Talk:Kalaw Lagaw Ya

Unititled

Um... if it's a language isolate, surely it can't be part of the Pama-Nyungan language family? thefamouseccles 00:43, 10 Nov 2005 (UTC)

The term isolate can be used to describe a language that is thought to be part of a family, but can't be definitely linked to any specific branch of the family—or forms a branch of its own, where it is the only (surviving) member. --Ptcamn 15:56, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

But we can no doubt agree this terminology is somewhat confusing? Caesarion 15:58, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

i'd have to say its not confusing in the context. It clearly says "an isolate within the family". That explains what it means pretty clearly. --Krsont 22:09, 2 April 2006 (UTC)

The reason for stating that it is an isolate in that it is pretty distant from its Australia sister languages (roughly 6% cognation with its closest neighbours). Also the fact that it has a pretty high non-Australian content gives this status. --Roidhrigh 19.27, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Rename

Pick one of the four names, disambig from the others. The name is so long as to be useless. Chris 05:00, 3 August 2007 (UTC)

It states that Kalaw Lagaw Ya is correct, do maybe that as it is in the text. Enlil Ninlil 06:13, 3 August 2007 (UTC)

Kalaw Lagaw Ya is the correct form, however the history behind Kala Lagaw Ya is that it was chosen by the Ephraim Bani and Terry Klokheid team at Batchelor College near Darwin in the 1970s out of a variety of candidate terms to refer to the language.

In the colloquial language the genitive ending -w/u can elide (as can the glides -y/i and -w/u in any unstressed internal syllable in the language, such as dhaudhailaig mainlander, Papuan > dhaudhalaig, a derivative of dhaudhai mainland. A major theoretical position in linguistic description of the 70s and 80s was that the form of language most worthy (please forgive the implied value judgement in this word) of study is that which is produced when the speakers are not thinking of the language they are using, which could possibly distort the elicitation process. In everyday colloquial speech, Kala Lagaw Ya is more common than Kalaw Lagaw Ya, as is Kala Laga Ya - however, in correct, formal (or slow) speech, Kalaw Lagaw Ya is used.

Because the reports and publications then used Kala Lagaw Ya as the official academic name of the language, this became 'fossilized', so that now, even though Islanders and others are very well aware that Kala Lagaw Ya is inappropriate as a form for formal contexts, it has become fixed as the term for the language - in a way as an imposition from the Academic World on the speakers of the language. Again, please forgive the more than implied value judgement here. Roidhrigh 11:55, 23 May 2009.

Kala Lagaw Ya Wikipedia?

Why have no attempts been made to make a Wikipedia in an Australian language like Kala Lagaw Ya? I mean, if it's been done for Cornish or for Pitcairn, then surely it's possible for a language with many more speakers. If anyone can get this started, I think it would be a good way of preserving these languages. Ozsvensk 21:53 21:53, 26 October 2008 (GTM)

Good point - perhaps time, or the fact that where the majority of speakers are there is little or no real internet connectibility. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Roidhrigh (talk • contribs) 13:17, 28 October 2008 (UTC)

Anyone can start a Wikipedia in the Wikimedia Incubator : http://incubator.wikimedia.org If you need help, let me know. John Vandenberg ^(chat) 06:51, 6 August 2012 (UTC)

possible typo

under the vowels section:

Internal reconstruction and comparison with neighbouring languages suggests an underlying four vowel structure with contrasting vowel length, where underlying *i typically gives surface ⟨i⟩ and ⟨e⟩, underlying *a typically gives surface a and œ, underlying *ò typically gives surface ⟨o⟩ and ⟨ù⟩, and underlying *u typically gives surface ⟨ù⟩ and ⟨u⟩ (there are other realisations as well, depending on rules of assimilation etc.):

Should it be ò instead of ù?

Thanks,

—Soap— 02:48, 21 April 2020 (UTC)