Meriam | |
---|---|
Eastern Torres Strait | |
Meriam Mir | |
Region | Murray Island, Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia |
Ethnicity | Meriam |
Native speakers | 217 (2016 census)[1] |
Trans-Fly
| |
Eastern Torres Strait Islander Sign Language | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | ulk |
Glottolog | meri1244 |
AIATSIS[2] | Y3 |
ELP | Meriam |
Linguasphere | 20-OD(A-a) |
Meriam Mir is classified as Definitely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger (2010) | |
Meriam (Meriam Mir: Meriam Mìr; also Miriam, Meryam, Mer, Mir, Miriam-Mir, etc. and Eastern, Isten, Esten and Able Able) or the Eastern Torres Strait language is the language of the people of the small islands of Mer (Murray Island), Waier and Dauar, Erub (Darnley Island), and Ugar (Stephens Island) in the eastern Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. In the Western Torres Strait language, Kalaw Lagaw Ya, it is called Mœyam or Mœyamau Ya. It is the only Papuan language in Australian territory.