Kalaamaya language

{{Short description|Pama–Nyungan language of Western Australia}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{Infobox language

| name = Kalaamaya

| altname = Karlamay

| states = Australia

| region = Western Australia

| ethnicity = Kalamaia, Njakinjaki?

| extinct = ?

| familycolor = Australian

| fam1 = Pama–Nyungan

| fam2 = Nyungic

| fam3 = Kalamaya–Natingero

| iso3 = lkm

| glotto = kala1401

| glottorefname = Kalaamaya

| dia1 = Nyaki Nyaki?

| aiatsis = A4

| aiatsisname = Kalaamaya

| aiatsis2 = A1

| aiatsisname2 = Nyaki Nyaki

| date = 2021

| ref = {{Cite web|date=2021-01-18|title=Kaalamaya :: Goldfields Aboriginal Language Centre|url=https://wangka.com.au/kaalamaya/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118044643/https://wangka.com.au/kaalamaya/|archive-date=18 January 2021|access-date=2021-04-16|website=Goldbridge Aboriginal Language Center}}

| revived = 1 fluent L2; several partial

| speakers2 = 1-10 (2019)

}}

Kalaamaya, also spelled Karlamay, is a Pama–Nyungan language of Western Australia. It is poorly attested, but appears to be a close relative of Noongar.{{multiref2

|{{cite web |last=Bowern |first=Claire |date=2011-12-23 |url=http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/how-many-languages-were-spoken-in-australia/ |title=How Many Languages Were Spoken in Australia? |website=Anggarrgoon: Australian languages on the web}}

|{{cite web |title=Master List of Australian Languages, v1.2 |url=http://pamanyungan.sites.yale.edu/master-list-australian-languages-v12 |date=February 6, 2012 |last=Bowern |first=Claire |website=Historical and Pama-Nyungan Lab |publisher=Yale University}}}}

A variety called Nyaki Nyaki (Njakinjaki) has been variously said to be a dialect of Nyungar or of Kalaamaya.{{Cite web| url=https://collection.aiatsis.gov.au/austlang/language/a1| title =A1: Nyaki Nyaki / Njaki Njaki| website =AIATSIS Collection| date =26 July 2019}} Natingero has also been listed as a dialect, but it is only 40% lexically similar.

{{as of|2015}}, a single fluent speaker, Kaprun elder Brian Champion who learned the language as an adult, and several partial speakers remain.{{Cite news |last1=Papas|first1=Chloe|last2=March|first2=Kirstyn|date=7 July 2015|title=Preserving Kaprun language and culture in the Goldfields |website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|url=https://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2015/07/07/4269116.htm|access-date=2021-04-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710144716/http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2015/07/07/4269116.htm |archive-date=2015-07-10}}