Njakinjaki. People have wondered if Nyaki Nyaki is a dialect of Nyungar or of Kalaamaya.
Another language, Natingero, has also been thought to be a dialect of Kalaamaya. However, Natingero shares only about 40% of its words with Kalaamaya. This means they are not as similar as true dialects usually are.
Saving the Language
Sadly, very few people speak Kalaamaya today. As of 2021, there is only one person who speaks it fluently as a second language. This person is Kaprun elder Brian Champion. He learned the language when he was an adult. There are also a few other people who know some parts of the language. Efforts are often made to help keep languages like Kalaamaya alive. This is important for preserving culture and history.
See also
