Cou
Tsou
Austronesian (Tsouic)
Tsou (Cou) is one of the most endangered recognized Formosan languages of Taiwan, spoken in the Alishan mountain area of Chiayi County. Six vowel system (i, e, a, o, u plus high central ɯ). Highly elaborate focus system with four voices, marked on the verb. Famous for the historic Mayasvi tribal ceremony. Severely endangered with about 4,000 speakers, ~2,000 daily L1.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Tsou
Water
chumu
/tsumu/
Fire
puzu
/ˈpuzu/
Sun
hie
/hie/
Moon
feohʉ
/feohɨ/
Star
congroha
/tsoŋroxa/
Mother
ino
/ino/
Father
amo
/amo/
I
a'o
/aʔo/
You
suu
/suʔu/
Name
ongko
/oŋko/
Eye
mcoo
/mtsoo/
Hand
mucu
/mutsu/
Heart
yofu
/jofu/
Love
yainca
/jaintsa/
Tree
evi
/evi/
House
emoo
/emoo/
Dog
avo'u
/avoʔu/
Cat
ngiao
/ŋiao/
Eat
bonu
/bonu/
Drink
'umnu
/ʔumnu/
One
cone
/tsone/
Two
yuso
/juso/
Hello
yokeoasu
/jokeoasu/
Thank you
aveoveoyu
/aveoveoju/
Good
'aem'aemo
/ʔaemʔaemo/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Tsouic) languages
| Meaning | Tsou | Bunun | Paiwan | Nias | Tetum | Cia-Cia | Mandar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | chumu /tsumu/ | danum /danum/ | zaljum /zaɭum/ | idanö /idanø/ | bee /beː/ | we'e /weʔe/ | uai /uai/ |
| Fire | puzu /ˈpuzu/ | sapuz /sapuz/ | sapuy /sapui/ | alitö /aˈlitɤ/ | ahi /ahi/ | api /api/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | hie /hie/ | vali /vali/ | qadaw /qadaw/ | luo /luo/ | loron /loɾon/ | holeo /holeo/ | mata allo /mata alːo/ |
| Moon | feohʉ /feohɨ/ | buan /buan/ | qiljas /qiɭas/ | bawa /bawa/ | fulan /fulan/ | wula /wula/ | bulang /bulaŋ/ |
| Star | congroha /tsoŋroxa/ | bintuhan /bintuhan/ | vituqan /vituqan/ | döfi /døfi/ | fitun /ˈfitun/ | wicuko /witʃuko/ | bittoeng /bittoeŋ/ |
| Mother | ino /ino/ | tina /tina/ | kina /kina/ | ina /ina/ | inan /inan/ | ina /ina/ | indo /indo/ |
| Father | amo /amo/ | tama /tama/ | kama /kama/ | amada /amada/ | aman /aman/ | ama /ama/ | ama /ama/ |
| I | a'o /aʔo/ | saikin /saikin/ | tiaken /tiakən/ | ya'o /jaʔo/ | ha'u /haʔu/ | indau /indau/ | iyau /ijau/ |
| You | suu /suʔu/ | suu /suʔu/ | sun /sun/ | ya'ugö /jaʔugø/ | ó /ɔ/ | iso'o /isoʔo/ | io /iʔo/ |
| Name | ongko /oŋko/ | ngaan /ŋaan/ | ngadan /ŋadan/ | döi /døi/ | naran /ˈnaran/ | ngea /ŋea/ | sanga /saŋa/ |
| Eye | mcoo /mtsoo/ | mata /mata/ | maca /matsa/ | hörö /høɾø/ | matan /matan/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | mucu /mutsu/ | ima /ima/ | lima /lima/ | tanga /taŋa/ | liman /liman/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ |
| Heart | yofu /jofu/ | is-ang /isaŋ/ | varung /vaɾuŋ/ | tödö /tødø/ | fuan /fuan/ | lalo /lalo/ | ate /ate/ |
| Love | yainca /jaintsa/ | madaidaz /madaidaz/ | nasaqaqa /nasaqaqa/ | fa'omasi /faʔomasi/ | domin /domin/ | pe'elu /peʔelu/ | mappinawa /mapːinawa/ |
| Tree | evi /evi/ | kahu /kahu/ | kasiw /kasiw/ | eu /eu/ | ai /ai/ | sau /sau/ | kaju /kaju/ |
| House | emoo /emoo/ | lumaq /lumaq/ | umaq /umaq/ | omo /omo/ | uma /uma/ | ka'ana /kaʔana/ | boyang /bojaŋ/ |
| Dog | avo'u /avoʔu/ | asu /asu/ | vatu /vatu/ | asu /asu/ | asu /asu/ | au /au/ | asu /asu/ |
| Cat | ngiao /ŋiao/ | ngingiyaw /ŋiŋijaw/ | ngiaw /ŋiaw/ | mao /mao/ | busa /busa/ | mbuta /mbuta/ | mio /mio/ |
| Eat | bonu /bonu/ | maun /maun/ | keman /kəman/ | manga /maŋa/ | han /han/ | ma'a /maʔa/ | ma'ande /maʔande/ |
| Drink | 'umnu /ʔumnu/ | muqun /muqun/ | temekel /təməkəl/ | badu /badu/ | hemu /hemu/ | poroku /poroku/ | minung /minuŋ/ |
| One | cone /tsone/ | tasa /tasa/ | ita /ita/ | sara /saɾa/ | ida /ida/ | ise /ise/ | mesa /mesa/ |
| Two | yuso /juso/ | dusa /dusa/ | drusa /ɖusa/ | dua /dua/ | rua /ˈrua/ | rua /rua/ | dua /dua/ |
| Hello | yokeoasu /jokeoasu/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ | masalu /masalu/ | ya'ahowu /jaʔahowu/ | bondia /bondia/ | Assalamu'alaikum /asalamu ʔalaikum/ | salama' ma'ondong /salamaʔ maʔondoŋ/ |
| Thank you | aveoveoyu /aveoveoju/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ | masalu /masalu/ | saohagölö /saohaɡølø/ | obrigadu /obɾiɡadu/ | tarima kasi /tarima kasi/ | kuru' sumanga' /kuɾuʔ sumaŋaʔ/ |
| Good | 'aem'aemo /ʔaemʔaemo/ | masial /masial/ | nguanguaq /ŋuaŋuaq/ | sökhi /søkʰi/ | di'ak /diʔak/ | umela /umela/ | macoa /matʃoa/ |
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