Formosan languages

From Free net encyclopedia

The Formosan languages are the aboriginal Austronesian languages of Formosa (mainland Taiwan). They are spoken by 2% of the population. The Formosan languages do not form a single group, but rather comprise several primary branches of Austronesian. There are around 20 Formosan languages known, a number of them already extinct.

[edit]

Formosan languages

For classification, see Austronesian languages.

Atayalic languages: Atayal, Taroko
Bunun
Amis: Amis, Nataoran Amis
Basay
Kavalan
Siraya
Paiwan
Papora
Pazeh
Saisiyat
Puyuma
Rukai
Tsouic languages: Tsou, Saaroa, Kanakanabu
Babuza
Thao
Ketangalan

The Taiwanese aboriginals have probably been living on Formosa for at least 4000 to 5000 years. People of Chinese origin started to migrate to the island from circa 1650 on. They spoke dialects of Hakka and Southern Min. From 1895 till 1945, the island was occupied by the Japanese, and afterwards a second influence of speakers of Mandarin-Chinese began.

Most Formosan languages were to a greater or lesser extent influenced by all these languages and especially by Japanese. Nowadays, all Formosan languages are slowly being replaced by the culturally dominant Mandarin-Chinese, but in the last decades the Taiwanese government started an aboriginal reappreciation program that included the reintroduction of Formosan mother tongue education in Taiwanese schools.

[edit]