Amis language

Amis language

Amis, also called Sowal no ʼAmis or Pangcah, is a special language from the people who live on the east coast of Taiwan. These people are called the Amis, and they are one of the original groups of people in Taiwan. Amis is the most spoken of all the old languages of Taiwan, called Formosan languages.

You can hear Amis spoken in places like Hualien in the north and Taitung in the south. Some Amis people also live near the southern tip of Taiwan on the Hengchun Peninsula, where they speak the language too. Even though Amis is very important to these communities, not many young Amis people speak it today.

Many services in areas with lots of Amis people, like train stations, use Amis along with the main language of Taiwan, Mandarin. This helps keep the language alive and lets everyone understand important information. Even though Amis has many speakers, the exact number of people who still speak it is not fully known.

Dialects

Amis has several ways of speaking, called dialects. There are five main dialects: Southern Amis, Tavalong-Vataan, Central Amis, Chengkung-Kwangshan, and Northern Amis.

There is also a language called Sakizaya spoken by some Amis people in the far north. This language is not very common and is different from the Northern Amis dialect.

Phonology

The following discussion covers the central dialect of Amis.

Consonants

The voiced velar fricative /ɣ/ only occurs in some loanwords, such as rigi /riˈɣiʔ/ meaning 'ridge between sections of a rice field'.

The epiglottal consonants have been hard to describe clearly. The voiceless plosives /p t k ʡ/ and the affricate /t͡s/ are released in clusters. The voiced fricatives, /v ɮ ɣ/ (the latter found only in loanwords) can change sound in certain positions. /ɮ/ may be interdental.

/ɮ/ changes a lot between different areas. In Fengbin, it sounds like a median dental fricative, but in Kangko, only 15 km (9.3 mi) away, it sounds different. In Northern Amis, it can sound like a plosive [d̪]. The epiglottals also have different sounds in the north.

Sakizaya, considered a separate language, has a voiced /z/ and a voiceless /s/.

In writing, /ts/ is written ⟨c⟩, /j/ ⟨y⟩, /ʡ/ ⟨ʼ⟩, /ʔ/ ⟨^⟩, /ɮ/ ⟨d⟩, /ŋ/ ⟨ng⟩, and /ʜ/ ⟨x⟩.

Vowels

Amis has three common vowels, /i a u/. Amis vowels stay close to their basic sounds.

A voiceless schwa can sometimes appear to break up consonant clusters. There are a few words where a short schwa (written e) may be important. Examples of this e are malmes "sad" and ’nem "six".

Stress

Stress usually falls on the last syllable.

Grammar

Verbs in the Amis language change to show different meanings. They can show things like actions, commands, wishes, and more.

Words in Amis can be arranged in two main ways in a sentence. These are called "General" Word Order and "Special" Word Order".

Here are some examples using the "General" Word Order:

• Verb–subject:

  • Maomahay ci wama. (The father is working in the field.)
    • mimaomahay: working (in the field)
    • ci: subject preposition for personal proper noun
    • wama: father
  • Misaholoay ci wina. (The mother is cooking rice.)
    • misaholoay: cooking (rice)
    • ina/wina: mother

• Verb–subject–object:

  • Mifacaʼ ko kaying to rikoʼ. (The young woman is washing clothes.)
  • Mifacaʼ koya kaying to rikoʼ. (That young woman is washing clothes.)
    • mifacaʼ: wash (clothes)
    • ko: subject preposition for common nouns
    • kaying: young woman
    • to: object preposition for common nouns
    • rikoʼ/fudoy: clothes

Vocabulary

The Amis language has many interesting words and phrases that are similar to other languages. Here are some comparisons:

• Compare with Tagalog baboy (pig), aso (dog), tatlo (3), apat (4), lima (5), anim (6), pito (7), walo (8)
• Compare with Kapampangan babi (pig), asu (dog), atlo (3), apat (4), lima (5), anam (6), pitu/pito (7), walu/walo (8), siyam (9), apulu/apulo (10) and ama (father) and ima (mother)
• Compare with Ilokano baboy(pig), aso (dog), maysa (1), dua (2), tallo (3), uppat (4), lima (5), inem (6), pito (7), walo (8), siam (9), sangapulo (10)
• Compare with Javanese lutung (monkey), babi (pig), asu (dog), siji (1), loro (2), telu (3), papat (4), lima (5), enem (6), pitu (7), wolu (8), sanga (9), sepuluh (10)
• Compare with Sundanese lutung (monkey), babi (pig), hiji (1), dua (2), tilu (3), opat (4), lima (5), genep (6), tujuh (7), dalapan (8), salapan (9), sapuluh (10)
• Compare with Malay lotong/lutung (monkey), babi (pig), satu (1), dua (2), tiga (3), empat (4), lima (5), enam (6), sembilan (9), sepuluh (10)

Here are some fun phrases in Amis:

• Maolah kako a mimali = I like to play sports.
• Takaraw ko pitaʼkod = I jump very high.
• Kalamkam ko kacomikay = I run very fast.
• Ira ko tataʼangay a mata ako = I have big eyes
• mamangay a ngoyos = A small mouth
• takayaʼay a fokes = long hair
• Sowal san ko kahacecay to makapahay a tamdaw kako = Everyone tells me that I am beautiful.
• Mafanaʼay a miasik, misawsaw to kaysing, milidong to fodoy = I can sweep the floor, wash dishes and clothing.
• Maolah a midemak kako to tayal no lomaʼ = I love to do household chores.
• nawhani maolah kako to lomaʼ no mako = Because I love my home.

