Tayal
Atayal
Austronesian (Atayalic)
Atayal (Tayal) is the principal Northern Formosan language of mountainous northern Taiwan, spoken by ~85K with ~10K daily L1 users. Recognized as one of Taiwan's 16 indigenous Austronesian languages. Two main dialects: Squliq (more conservative, basis of standard) and C'uli'. Notable for facial-tattoo (ptasan) tradition marking adulthood (banned by Japanese colonial administration 1913). The reduplicative-rich verbal morphology and Austronesian focus-marking system of Atayal are central evidence in Formosan-as-homeland hypotheses.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Atayal
Water
qsya'
/qsijaʔ/
Fire
puniq
/puniq/
Sun
wagi'
/waɡiʔ/
Moon
byacing
/bjatʃiŋ/
Star
pintuxan
/pintuxan/
Mother
yaya'
/jajaʔ/
Father
yaba'
/jabaʔ/
I
kuzing
/kuziŋ/
You
isu'
/ʔisuʔ/
Name
lalu'
/laluʔ/
Eye
roziq
/roziq/
Hand
qba'
/qbaʔ/
Heart
nyux
/njux/
Love
kmalu inlungan
/kmalu inluŋan/
Tree
qhuniq
/qhuniq/
House
ngasal
/ŋasal/
Dog
huzil
/huzil/
Cat
ngiyaw
/ŋijaw/
Eat
maniq
/maniq/
Drink
mqwalax
/mqwalax/
One
qutux
/qutux/
Two
sazing
/saziŋ/
Hello
lokah
/lokah/
Thank you
mhuway
/mhuwaj/
Good
blaq
/blaq/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Atayalic) languages
| Meaning | Atayal | Truku/Seediq | Bunun | Kaqchikel | Iban | North Moluccan Malay | Patani Malay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | qsya' /qsijaʔ/ | qsiya /qsija/ | danum /danum/ | yaʼ /jaʔ/ | ai /ai/ | aer /aer/ | ayé /ajeʔ/ |
| Fire | puniq /puniq/ | puniq /puniq/ | sapuz /sapuz/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | wagi' /waɡiʔ/ | hidaw /hidaw/ | vali /vali/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | mata-ari /mataari/ | matahari /matahari/ | matari /mataʁe/ |
| Moon | byacing /bjatʃiŋ/ | idas /idas/ | buan /buan/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulé /buleʔ/ |
| Star | pintuxan /pintuxan/ | pngrah /pŋərah/ | bintuhan /bintuhan/ | chʼumil /tʃʼumil/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintae /bintɛ/ |
| Mother | yaya' /jajaʔ/ | bubu /bubu/ | tina /tina/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | indai /indai/ | mama /mama/ | emak /əmaʔ/ |
| Father | yaba' /jabaʔ/ | tama /tama/ | tama /tama/ | tataʼ /tataʔ/ | apai /apai/ | papa /papa/ | aboh /aboh/ |
| I | kuzing /kuziŋ/ | yaku /jaku/ | saikin /saikin/ | rïn /rɨn/ | aku /aku/ | kita /kita/ | kawe /kawɛ/ |
| You | isu' /ʔisuʔ/ | isu /ʔisu/ | suu /suʔu/ | rat /rat/ | nuan /nuan/ | ngana /ŋana/ | mu /mu/ |
| Name | lalu' /laluʔ/ | hangan /haŋan/ | ngaan /ŋaan/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | nama /nama/ | nama /nama/ | namo /namɔ/ |
| Eye | roziq /roziq/ | dowriq /dowriq/ | mata /mata/ | bʼaqʼ wach /ɓaqʼ watʃ/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mato /mato/ |
| Hand | qba' /qbaʔ/ | baga /baɡa/ | ima /ima/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | jari /dʒari/ | tangang /taŋaŋ/ | tagae /taŋajɛ/ |
| Heart | nyux /njux/ | lnglungan /lŋluŋan/ | is-ang /isaŋ/ | k'u'x /kʼuʔʃ/ | ati /ati/ | hati /hati/ | ati /ati/ |
| Love | kmalu inlungan /kmalu inluŋan/ | gmalu /ɡmalu/ | madaidaz /madaidaz/ | ajowabʼäl /axowaɓəl/ | rinduai /rinduai/ | cinta /tʃinta/ | cinto /tʃinto/ |
| Tree | qhuniq /qhuniq/ | qhuni /qhuni/ | kahu /kahu/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | kayu /kaju/ | pohong /pohoŋ/ | pokok /pokoʔ/ |
| House | ngasal /ŋasal/ | sapah /sapah/ | lumaq /lumaq/ | jay /xaj/ | rumah /rumah/ | ruma /ruma/ | rumoh /rumoh/ |
| Dog | huzil /huzil/ | huling /huliŋ/ | asu /asu/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | ukui /ukui/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjeng /andʒeŋ/ |
| Cat | ngiyaw /ŋijaw/ | ngiyaw /ŋijaw/ | ngingiyaw /ŋiŋijaw/ | mes /mes/ | mayau /majau/ | ikung /ikuŋ/ | kuche /kutʃeʔ/ |
| Eat | maniq /maniq/ | meekan /meekan/ | maun /maun/ | waʼin /waʔin/ | makai /makai/ | makang /makaŋ/ | makae /makajɛ/ |
| Drink | mqwalax /mqwalax/ | mimah /mimah/ | muqun /muqun/ | kumun /kumun/ | ngirup /ŋirup/ | minong /minoŋ/ | minon /minon/ |
| One | qutux /qutux/ | kingal /kiŋal/ | tasa /tasa/ | jun /xun/ | satu /satu/ | satu /satu/ | satu /satu/ |
| Two | sazing /saziŋ/ | dha /daha/ | dusa /dusa/ | kaʼiʼ /kaʔiʔ/ | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ | duo /duɔ/ |
| Hello | lokah /lokah/ | malu /malu/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ | utz iwäch /uts iwætʃ/ | salam /salam/ | cerang /tʃeraŋ/ | nyaman ka /ɲaman ka/ |
| Thank you | mhuway /mhuwaj/ | mhuway /mhuwaj/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ | matyox /matjoʃ/ | terima kasih /terima kasih/ | tarima kase /tarima kase/ | terimo kasih /tərimo kaseh/ |
| Good | blaq /blaq/ | malu /malu/ | masial /masial/ | utz /uts/ | manah /manah/ | bae /bae/ | baghuh /baɣuh/ |
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