Sakizaya
Austronesian
Sakizaya is an Austronesian Formosan language of the East Formosan branch, recognized as Taiwan's 13th official aboriginal nation in 2007 after centuries of being classified within Amis (ami). The Sakizaya are the descendants of survivors of the 1878 Takobowan Massacre, when Qing forces destroyed the historic Takobowan settlement on the Hualien plain; survivors merged with Amis communities, resulting in the Sakizaya identity being linguistically and ethnically subsumed for ~125 years. The 2007 recognition came after sustained community advocacy, with the Sakizaya cultural revitalization through the annual Palamal harvest ceremony. Sakizaya retains distinct phonological features from Amis (vowel system, certain consonants) and unique vocabulary.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Sakizaya
Water
nanum
/nanum/
Fire
lamal
/lamal/
Sun
cidal
/tʃidal/
Moon
bulad
/bulad/
Star
bo'is
/boʔis/
Mother
ina
/ina/
Father
ama
/ama/
I
zaku
/ʐaku/
You
kisu
/kisu/
Name
ngangan
/ŋaŋan/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hand
kamay
/kamai/
Heart
gawang
/ɡawaŋ/
Love
maolah
/maolah/
Tree
kilang
/kilaŋ/
House
luma
/luma/
Dog
waco
/watʃo/
Cat
posi
/posi/
Eat
hekal
/hekal/
Drink
mihecak
/mihetʃak/
One
cacay
/tʃatʃai/
Two
tusa
/tusa/
Hello
marayas
/maɾajas/
Thank you
lalumahan
/lalumahan/
Good
kapah
/kapah/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian languages
| Meaning | Sakizaya | Amis | Thao | Puyuma | Bunun | Maranao | Old Tagalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nanum /nanum/ | nanom /nanom/ | nanum /nanum/ | enay /enai/ | danum /danum/ | ig /iɡ/ | ᜆᜓᜊᜒᜄ᜔ /tubiɡ/ |
| Fire | lamal /lamal/ | namal /namal/ | apuy /apuj/ | apuy /apui/ | sapuz /sapuz/ | apoy /apoj/ | ᜀᜉᜓᜌ᜔ /apuj/ |
| Sun | cidal /tʃidal/ | cidal /tsiðal/ | fitulha /fituʎa/ | kadaw /kadaw/ | vali /vali/ | alongan /aloŋan/ | ᜀᜇᜏ᜔ /araw/ |
| Moon | bulad /bulad/ | folad /folað/ | furaz /fuɾað/ | bulan /buɭan/ | buan /buan/ | bolan /bolan/ | ᜊᜓᜏᜈ᜔ /buwan/ |
| Star | bo'is /boʔis/ | fo'is /foʔis/ | fitu'ish /fituʔiʃ/ | vituwan /vituwan/ | bintuhan /bintuhan/ | bito-on /bitoʔon/ | ᜊᜒᜆᜓᜁᜈ᜔ /bituʔin/ |
| Mother | ina /ina/ | ina /ina/ | ina /ina/ | ina /ina/ | tina /tina/ | ina /ina/ | ᜁᜈ /ina/ |
| Father | ama /ama/ | ama /ama/ | ama /ama/ | ama /ama/ | tama /tama/ | ama /ama/ | ᜀᜋ /ama/ |
| I | zaku /ʐaku/ | kako /kako/ | yaku /jaku/ | kuiku /kuiku/ | saikin /saikin/ | ako /ako/ | ᜀᜃᜓ /ako/ |
| You | kisu /kisu/ | kiso /kiso/ | ihu /ʔihu/ | yu /ju/ | suu /suʔu/ | seka /sɵka/ | ᜁᜃᜏ᜔ /ikaw/ |
| Name | ngangan /ŋaŋan/ | ngangan /ŋaŋan/ | tanan /tanan/ | ngadan /ŋadan/ | ngaan /ŋaan/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ | ᜅᜎᜈ᜔ /ŋalan/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | maca /maθa/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | ᜋᜆ /mata/ |
| Hand | kamay /kamai/ | kamay /kamaj/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | ima /ima/ | lima /lima/ | ᜃᜋᜌ᜔ /kamaj/ |
| Heart | gawang /ɡawaŋ/ | faloko' /falokoʔ/ | putul /putul/ | kalumetan /kalumetan/ | is-ang /isaŋ/ | pusoʔ /pusoʔ/ | ᜉᜓᜐᜓ /puso/ |
| Love | maolah /maolah/ | maolah /maolah/ | suka /suka/ | ulaw /ulaw/ | madaidaz /madaidaz/ | kalimo /kalimo/ | ᜁᜊᜒᜄ᜔ /ibiɡ/ |
| Tree | kilang /kilaŋ/ | kilang /kilaŋ/ | lhalum /ʎalum/ | kawi /kawi/ | kahu /kahu/ | kayo /kajo/ | ᜃᜑᜓᜌ᜔ /kahoj/ |
| House | luma /luma/ | loma' /lomaʔ/ | kayan /kajan/ | ruma /ɾuma/ | lumaq /lumaq/ | walay /walaj/ | ᜊᜑᜌ᜔ /bahaj/ |
| Dog | waco /watʃo/ | wacu /watsu/ | atu /atu/ | suwan /suwan/ | asu /asu/ | aso /aso/ | ᜀᜐᜓ /aso/ |
| Cat | posi /posi/ | posi /posi/ | posi /posi/ | kating /katiŋ/ | ngingiyaw /ŋiŋijaw/ | pusa /pusa/ | ᜉᜓᜐ /pusa/ |
| Eat | hekal /hekal/ | komaen /komaən/ | kuman /kuman/ | kuman /kuman/ | maun /maun/ | mangan /maŋan/ | ᜃᜁᜈ᜔ /kain/ |
| Drink | mihecak /mihetʃak/ | minom /minom/ | naqayan /naqajan/ | enpa /enpa/ | muqun /muqun/ | minom /minom/ | ᜁᜈᜓᜋ᜔ /inom/ |
| One | cacay /tʃatʃai/ | cecay /tsetsaj/ | tata /tata/ | sa /sa/ | tasa /tasa/ | isa /isa/ | ᜁᜐ /isa/ |
| Two | tusa /tusa/ | tosa /tosaʔ/ | tusha /tuʃa/ | zua /ʐua/ | dusa /dusa/ | dowa /dowa/ | ᜇᜎᜏ /dalaˈwa/ |
| Hello | marayas /maɾajas/ | nga'ay ho /ŋaʔaj ho/ | ya /ja/ | marayas /maɾajas/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ | kapian /kapijan/ | ᜋᜊᜓᜑᜌ᜔ /mabuhaj/ |
| Thank you | lalumahan /lalumahan/ | aray /araj/ | mihu /mihu/ | kasapakan /kasapakan/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ | salamat /salamat/ | ᜐᜎᜋᜆ᜔ /salamat/ |
| Good | kapah /kapah/ | kapah /kapah/ | kapah /kapah/ | mauruway /mauɾuwai/ | masial /masial/ | mapia /mapija/ | ᜋᜊᜓᜆᜒ /mabuti/ |
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