Writing systems of Formosan languages
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The writing systems of the Formosan languages are Latin-based alphabets. Currently, 16 languages (45 dialects) have been regulated. The alphabet was made official in 2005.
History
The Sinckan Manuscripts are one of the earliest written materials of several Formosan languages, including Siraya. This writing system was developed by Dutch missionaries in the period of Dutch rule (1624–1662).
After 1947, with the need for translation of Bible, Latin scripts for Bunun, Paiwan, Taroko, Atayal, and Amis were created.{{Cite thesis |last=Li |first=Taiyuan 李台元 |title=Táiwān yuánzhù mínzú yǔyán de shūmiàn huà lìchéng |date=2013 |degree=Doctoral dissertation |publisher=Guoli Zhengzhi Daxue |url=https://www.ntl.edu.tw/public/ntl/4216/%E6%9D%8E%E5%8F%B0%E5%85%83%E5%85%A8%E6%96%87.pdf |language=zh |script-title=zh:台灣原住民族語言的書面化歷程 |trans-title=The Literation of Taiwanese Aboriginal Languages |via=National Taiwan Library}} Currently, all 16 Formosan languages are written with similar systems. The Pe̍h-ōe-jī of Taiwanese Hokkien{{Cite thesis |last=Chen |first=Muzhen 陳慕真 |title=Báihuà zì de qǐyuán yǔ zài Táiwān de fāzhǎn |date=2015 |degree=Doctoral dissertation |publisher=Guoli Taiwan Shifan Daxue |url=https://www.ntl.edu.tw/public/ntl/4216/%E9%99%B3%E6%85%95%E7%9C%9F%E5%85%A8%E6%96%87.pdf |language=zh |script-title=zh:白話字的起源與在台灣的發展 |trans-title=The Origins of Pe̍h-ōe-jī and Its Development in Taiwan |via=National Taiwan Library}} and Pha̍k-fa-sṳ of Taiwanese Hakka were also created with by the western missionaries.
In 2005, standardized writing systems for the languages of Taiwan's 16 recognized indigenous peoples were established by the government.{{Citation |last=Jiaoyubu |title=Yuánzhù mínzú yǔyán shūxiě xìtǒng |date=2005 |url=http://ilrdc.tw/research/rwview/rwsystem.php |language=zh |author-link=Ministry of Education |script-title=zh:原住民族語言書寫系統}}
Alphabets
The table shows how the letters and symbols are used to denote sounds in the 16 officially recognized Formosan languages.
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! | a | ae | b | c | d | dh | dj | dr | e | é | f | g | h | hl | i | ɨ | j | k | l | lh | lj | lr | m | n | ng | o | oe | p | q | R | r | ṟ | S | s | sh | t | th | tj | tr | u | ʉ | v | w | x | y | z | ' | ^ |
Amis
|a|| || ||t͡s||d, ð, ɬ|| || || ||e|| ||b, f, v|| ||ħ|| ||i|| || ||k||ɾ|| || || ||m||n |ŋ||o|| ||p|| || ||r|| || ||s|| ||t|| || || ||u|| || ||w||x||j|| ||ʡ||ʔ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atayal
|a|| ||β, v||t͡s|| || || || ||e|| || ||ɣ||h|| ||i|| || ||k||l|| || || ||m||n |ŋ||o|| ||p||q|| ||r||ɾ|| ||s|| ||t|| || || ||u|| || ||w||x||j||z||ʔ|| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bunun
|a|| ||b||t͡s, t͡ɕ||d|| || || ||e, ə|| || || ||x, χ|| ||i|| || ||k||l, ɬ|| || || ||m||n |ŋ||o|| ||p||q|| || || || ||s|| ||t|| || || ||u|| ||v|| || || ||ð||ʔ|| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kanakanavu
