Kalaw Lagaw Ya

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Kalau Lagau Ya
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]
Language family	Pama–Nyungan Kalau Lagau Ya
Dialects	Kalau Lagau Ya, alt. Kalaw Lagaw Ya Kalau Kawau Ya, alt. Kalaw Kawaw Ya Kulkalgau Ya Kaiwaligau Ya
Signed forms	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
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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 On some islands, it has now largely been replaced by Torres Strait Creole.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.