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Kalau Lagau Ya | |
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Western Torres Strait | |
Mabuiag | |
Region | Western and Central Torres Strait Islands, Queensland |
Ethnicity | Badu Island, Mabuiag, Kaurareg, Mualgal, Saibai Island, Boigu, Dauan Island, Kulkalgal, Maluigal (Torres Strait Islanders) |
Native speakers | 888 (2021 census)[1] |
Pama–Nyungan
| |
Dialects |
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Western Torres Strait Islander Sign Language | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | mwp |
Glottolog | kala1377 |
AIATSIS[2] | Y1 |
ELP | Kalaw Kawaw Ya |
Linguasphere | 29-RG(A-a) |
Range of Kalau Lagau Ya (orange) in the Torres Strait | |
Kalau Lagau Ya, Kalaw Lagaw Ya, Kala Lagaw Ya ([kala(u) laɡau ja]), 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 On some islands, it has now largely been replaced by Torres Strait Creole.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.