Pinuyumayan
Puyuma
Austronesian
Puyuma (Pinuyumayan) is one of the smallest and most divergent of the Formosan Austronesian languages, the primary branch of Austronesian within the indigenous languages of Taiwan. Puyumic stands separately from other Formosan branches (Atayalic, Tsouic, Paiwanic, Rukaic, etc.), making Puyuma significant for Austronesian historical linguistics — it preserves features lost elsewhere. Spoken by ~3,000 Puyuma people in eight villages of the Beinan area near Taitung in southeast Taiwan. Cultural traditions include the Mangmahut hunting ritual and the Mangayaw plain-dwelling community structure, which is matrilineal — distinctive among Taiwanese aboriginal groups (most are patrilineal).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Puyuma
Water
enay
/enai/
Fire
apuy
/apui/
Sun
kadaw
/kadaw/
Moon
bulan
/buɭan/
Star
vituwan
/vituwan/
Mother
ina
/ina/
Father
ama
/ama/
I
kuiku
/kuiku/
You
yu
/ju/
Name
ngadan
/ŋadan/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hand
lima
/lima/
Heart
kalumetan
/kalumetan/
Love
ulaw
/ulaw/
Tree
kawi
/kawi/
House
ruma
/ɾuma/
Dog
suwan
/suwan/
Cat
kating
/katiŋ/
Eat
kuman
/kuman/
Drink
enpa
/enpa/
One
sa
/sa/
Two
zua
/ʐua/
Hello
marayas
/maɾajas/
Thank you
kasapakan
/kasapakan/
Good
mauruway
/mauɾuwai/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian languages
| Meaning | Puyuma | Paiwan | Tao/Yami | Old Tagalog | Tausug | Bunun | Proto-Austronesian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | enay /enai/ | zaljum /zaɭum/ | ranom /ranom/ | ᜆᜓᜊᜒᜄ᜔ /tubiɡ/ | tubig /tubiɡ/ | danum /danum/ | *daNum /daNum/ |
| Fire | apuy /apui/ | sapuy /sapui/ | apuy /apuj/ | ᜀᜉᜓᜌ᜔ /apuj/ | kayu /kaju/ | sapuz /sapuz/ | *Sapuy /Sapuy/ |
| Sun | kadaw /kadaw/ | qadaw /qadaw/ | araw /araw/ | ᜀᜇᜏ᜔ /araw/ | adlaw /adlaw/ | vali /vali/ | *waRi /waRi/ |
| Moon | bulan /buɭan/ | qiljas /qiɭas/ | vehan /vehan/ | ᜊᜓᜏᜈ᜔ /buwan/ | bulan /bulan/ | buan /buan/ | *bulaN /bulaN/ |
| Star | vituwan /vituwan/ | vituqan /vituqan/ | vituen /vituən/ | ᜊᜒᜆᜓᜁᜈ᜔ /bituʔin/ | bituun /bituʔun/ | bintuhan /bintuhan/ | *bituqen /bituqen/ |
| Mother | ina /ina/ | kina /kina/ | ina /ina/ | ᜁᜈ /ina/ | inaꞌ /inaʔ/ | tina /tina/ | *ina /ina/ |
| Father | ama /ama/ | kama /kama/ | ama /ama/ | ᜀᜋ /ama/ | amaꞌ /amaʔ/ | tama /tama/ | *ama /ama/ |
| I | kuiku /kuiku/ | tiaken /tiakən/ | yaken /jakən/ | ᜀᜃᜓ /ako/ | aku /aku/ | saikin /saikin/ | *aku /aku/ |
| You | yu /ju/ | sun /sun/ | imo /ʔimo/ | ᜁᜃᜏ᜔ /ikaw/ | ikaw /ikaw/ | suu /suʔu/ | *iSu /iSu/ |
| Name | ngadan /ŋadan/ | ngadan /ŋadan/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ | ᜅᜎᜈ᜔ /ŋalan/ | ngan /ŋan/ | ngaan /ŋaan/ | *ŋajan /ŋajan/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | maca /matsa/ | mata /mata/ | ᜋᜆ /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | *maCa /maCa/ |
| Hand | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | kamay /kamaj/ | ᜃᜋᜌ᜔ /kamaj/ | lima /lima/ | ima /ima/ | *lima /lima/ |
| Heart | kalumetan /kalumetan/ | varung /vaɾuŋ/ | paso /paso/ | ᜉᜓᜐᜓ /puso/ | pusuꞌ /pusuʔ/ | is-ang /isaŋ/ | *pusuq /pusuq/ |
| Love | ulaw /ulaw/ | nasaqaqa /nasaqaqa/ | makakdeng /makakdəŋ/ | ᜁᜊᜒᜄ᜔ /ibiɡ/ | lasa /lasa/ | madaidaz /madaidaz/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | kawi /kawi/ | kasiw /kasiw/ | kayo /kajo/ | ᜃᜑᜓᜌ᜔ /kahoj/ | kahuy /kahuj/ | kahu /kahu/ | *kaSiw /kaSiw/ |
| House | ruma /ɾuma/ | umaq /umaq/ | vahay /vahaj/ | ᜊᜑᜌ᜔ /bahaj/ | bāy /baːj/ | lumaq /lumaq/ | *Rumaq /Rumaq/ |
| Dog | suwan /suwan/ | vatu /vatu/ | ino /ino/ | ᜀᜐᜓ /aso/ | iruꞌ /iruʔ/ | asu /asu/ | *asu /asu/ |
| Cat | kating /katiŋ/ | ngiaw /ŋiaw/ | koving /koviŋ/ | ᜉᜓᜐ /pusa/ | kuting /kutiŋ/ | ngingiyaw /ŋiŋijaw/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | kuman /kuman/ | keman /kəman/ | kuman /kuman/ | ᜃᜁᜈ᜔ /kain/ | kaun /kaʔun/ | maun /maun/ | *kaen /kaen/ |
| Drink | enpa /enpa/ | temekel /təməkəl/ | minum /minum/ | ᜁᜈᜓᜋ᜔ /inom/ | minum /minum/ | muqun /muqun/ | *inum /inum/ |
| One | sa /sa/ | ita /ita/ | asa /asa/ | ᜁᜐ /isa/ | isa /isa/ | tasa /tasa/ | *isa /isa/ |
| Two | zua /ʐua/ | drusa /ɖusa/ | doa /doa/ | ᜇᜎᜏ /dalaˈwa/ | duwa /duwa/ | dusa /dusa/ | *duSa /duSa/ |
| Hello | marayas /maɾajas/ | masalu /masalu/ | akokay /akokaj/ | ᜋᜊᜓᜑᜌ᜔ /mabuhaj/ | kumusta /kumusta/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | kasapakan /kasapakan/ | masalu /masalu/ | ayoy /ajoj/ | ᜐᜎᜋᜆ᜔ /salamat/ | magsukul /maɡsukul/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ | — /—/ |
| Good | mauruway /mauɾuwai/ | nguanguaq /ŋuaŋuaq/ | mapia /mapia/ | ᜋᜊᜓᜆᜒ /mabuti/ | marayaw /marajaw/ | masial /masial/ | — /—/ |
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