Kebalan
Kavalan
Austronesian (East Formosan)
Kavalan (Kebalan) is a critically endangered East Formosan Austronesian language of eastern Taiwan, with only around two dozen fluent elderly speakers concentrated in Hualien (Sinshe/Paterungan villages) and remembered in Yilan. Officially recognized as a separate Indigenous people of Taiwan in 2002 after a long campaign. Typologically conservative within Austronesian: retains Proto-Austronesian *R as /x/ (e.g. zanuR > zanum-related cognates), preserves a four-way Philippine-type voice system, and shows VOS basic order. Revitalization efforts include the CIP "Language Nest" program.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Kavalan
Water
zanum
/zaˈnum/
Fire
ramaz
/raˈmaz/
Sun
siban
/siˈban/
Moon
buran
/buˈran/
Star
bituqan
/bituqan/
Mother
tina
/ˈtina/
Father
tama
/ˈtama/
I
aiku
/aiku/
You
aisu
/aisu/
Name
nangan
/naŋan/
Eye
mata
/maˈta/
Hand
rima
/riˈma/
Heart
—
/—/
Love
—
/—/
Tree
kasuy
/kaˈsuj/
House
lepaw
/ləˈpaw/
Dog
wasu
/waˈsu/
Cat
ngiyaw
/ŋiˈjaw/
Eat
quman
/quˈman/
Drink
mimum
/miˈmum/
One
issa
/ˈissa/
Two
zusa
/zusa/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
—
/—/
Sources
- Li, Paul Jen-kuei & Tsuchida, Shigeru (2006) Kavalan Dictionary. Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica, Taipei.
- Li, Paul Jen-kuei & Tsuchida, Shigeru (2006) Kavalan Texts. Academia Sinica.
- Glottolog: Kavalan
- Council of Indigenous Peoples (Taiwan): Kebalan / Kavalan language resources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (East Formosan) languages
| Meaning | Kavalan | Bukar-Sadong Bidayuh | Babuza (Favorlang) | Proto-Austronesian | Maguindanao | Pazeh | Makasae |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | zanum /zaˈnum/ | piin /piːn/ | zalum /zalum/ | *daNum /daNum/ | ig /ʔiɡ/ | dalum /da.lum/ | ira /ˈira/ |
| Fire | ramaz /raˈmaz/ | apui /aˈpui/ | apoi /apoi/ | *Sapuy /Sapuy/ | apoy /ʔaˈpoj/ | hapuy /ha.puj/ | ata /ˈata/ |
| Sun | siban /siˈban/ | biduh /biˈduh/ | — /—/ | *waRi /waRi/ | senang /seˈnaŋ/ | rizax /ɾi.zax/ | watu /ˈwatu/ |
| Moon | buran /buˈran/ | bulan /buˈlan/ | zilias /siliəs/ | *bulaN /bulaN/ | bulan /buˈlan/ | ilas /i.las/ | uru /ˈuru/ |
| Star | bituqan /bituqan/ | bitun /bitun/ | botto /botːo/ | *bituqen /bituqen/ | bituon /bituʔon/ | mintol /mintol/ | ipi /ipi/ |
| Mother | tina /ˈtina/ | sindo /sinˈdoʔ/ | tina /tina/ | *ina /ina/ | ina /ˈʔina/ | ina /i.na/ | ina /ˈina/ |
| Father | tama /ˈtama/ | samah /saˈmah/ | tama /tama/ | *ama /ama/ | ama /ˈʔama/ | aba /a.ba/ | baba /ˈbaba/ |
| I | aiku /aiku/ | aku /aku/ | ka-ina /kaina/ | *aku /aku/ | saki /saki/ | yaku /jaku/ | ani /ani/ |
| You | aisu /aisu/ | muh /muh/ | ijo /ijo/ | *iSu /iSu/ | seka /səka/ | isiu /isiu/ | ai /ai/ |
| Name | nangan /naŋan/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ | naan /naːn/ | *ŋajan /ŋajan/ | ngala /ŋala/ | ngadan /ŋadan/ | naran /naran/ |
| Eye | mata /maˈta/ | bateh /baˈteh/ | macha /matʃa/ | *maCa /maCa/ | mata /maˈta/ | daurik /da.u.ɾik/ | nana /ˈnana/ |
| Hand | rima /riˈma/ | təŋən /tə̆ˈŋən/ | rima /rima/ | *lima /lima/ | lima /liˈma/ | rima /ɾi.ma/ | tana /ˈtana/ |
| Heart | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | *pusuq /pusuq/ | pusong /puˈsoŋ/ | baga /ba.ɡa/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | kalini /kaˈlini/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | kasuy /kaˈsuj/ | kayuh /kaˈjuh/ | kayu /kaju/ | *kaSiw /kaSiw/ | kayu /kaˈju/ | kahuy /ka.huj/ | ate /ˈate/ |
| House | lepaw /ləˈpaw/ | ramin /raˈmin/ | ruma /ruma/ | *Rumaq /Rumaq/ | walay /waˈlaj/ | xuma /xu.ma/ | oma /ˈoma/ |
| Dog | wasu /waˈsu/ | kaso /kaˈsoʔ/ | asu /asu/ | *asu /asu/ | aso /ˈʔaso/ | wazu /wa.zu/ | defa /ˈdɛfa/ |
| Cat | ngiyaw /ŋiˈjaw/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | kuting /kuˈtiŋ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | quman /quˈman/ | kuman /kuˈman/ | maan /maːn/ | *kaen /kaen/ | kakan /kaˈkan/ | mekan /mə.kan/ | nawa /ˈnawa/ |
| Drink | mimum /miˈmum/ | ŋinum /ŋiˈnum/ | minum /minum/ | *inum /inum/ | inum /ʔiˈnum/ | mimaazip /mi.maː.zip/ | gehe /ˈɡɛhɛ/ |
| One | issa /ˈissa/ | isaʔ /iˈsaʔ/ | nata /nata/ | *isa /isa/ | isa /ˈʔisa/ | adang /a.daŋ/ | u /ʔu/ |
| Two | zusa /zusa/ | duɔh /duɔh/ | naroa /naroa/ | *duSa /duSa/ | dua /duwa/ | dusa /dusa/ | lolae /loˈlae/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | assalamu alaikum /assaˈlamu ʔaˈlajkum/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | sukran /ˈsukɾan/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | — /—/ | biis /biːs/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | mapiya /maˈpija/ | — /—/ | rau /rau/ |
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