|a|| || ||t͡s|| || || || ||e|| || || || || ||i|| || ||k|| || || || ||m||n |ŋ||o|| ||p|| || ||ɾ|| || ||s|| ||t|| || || ||u||ɨ||v|| || || || ||ʔ|| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kavalan
|a|| ||b|| ||ɮ|| || || ||ə|| || || ||h|| ||i|| || ||k||ɾ|| || || ||m||n |ŋ||o|| ||p||q||ʁ|| || || ||s|| ||t|| || || ||u|| || ||w|| ||j||z||ʔ|| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Paiwan
|a|| ||b||t͡s||d|| ||ɟ||ɖ||e|| || ||g||h|| ||i|| || ||k||ɭ|| ||ʎ|| ||m||n |ŋ|| || ||p||q|| ||r|| || ||s|| ||t|| ||c|| ||u|| ||v||w|| ||j||z||ʔ|| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Puyuma
|a|| ||b||t͡s||d|| || ||ɖ||ə|| || ||g||h|| ||i|| || ||k||ɭ|| || ||ɮ||m||n |ŋ|| || ||p|| || ||r|| || ||s|| ||t|| || ||ʈ||u|| ||v||w|| ||j||z||ʔ|| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rukai
|a|| ||b||t͡s||d||ð|| ||ɖ||ə||e|| ||g||h|| ||i||ɨ|| ||k||l|| || ||ɭ||m||n |ŋ||o|| ||p|| || ||r|| || ||s|| ||t||θ|| ||ʈ||u|| ||v||w|| ||j||z||ʔ|| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Saaroa
|a|| || ||t͡s|| || || || || || || || || ||ɬ||i|| || ||k||ɾ|| || || ||m||n |ŋ|| || ||p|| || ||r|| || ||s|| ||t|| || || ||u||ɨ||v|| || || || ||ʔ|| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Saisiyat
|a||æ||β|| || || || || ||ə|| || || ||h|| ||i|| || ||k||l|| || || ||m||n |ŋ||o||œ||p|| || ||r|| ||ʃ||s, θ|| ||t|| || || || || || ||w|| ||j||z, ð||ʔ|| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sakizaya
|a|| ||b||t͡s||d, ð, ɬ|| || || ||ə|| || || ||ħ|| ||i|| || ||k||ɾ|| || || ||m||n |ŋ||o|| ||p|| || || || || ||s|| ||t|| || || ||u|| || ||w|| ||j||z||ʡ|| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Seediq
|a|| ||b||t͡s||d|| || || ||e, ə|| || ||g||ħ|| ||i|| ||ɟ||k||l|| || || ||m||n |ŋ||o|| ||p||q|| ||r|| || ||s|| ||t|| || || ||u|| || ||w||x||j|| || || | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Taroko
|a|| ||b||t͡ɕ||d|| || || ||ə|| || ||ɣ||ħ|| ||i|| ||ɟ||k||ɮ|| || || ||m||n |ŋ||o|| ||p||q|| ||ɾ|| || ||s|| ||t|| || || ||u|| || ||w||x||j|| || || | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thao
|a|| ||b|| ||d|| || || || || ||ɸ|| ||h|| ||i|| || ||k||l||ɬ|| || ||m||n |ŋ|| || ||p||q|| ||r|| || ||s||ʃ||t||θ|| || ||u|| || ||β, w|| ||j||ð||ʔ|| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tsou
|a|| ||ɓ||t͡s|| || || || ||e|| ||f|| ||x|| ||i|| || ||k||ɗ|| || || ||m||n |ŋ||o|| ||p|| || || || || ||s|| ||t|| || || ||u|| ||v|| ||ɨ||j||z||ʔ|| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Yami
|a|| ||b||t͡s, t͡ɕ||ɖ|| || || ||ə|| || ||g||ɰ|| ||i|| ||d͡ʒ, d͡ʝ||k||l|| || || ||m||n |ŋ||o, u|| ||p|| || ||ɻ|| || ||ʂ|| ||t|| || || || || ||f||w|| ||j||r||ʔ|| |
Spelling rules
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Revision