Comparison

Toponyms

Sing ʼOlam (2011:300–301) lists the following Amis names for villages and towns in Hualien County and Taitung County of eastern Taiwan.

• Jialiwan 加里灣: Kaliyawan
• Hualien 花蓮: Kalingko
• Boboshe 薄薄社: Pokpok
• Tianpu 田埔: Natawran
• Taichang 太昌: Miyamay
• Nanhua 南華: Mafuwakay
• Geliu 歌柳: Keliw
• Chinan 池南: Fanaw
• Shoufeng 壽豐: Rinahem
• Dongxing 東興: Cihafayan
• Shanxing 山興: Cirakayan
• Fenglin 鳳林: Cingaloan
• Changqiao 長橋: Cirihan
• Jialidong 加禮洞: Kalotongan
• Matai'an 馬太鞍: Fataʼan
• Taibalang 太巴塱: Tafalong
• Fuyuan 富源: Paʼilasen
• Qimei 奇美: Kiwit
• Wurao 梧繞: ʼOlaw
• Hegang 鶴岡: ʼOlalip
• Ruiliang 瑞良: Fanaw
• Wuhe 舞鶴: Maʼifor
• Lingya 苓雅 / Xiadewu 下德武: Lingacay / Satefo
• Chunri 春日: Kohkoh
• Lüfu 呂福: Mancelan
• Gongqian 宮前: Makotaay
• Dongchang 東昌: Lidaw
• Lanliao 鹽寮: Tomay
• Shuilian 水漣: Ciwidian
• Yuemei 月眉: ʼApalo
• Jiqi 磯崎: Karoroan
• Xinshe 新社: Paterongan
• Gongxia 宮下: Mararoong
• Fengfu 豊富: Tingalaw
• Baliwan 八里灣: Faliyol
• Fengbin 豐濱: Fakong
• Lide 立德: Kudic
• Gangkou 港口: Makotaay
• Jingpu 靜浦: Cawiʼ
• Zhangyuan 樟原: Koladot
• Dajulai 大俱來: Tapwaray
• Zhenbing 真柄: Makrahay
• Changguang 長光: Ciwkangan
• Yongfu 永福: Mornos
• Nanzhuhu 南竹湖: Pakaraʼac
• Baisang'an 白桑安: Pasongan
• Jinnalujiao 僅那鹿角: Kinanoka
• Wushibi 烏石鼻: Cidatayay
• Danman 膽曼: Taʼman
• Yiwan 宜灣: Saʼaniwan
• Shanxia 山下: Tokar
• Gaoliao 高寮: Takoliyaw
• Yuli 玉里: Posko
• Tiefen 鐵份: Afih
• Lehe 樂合: Harawan
• Antong 安通: Angcoh
• Wanning 萬寧: Malingpo
• Dongzhu 東竹: Talampo
• Xuetian 學田: Mali^wang
• Fengnan 豐南: Cilamitay
• Chishang 池上: Fanaw
• Taiyuan 泰源: Alapawan
• Degao 德高: Takofan
• Ruiyuan 瑞源: Fong
• Luye 鹿野: Palayapay
• Liji 利吉: Dikidiki
• Kangle 康樂: Ining
• Fengli 豐里: Arapanay
• Bo'ai 博愛: Tomiyac
• Zhongxiao 忠孝: Mararoong
• Sanxiantai 三仙台: Pisirian
• Chenggong 成功: Madawdaw
• Zhongren 忠仁: Cilikesay
• Heping 和平: Kahciday
• Jiaping 嘉平: Kanalatip
• Fengtian 豊田: Paongong
• Duli 都歷: Torik
• Xiaoma 小馬: Teraʼ
• Dongho 東河: Fafokod
• Longchang 隆昌: Kaningafar
• Xingchang 興昌: Paʼanifong
• Dulan 都蘭: ʼAtolan
• Jialulan 加路蘭: Karoroan
• Malan 馬蘭: Falangaw
• Taitung 台東: Posong
• Madan 馬旦: Matang

Sample text

Here is a translation of the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into Pangcah, the language known as Amis:

• Chiyu mahufuchay tu tamlaw, maemin pingdeng ichunyan a kngli. Iraay chaira lishing a naay a naay a harateng, pimaulahsha u harateng nu kaka shafa.^{[citation needed]}
• English: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.