Pazeh
Austronesian (Formosan, Western Plains)
Kulon-Pazeh is a dormant Formosan language of the Western Plains group, spoken in central Taiwan around Puli (Nantou). Its last fully fluent L1 speaker, Pan Jin-yu, died in 2010 at age 96; community-led revival efforts continue. Notable for retaining the Proto-Austronesian alveolar/retroflex contrast and a productive Ca-reduplication pattern.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Pazeh
Water
dalum
/da.lum/
Fire
hapuy
/ha.puj/
Sun
rizax
/ɾi.zax/
Moon
ilas
/i.las/
Star
mintol
/mintol/
Mother
ina
/i.na/
Father
aba
/a.ba/
I
yaku
/jaku/
You
isiu
/isiu/
Name
ngadan
/ŋadan/
Eye
daurik
/da.u.ɾik/
Hand
rima
/ɾi.ma/
Heart
baga
/ba.ɡa/
Love
—
/—/
Tree
kahuy
/ka.huj/
House
xuma
/xu.ma/
Dog
wazu
/wa.zu/
Cat
—
/—/
Eat
mekan
/mə.kan/
Drink
mimaazip
/mi.maː.zip/
One
adang
/a.daŋ/
Two
dusa
/dusa/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
—
/—/
Sources
- Li, Paul Jen-kuei & Shigeru Tsuchida (2001/2002) Pazih Dictionary. Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica, Taipei.
- Li, Paul Jen-kuei & Shigeru Tsuchida (2002) Pazih Texts and Songs. Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica.
- Lin Ying-chin (2000) A Reference Grammar of Pazih. Academia Sinica.
- Glottolog: Kulon-Pazeh
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Formosan, Western Plains) languages
| Meaning | Pazeh | Proto-Austronesian | Babuza (Favorlang) | Kavalan | Bukar-Sadong Bidayuh | Old Malay | Bunun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | dalum /da.lum/ | *daNum /daNum/ | zalum /zalum/ | zanum /zaˈnum/ | piin /piːn/ | ayar /ajar/ | danum /danum/ |
| Fire | hapuy /ha.puj/ | *Sapuy /Sapuy/ | apoi /apoi/ | ramaz /raˈmaz/ | apui /aˈpui/ | api /api/ | sapuz /sapuz/ |
| Sun | rizax /ɾi.zax/ | *waRi /waRi/ | — /—/ | siban /siˈban/ | biduh /biˈduh/ | matari /matari/ | vali /vali/ |
| Moon | ilas /i.las/ | *bulaN /bulaN/ | zilias /siliəs/ | buran /buˈran/ | bulan /buˈlan/ | bulan /bulan/ | buan /buan/ |
| Star | mintol /mintol/ | *bituqen /bituqen/ | botto /botːo/ | bituqan /bituqan/ | bitun /bitun/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintuhan /bintuhan/ |
| Mother | ina /i.na/ | *ina /ina/ | tina /tina/ | tina /ˈtina/ | sindo /sinˈdoʔ/ | ibu /ibu/ | tina /tina/ |
| Father | aba /a.ba/ | *ama /ama/ | tama /tama/ | tama /ˈtama/ | samah /saˈmah/ | bapa /bapa/ | tama /tama/ |
| I | yaku /jaku/ | *aku /aku/ | ka-ina /kaina/ | aiku /aiku/ | aku /aku/ | aku /aku/ | saikin /saikin/ |
| You | isiu /isiu/ | *iSu /iSu/ | ijo /ijo/ | aisu /aisu/ | muh /muh/ | kamu /kamu/ | suu /suʔu/ |
| Name | ngadan /ŋadan/ | *ŋajan /ŋajan/ | naan /naːn/ | nangan /naŋan/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ | ngaan /ŋaan/ |
| Eye | daurik /da.u.ɾik/ | *maCa /maCa/ | macha /matʃa/ | mata /maˈta/ | bateh /baˈteh/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | rima /ɾi.ma/ | *lima /lima/ | rima /rima/ | rima /riˈma/ | təŋən /tə̆ˈŋən/ | tangan /taŋan/ | ima /ima/ |
| Heart | baga /ba.ɡa/ | *pusuq /pusuq/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | hati /hati/ | is-ang /isaŋ/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | madaidaz /madaidaz/ |
| Tree | kahuy /ka.huj/ | *kaSiw /kaSiw/ | kayu /kaju/ | kasuy /kaˈsuj/ | kayuh /kaˈjuh/ | kayu /kaju/ | kahu /kahu/ |
| House | xuma /xu.ma/ | *Rumaq /Rumaq/ | ruma /ruma/ | lepaw /ləˈpaw/ | ramin /raˈmin/ | rumah /rumah/ | lumaq /lumaq/ |
| Dog | wazu /wa.zu/ | *asu /asu/ | asu /asu/ | wasu /waˈsu/ | kaso /kaˈsoʔ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | asu /asu/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | ngiyaw /ŋiˈjaw/ | — /—/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | ngingiyaw /ŋiŋijaw/ |
| Eat | mekan /mə.kan/ | *kaen /kaen/ | maan /maːn/ | quman /quˈman/ | kuman /kuˈman/ | makan /makan/ | maun /maun/ |
| Drink | mimaazip /mi.maː.zip/ | *inum /inum/ | minum /minum/ | mimum /miˈmum/ | ŋinum /ŋiˈnum/ | minum /minum/ | muqun /muqun/ |
| One | adang /a.daŋ/ | *isa /isa/ | nata /nata/ | issa /ˈissa/ | isaʔ /iˈsaʔ/ | sa /sa/ | tasa /tasa/ |
| Two | dusa /dusa/ | *duSa /duSa/ | naroa /naroa/ | zusa /zusa/ | duɔh /duɔh/ | dua /dua/ | dusa /dusa/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ |
| Good | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | biis /biːs/ | baik /baik/ | masial /masial/ |
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