Revision of the alphabets is under discussion. The table below is a summary of the proposals and decisions (made by the indigenous peoples and linguists).{{Citation |last=Yuanzhu minzu yuyan yanjiu fazhan zhongxin yu fa zhongxin |title=105 Nián 'jiǎnshì yuánzhù mínzú yǔyán shūxiě fúhào xìtǒng'yán jiù bàogào |date=2016 |url=http://ilrdc.tw/achievement/2016_view/pdf/%E6%AA%A2%E8%A6%96%E5%8E%9F%E4%BD%8F%E6%B0%91%E6%97%8F%E8%AA%9E%E8%A8%80%E6%9B%B8%E5%AF%AB%E7%AC%A6%E8%99%9F%E7%B3%BB%E7%B5%B1%E5%A0%B1%E5%91%8A(20161219).pdf |author-mask=Yuanzhu minzu yuyan yanjiu fazhan zhongxin yu fa zhongxin 原住民族語言研究發展中心 語發中心 |language=zh |script-title=zh:105年 「檢視原住民族語言書寫符號系統」研究報告}} National Taiwan University.{{Citation |last=Yuanzhu minzu yuyan yanjiu fazhan zhongxin yu fa zhongxin |title=Yuánzhù mínzú yǔyán shūxiě xìtǒng jiànyì xiūzhèng bǎnběn bàogào |date=2017 |url=http://ilrdc.tw/achievement/106_write/pdf/106%E5%B9%B4%E5%8E%9F%E4%BD%8F%E6%B0%91%E6%97%8F%E8%AA%9E%E8%A8%80%E6%9B%B8%E5%AF%AB%E7%AC%A6%E8%99%9F%E7%B3%BB%E7%B5%B1%E5%BB%BA%E8%AD%B0%E4%BF%AE%E6%AD%A3%E7%89%88%E6%9C%AC%E5%A0%B1%E5%91%8A-%E7%B6%B2%E8%B7%AF%E7%89%88.pdf |author-mask=Yuanzhu minzu yuyan yanjiu fazhan zhongxin yu fa zhongxin 原住民族語言研究發展中心 語發中心 |language=zh |script-title=zh:原住民族語言書寫系統建議修正版本報告}} Revised January 2018.{{Citation |last=Yuanzhu minzu yuyan yanjiu fazhan zhongxin yu fa zhongxin |title=Yuánzhù mínzú yǔyán shūxiě xìtǒng gòngshì quèrèn bàogào |date=2018 |author-mask=Yuanzhu minzu yuyan yanjiu fazhan zhongxin yu fa zhongxin 原住民族語言研究發展中心 語發中心 |language=zh |script-title=zh:原住民族語言書寫系統共識確認報告}} Revised March 2019. Symbols enclosed with angle brackets ‹› are letters, while those enclosed with square brackets [] are from the International Phonetic Alphabet. The names of dialects are written in Chinese.
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! Language | Proposal | 2017 Decision | Final Decision |
Amis
|| 1. Amis, Sakizaya use ‹^› for glottal stop [ʔ] and ‹’› for epiglottal stop [ʡ], || | |||
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Atayal
|| 1. 賽考利克, 四季: add ‹f›; 萬大: add ‹z› | |||
Paiwan
|| 1. 中排, 南排: use ‹gr› in place of ‹dr› | |||
Bunun
|| 1. Add vowels ‹e› and ‹o› | |||
Puyuma
|| 1. 知本, 初鹿, 建和: add ‹b› | |||
Rukai
|| 1. 大武: add ‹tr› | |||
Saisiyat
|| 1. Long vowel sign ‹:› | |||
Tsou
|| 1. Delete ‹r› for [ɽ] | |||
Yami
|| 1. Churches use ‹h› for both [ʔ] and [ɰ] || 1. ‹’› should be used for [ʔ] || | |||
Thao
|| 1. ‹.› should be used to distinguish ‹lh› (vs. ‹l.h›) and ‹th› (vs. ‹t.h›) || 1. Continue to use the standard | |||
Kavalan
|| 1. The confusion of ‹o› and ‹u› | |||
Taroko
|| 1. Add ‹’› | |||
Seediq
|| 1. 都達、德路固: add ‹aw, ay, uy, ow, ey› | |||
Sakizaya
|| 1. Delete ‹^› for epiglottal stop | |||
Hla’alua
|| 1. Add ‹ʉ› for [ɨ] | |||
Kanakanavu
|| 1. Change ‹e› [ə] to ‹e› [e] |
See also
References
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Further reading
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- {{Citation |last=Yuanzhu Minzu Weiyuanhui |title=Zúyǔ biāodiǎn fúhào shǐyòng yuánzé |date=2014 |url=http://ilrdc.tw/research/rwview/123.php |author-mask=Yuanzhu Minzu Weiyuanhui 原住民族委員會 |language=zh |author-link=Council of Indigenous Peoples |script-title=zh:族語標點符號使用原則}}
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External links
- [https://alilin.apc.gov.tw/tw/ Taiwanese Indigenous Ebooks]: This site provides open access ebooks for the indigenous languages.
{{Formosan languages}}
Category:Taiwanese indigenous peoples
Category:Austronesian languages