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
20 core words in Kavalan
Water
zanum
/zaˈnum/
Fire
ramax
/raˈmax/
Sun
siban
/siˈban/
Moon
buran
/buˈran/
Mother
tina
/ˈtina/
Father
tama
/ˈtama/
Eat
quman
/quˈman/
Drink
mimum
/miˈmum/
Love
—
/—/
Heart
—
/—/
Tree
kasuy
/kaˈsuj/
House
lepaw
/ləˈpaw/
Dog
wasu
/waˈsu/
Cat
ngiyaw
/ŋiˈjaw/
Hand
rima
/riˈma/
Eye
mata
/maˈta/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
One
issa
/ˈissa/
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) | Maguindanao | Makasae | Kulon-Pazeh | Matsés |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | zanum /zaˈnum/ | piin /piːn/ | zalum /zalum/ | ig /ʔiɡ/ | ira /ˈira/ | dalum /da.lum/ | mapi /maˈpi/ |
| Fire | ramax /raˈmax/ | apui /aˈpui/ | apoi /apoi/ | apoy /ʔaˈpoj/ | ata /ˈata/ | hapuy /ha.puj/ | tsibo /tsiˈbo/ |
| Sun | siban /siˈban/ | biduh /biˈduh/ | — /—/ | senang /seˈnaŋ/ | watu /ˈwatu/ | rizax /ɾi.zax/ | šëdo /ʂɨˈdo/ |
| Moon | buran /buˈran/ | bulan /buˈlan/ | zilias /siliəs/ | bulan /buˈlan/ | uru /ˈuru/ | ilas /i.las/ | use /uˈse/ |
| Mother | tina /ˈtina/ | sindo /sinˈdoʔ/ | tina /tina/ | ina /ˈʔina/ | ina /ˈina/ | ina /i.na/ | ëna /ɨˈna/ |
| Father | tama /ˈtama/ | samah /saˈmah/ | tama /tama/ | ama /ˈʔama/ | baba /ˈbaba/ | aba /a.ba/ | papa /paˈpa/ |
| Eat | quman /quˈman/ | kuman /kuˈman/ | maan /maːn/ | kakan /kaˈkan/ | nawa /ˈnawa/ | mekan /mə.kan/ | pe- /pe/ |
| Drink | mimum /miˈmum/ | ŋinum /ŋiˈnum/ | minum /minum/ | inum /ʔiˈnum/ | gehe /ˈɡɛhɛ/ | mimaazip /mi.maː.zip/ | ak- /ak/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | kalini /kaˈlini/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | pusong /puˈsoŋ/ | — /—/ | baga /ba.ɡa/ | šobi /ʂoˈbi/ |
| Tree | kasuy /kaˈsuj/ | kayuh /kaˈjuh/ | kayu /kaju/ | kayu /kaˈju/ | ate /ˈate/ | kahuy /ka.huj/ | mado /maˈdo/ |
| House | lepaw /ləˈpaw/ | ramin /raˈmin/ | ruma /ruma/ | walay /waˈlaj/ | oma /ˈoma/ | xuma /xu.ma/ | šobo /ʂoˈbo/ |
| Dog | wasu /waˈsu/ | kaso /kaˈsoʔ/ | asu /asu/ | aso /ˈʔaso/ | defa /ˈdɛfa/ | wazu /wa.zu/ | opa /oˈpa/ |
| Cat | ngiyaw /ŋiˈjaw/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | kuting /kuˈtiŋ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | rima /riˈma/ | təŋən /tə̆ˈŋən/ | rima /rima/ | lima /liˈma/ | tana /ˈtana/ | rima /ɾi.ma/ | mëbi /mɨˈbi/ |
| Eye | mata /maˈta/ | baten /baˈten/ | macha /matʃa/ | mata /maˈta/ | nana /ˈnana/ | daurik /da.u.ɾik/ | bëdi /bɨˈdi/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | assalamu alaikum /assaˈlamu ʔaˈlajkum/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | sukran /ˈsukɾan/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | issa /ˈissa/ | isaʔ /iˈsaʔ/ | nata /nata/ | isa /ˈʔisa/ | u /ʔu/ | adang /a.daŋ/ | pazë /paˈzɨ/ |
| Good | — /—/ | biis /biːs/ | — /—/ | mapiya /maˈpija/ | rau /rau/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
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