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Formosan Languages
The Formosan languages are a geographic grouping comprising the languages of the indigenous peoples of Taiwan, all of which are Austronesian. They do not form a single subfamily of Austronesian but rather nine separate subfamilies. The Taiwanese indigenous peoples recognized by the government are about 2.3% of the island's population. However, only 35% speak their ancestral language, due to centuries of language shift. Of the approximately 26 languages of the Taiwanese indigenous peoples, at least ten are extinct, another four (perhaps five) are moribund, and all others are to some degree endangered. The aboriginal languages of Taiwan have great significance in historical linguistics since, in all likelihood, Taiwan is the place of origin of the entire Austronesian language family. According to American linguist Robert Blust, the Formosan languages form nine of the ten principal branches of the family, while the one remaining principal branch, Malayo-Polynesian, contains ne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rukai Language
Rukai is a Formosan language spoken by the Rukai people in Taiwan. It is a member of the Austronesian language family. The Rukai language comprises six dialects, which are Budai, Labuan, Maga, Mantauran, Tanan and Tona. The number of speakers of the six Rukai dialects is estimated to be about 10,000. Some of them are monolingual. There are varying degrees of mutual intelligibility among the Rukai dialects. Rukai is notable for its distinct grammatical voice system among the Formosan languages. Classification Paul Jen-kuei Li considers Rukai to be the first language to have split from the Proto-Austronesian language. Below are the estimated divergence dates of various Formosan languages from Li (2008:215). # Proto-Austronesian: 4,500 BCE # Rukai: 3,000 BCE # Tsouic: 2,500 BCE (split into Tsou and Southern Tsouic around 1,000 BCE) # Most other splits: 2,000 to 0 BCE # Western Plains: 1,000 CE Classifications by various scholars repeatedly find that Rukai is one of the, and oft ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
East Formosan Languages
The East Formosan languages consist of various Formosan languages scattered across Taiwan, including Kavalan, Amis, and the extinct Siraya language. This grouping is supported by both Robert Blust and Paul Jen-kuei Li. Li considers the Siraya-speaking area in the southwestern plains of Taiwan to be the most likely homeland of the East Formosan speakers, where they then spread to the eastern coast of Taiwan and gradually migrated to the area of modern-day Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the .... Languages *Kavalanic ** Kavalan ** Basay ** Qauqaut *Amis-Sakizaya **Sakizaya ** Amis * Sirayaic ** Siraya **Taivoan–Makatao *** Taivoan *** Makatao Luilang is often lumped together with the Ketagalan dialect of Basay, but is poorly attested and remains unclassified. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Northern Formosan Languages
The Northern Formosan languages is a proposed grouping of Formosan languages that includes the '' Atayalic languages'', the ''Western Plains languages'' (Papora, Hoanya, Babuza, and Taokas), and the ''Northwest Formosan languages'' ( Pazeh and Saisiyat; Li places ''Western Plains'' with this grouping). The Northern Formosan subgroup was first proposed by Paul Jen-kuei Li in 1985.Li, Paul Jen-kuei (1985). "The position of Atayal in the Austronesian family." In Li, Paul Jen-kuei. 2004. ''Selected Papers on Formosan Languages'', vol. 2. Taipei, Taiwan: Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica. Blust (1999) rejects the unity of the proposed Northern Formosan branch. A 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database, however, supports the unity of the Northern Formosan branch with a 97% confidence level (see '' Austronesian languages#Classification''). Evidence The following sound changes from Proto-Austronesian occurred in the Northern Formosan languages (Li 2008:215). ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bunun Language
The Bunun language () is spoken by the Bunun people of Taiwan. It is one of the Formosan languages, a geographic group of Austronesian languages, and is subdivided in five dialects: Isbukun, Takbunuaz, Takivatan, Takibaka and Takituduh. Isbukun, the dominant dialect, is mainly spoken in the south of Taiwan. Takbunuaz and Takivatan are mainly spoken in the center of the country. Takibaka and Takituduh both are northern dialects. A sixth dialect, Takipulan, became extinct in the 1970s. The Saaroa and Kanakanavu, two smaller minority groups who share their territory with an Isbukun Bunun group, have also adopted Bunun as their vernacular. Name The name ''Bunun'' literally means "human" or "man". Dialects Bunun is currently subdivided into five dialects: Isbukun, Takbunuaz, Takivatan, Takibaka and Takituduh. Li (1988) splits these dialects into three main branches — Northern, Central, and Isbukun (also classified as Southern Bunun).Li, Paul Jen-kuei. 1988. A Comparative Study ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tsouic
The Tsouic languages (also known as the Central Formosan languages) are three Formosan languages, Tsou proper and the Southern languages Kanakanavu and Saaroa. The Southern Tsouic languages of Kanakanavu and Saaroa have the smallest phonemic inventories out of all the Formosan languages, with each language having only 13 consonants and 4 vowels (Blust 2009:165).Blust, Robert A. ''The Austronesian Languages''. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University, 2009. , . These two languages are highly endangered, as many Southern Tsouic speakers are shifting to Bunun and Mandarin Chinese. The Proto-Tsouic language was reconstructed by Japanese linguist Shigeru Tsuchida in 1976, and is supported by Blust (1999), Li (2008), and Sagart (2014). However, Chang (2006)Chang, Henry Yungli. 2006. "Rethinking the Tsouic Subgroup Hypothesis: A Morphosyntactic Perspective." In Chang, H., Huang, L. M., Ho, D. (eds.). ''Streams converg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Puyuma Language
