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
20 core words in Tsou
Water
chumu
/tsumu/
Fire
poepe
/poepe/
Sun
hie
/hie/
Moon
yum'au
/jumʔau/
Mother
ino
/ino/
Father
amo
/amo/
Eat
bonu
/bonu/
Drink
'umnu
/ʔumnu/
Love
yainca
/jaintsa/
Heart
yofu
/jofu/
Tree
evi
/evi/
House
emoo
/emoo/
Dog
avo'u
/avoʔu/
Cat
ngiao
/ŋiao/
Hand
muu
/muu/
Eye
maso
/maso/
Hello
yokeoasu
/jokeoasu/
Thank you
aveoveoyu
/aveoveoju/
One
cone
/tsone/
Good
'aem'aemo
/ʔaemʔaemo/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Tsouic) languages
| Meaning | Tsou | Paiwan | Tetum | Thao | Mandar | Toraja-Sa'dan | Bunun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | chumu /tsumu/ | zaljum /zaɭum/ | bee /beː/ | nanum /nanum/ | uai /uai/ | uai /uai/ | danum /danum/ |
| Fire | poepe /poepe/ | sapuy /sapui/ | ahi /ahi/ | azpu /azpu/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | sapuz /sapuz/ |
| Sun | hie /hie/ | qadaw /qadaw/ | loron /loɾon/ | fitulha /fituʎa/ | mata allo /mata alːo/ | mata allo /mataʔalːo/ | vali /vali/ |
| Moon | yum'au /jumʔau/ | qiljas /qiɭas/ | fulan /fulan/ | lhmiat /ʎmiat/ | bulang /bulaŋ/ | bulan /bulan/ | buan /buan/ |
| Mother | ino /ino/ | kina /kina/ | inan /inan/ | ina /ina/ | indo /indo/ | indo /indo/ | tina /tina/ |
| Father | amo /amo/ | kama /kama/ | aman /aman/ | ama /ama/ | ama /ama/ | ambe /ambe/ | tama /tama/ |
| Eat | bonu /bonu/ | keman /kəman/ | han /han/ | kuman /kuman/ | ma'ande /maʔande/ | kumande /kumande/ | maun /maun/ |
| Drink | 'umnu /ʔumnu/ | temekel /təməkəl/ | hemu /hemu/ | naqayan /naqajan/ | minung /minuŋ/ | ma'iru /maʔiru/ | muqun /muqun/ |
| Love | yainca /jaintsa/ | nasaqaqa /nasaqaqa/ | domin /domin/ | suka /suka/ | mappinawa /mapːinawa/ | ma'pa'iya /maʔpaʔija/ | madaidaz /madaidaz/ |
| Heart | yofu /jofu/ | varung /vaɾuŋ/ | fuan /fuan/ | putul /putul/ | ate /ate/ | penaa /penaː/ | is-ang /isaŋ/ |
| Tree | evi /evi/ | kasiw /kasiw/ | ai /ai/ | lhalum /ʎalum/ | kaju /kaju/ | kayu /kaju/ | kahu /kahu/ |
| House | emoo /emoo/ | umaq /umaq/ | uma /uma/ | kayan /kajan/ | boyang /bojaŋ/ | banua /banua/ | lumaq /lumaq/ |
| Dog | avo'u /avoʔu/ | vatu /vatu/ | asu /asu/ | atu /atu/ | asu /asu/ | asu /asu/ | asu /asu/ |
| Cat | ngiao /ŋiao/ | ngiaw /ŋiaw/ | busa /busa/ | posi /posi/ | mio /mio/ | serre /serːe/ | ngingiyaw /ŋiŋijaw/ |
| Hand | muu /muu/ | lima /lima/ | liman /liman/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | ima /ima/ |
| Eye | maso /maso/ | maca /matsa/ | matan /matan/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | yokeoasu /jokeoasu/ | masalu /masalu/ | bondia /bondia/ | ya /ja/ | salama' ma'ondong /salamaʔ maʔondoŋ/ | tabe /tabe/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ |
| Thank you | aveoveoyu /aveoveoju/ | masalu /masalu/ | obrigadu /obɾiɡadu/ | mihu /mihu/ | kuru' sumanga' /kuɾuʔ sumaŋaʔ/ | kurre sumanga' /kurːe sumaŋaʔ/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ |
| One | cone /tsone/ | ita /ita/ | ida /ida/ | tata /tata/ | mesa /mesa/ | mesa /mesa/ | tasa /tasa/ |
| Good | 'aem'aemo /ʔaemʔaemo/ | nguanguaq /ŋuaŋuaq/ | di'ak /diʔak/ | kapah /kapah/ | macoa /matʃoa/ | melo /melo/ | masial /masial/ |
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