Kalaw Lagaw Ya
Kalaw Lagaw Ya (a.k.a. Kalau Lagau Ya, Yagar Yagar and Kala Lagaw Langgus) is both the preferred name for the 'Western Torres Strait Language' and the name of one of its five dialects (alongside Mabuyag, Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Kulkalgaw Ya, and Kawalgaw Ya).
Before the era of European colonisation, it was the primary lingua franca of northern Cape York, Torres Strait, and coastal areas of Papua New Guinea's Western Province. While it is still relatively widely spoken on some islands, it has now been largely replaced by Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole).
While the language is classified as part of the Pama–Nyungan family, it has little in common with its closest Australian neighbour (Urradhi) and seems to be a mixed language with a Pama-Nyungan core. So Australian personal pronouns mix with Papuan kin terms and vocabulary relating to the sea, canoes, and agriculture shared with its Papuan neighbour, Meriam Mìr.