The Puyuma language or Pinuyumayan (), is the language of the Puyuma, an indigenous people of Taiwan. It is a divergent Formosan language of the Austronesian family. Most speakers are older adults. Puyuma is one of the more divergent of the Austronesian languages and falls outside reconstructions of Proto-Austronesian. Dialects The internal classification of Puyuma dialects below is from . Nanwang Puyuma is considered to be the relatively phonologically conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ... but grammatically innovative, as in it preserves proto-Puyuma voiced plosives but syncretizes the use of both oblique and genitive case. *Proto-Puyuma **Nanwang **(''Main branch'') ***Pinaski–Ulivelivek ***Rikavung ***Kasavakan–Katipul Puyuma-speaking villages ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paiwan Language
Paiwan is a native language of Taiwan, spoken by the Paiwan, a Taiwanese indigenous people. Paiwan is a Formosan language of the Austronesian language family. It is also one of the national languages of Taiwan. Dialects Paiwan variants are seen divided into the following dialect zones by(Ferrell 1982:4–6). *A1 – southern and central **Kuɬaɬau (Kulalao) – used in Ferrell's 1982 ''Paiwan Dictionary'' due to its widespread intelligibility and preservation of various phonemic distinctions; also spoken in Tjuabar Village, Taitung County, where Tjariḍik and "Tjuabar" (closely related to Tjavuaɬi) are also spoken. **Kapaiwanan (Su-Paiwan) **Tjuaqatsiɬay (Kachirai) – southernmost dialect *A2 – central **ɬarəkrək (Riki-riki) **Patjavaɬ (Ta-niao-wan) *B1 – northernmost **Tjukuvuɬ (Tokubun) **Kaviangan (Kapiyan) *B2 – northwestern **Tjaɬakavus (Chalaabus, Lai-yi) **Makazayazaya (Ma-chia) *B3 – east-central **Tjariḍik (Charilik) *B4 – eastern **Tjavuaɬi (Ta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Atayal Language
The Atayal language is spoken by the Atayal people of Taiwan. Squliq and C’uli’ (Ts’ole’) are two major dialects. Mayrinax and Pa’kuali’, two subdialects of C’uli’, are unique among Atayal dialects in having male and female register distinctions in their vocabulary. History Several works on the language, including several reference grammars, have been published. In 1980 an Atayal–English dictionary was published by Søren Egerod. The Bible has been translated into Atayal and was published in 2002. Atayal was one of the source languages of Yilan Creole Japanese. In April 2020 an Atayal language Wikipedia was launched following efforts by Taiwan's Ministry of Education and National Chengchi University to promote the written use of Taiwan's Aboriginal languages. Dialects Atayal dialects can be classified under two dialects groups: Squliq and C’uli’ (Ts’ole’). Orthography The Atayal language is most commonly written in the Latin script; a standard orth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Writing Systems Of Formosan Languages
The writing systems of the Formosan languages are Latin-based alphabets. Currently, 16 languages (45 dialects) have been regulated. The alphabet was made official in 2005. History The Sinckan Manuscripts are one of the earliest written materials of several Formosan languages, including Siraya. This writing system was developed by Dutch missionaries in the period of Dutch ruling (1624–1662). After 1947, with the need for translation of Bible, Latin scripts for Bunun, Paiwan, Taroko, Atayal, and Amis were created. Currently, all 16 Formosan languages are written with similar systems. The Pe̍h-ōe-jī of Taiwanese Hokkien and Pha̍k-fa-sṳ of Taiwanese Hakka were also created with by the western missionaries. In 2005, standardized writing systems for the languages of Taiwan's 16 recognized indigenous peoples were established by the government. Alphabets The table shows how the letters and symbols are used to denote sounds in the 16 officially recognized Formosan languages. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cultural Assimilation
Cultural assimilation is the process in which a minority group or culture comes to resemble a society's majority group or assume the values, behaviors, and beliefs of another group whether fully or partially. The different types of cultural assimilation include full assimilation and forced assimilation; full assimilation being the most prevalent of the two, as it occurs spontaneously. During cultural assimilation, minority groups are expected to adapt to the everyday practices of the dominant culture through language and appearance as well as via more significant socioeconomic factors such as absorption into the local cultural and employment community. Some types of cultural assimilation resemble acculturation in which a minority group or culture completely assimilates into the dominant culture in which defining characteristics of the minority culture are less obverse or outright disappear; while in other types of cultural assimilation such as cultural integration mostly fou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amis Language
Amis ( or ) is a Formosan language of the Amis (or Ami), an indigenous people living along the east coast of Taiwan. Currently the largest of the Formosan languages, it is spoken from Hualien in the north to Taitung in the south, with another population in the Hengchun Peninisula near the southern end of the island, though the northern varieties are considered to be separate languages. Government services in counties where many Amis people live in Taiwan, such as the Hualien and Taitung railway stations, broadcast in Amis alongside Mandarin. However, few Amis under the age of 20 in 1995 spoke the language. It is not known how many of the 200,000 ethnic Amis speak the language, but overall a third of the aboriginal Taiwanese population do. Dialects Amis is a dialect cluster. There are five dialects: Southern Amis, Tavalong-Vataan, Central Amis, Chengkung-Kwangshan, and Northern Amis (Nanshi Amis, which includes Nataoran). Sakizaya is a moribund language spoken among the nort ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |