Yami language

Yami language (Chinese: 雅美語), also known as Tao language (Chinese: 達悟語), is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by the Tao people of Orchid Island, 46 kilometers southeast of Taiwan. It is a member of the Ivatan dialect continuum.

Yami
ciciring no Tao
Native toTaiwan
EthnicityTao
Native speakers
3,800 (2006)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3tao
Glottologyami1254
ELPTao
Linguasphere31-CAA-a
Yami
Orchid Island in Taiwan
Yami
Yami (Southeast Asia)
Coordinates: 22°03′N 121°32′E

Yami is known as ciriciring no Tao 'human speech' by its native speakers. Native speakers prefer the 'Tao' name.[1]

Classification
Yami and the other Batanic languages

Yami is the only native language of Taiwanese aborigines that is not a member of the Formosan grouping of Austronesian; it is one of the Batanic languages also found in the northern Philippines.

Phonology

Yami has 20 consonants and 4 vowels:[2]

Vowels
Front Central Back
Close i
Mid ə o
Open a
  • /o/ can be heard as [ʊ] after labial stop consonants.

Iraralay Yami, spoken on the north coast, distinguishes between geminative consonants (e.g., opa 'thigh' vs. oppa 'hen' form one such minimal pair).[3]

Consonants
Yami consonants
Labial Alveolar Palatal Retroflex Velar Uvular Glottal
Nasal m n ŋ
Plosive/
Affricate		 voiceless p t t͡ʃ k (q) ʔ
voiced b d͡ʒ ɖ ɡ
Fricative v ʂ ʁ (ɦ)
Approximant l j ɻ w
Trill r
  • /k ʁ/ can also be heard as sounds [q ɦ] when between vowel /a/ intervocalically.
  • Sounds /n l ʂ/ can be heard as sounds [ɲ ɮ ʃ] before /i/.

Grammar

Pronouns

The following set of pronouns are found in the Yami language.[4]

Yami pronouns
Nominative Genitive Locative
freebound freebound
1st person singular yaken ko niaken ko jiaken
2nd person singular imo ka nimo mo jimo
3rd person singular iya ya nia na jia
1st person plural inclusive yaten ta, tamo, takamo niaten ta jiaten
1st person plural exclusive yamen namen niamen namen jiamen
2nd person plural inio kamo, kanio ninio nio jinio
3rd person plural sira sia nira da jira

Verbs

The following list are verbal inflections found in Yami.[5]

Dynamic intransitive
  • -om-/om- (subjunctive: N-)
  • mi-
  • ma-
  • maN-
  • maka-
  • maci-/masi-/macika-/macipa-
Stative
  • ma- (subjunctive: a-)
  • ka- ... -an (subjunctive: ka- ... -i)
Dynamic
  • pi-
  • pa-
  • paN- (subjunctive: maN-)
  • paka- (subjunctive: maka-)
  • paci- (subjunctive: maci-)
Transitive
  • -en (subjunctive: -a)
  • -an (subjunctive: -i)
  • i- (subjunctive: -an)
Stative functioning as transitive
  • ma- (subjunctive: a- ... -a)
  • ka- ... -an (subjunctive: a- ... -a)

Affixes

The following list are the affixes found in Yami.[6]

  • icia- 'fellows such and such who share the same features or fate'
  • ikeyka- 'even more so'
  • ika- 'feel such and such because...'
  • ika- 'ordinal number'
  • ipi- 'multiple number'
  • ji a- 'negation or emphatic'
  • ka- 'company, as ... as, abstract noun'
  • ka- 'and then, just now, only'
  • ka- 'stative verb prefix reappearing in forming transitive verbs'
  • ka- (reduplicated root) 'very'
  • ka- (reduplicated root) 'animals named after certain features'
  • ka- ... -an 'common noun'
  • ma- ... -en 'love to do such and such'
  • mapaka- 'pretend to be such and such'
  • mapi- 'do such and such as an occupation'
  • mi-/mala- 'kinship relationships in a group of two or three'
  • mika-/mapika-/ipika- 'all, gradually, one by one'
  • mala- 'taste or look like...'
  • mipa- 'getting more and more...'
  • mipipa- 'even more...'
  • mapi-/mapa-/pa- ... -en/ipa- 'causative verb affixes'
  • ni- 'perfective'
  • ni- ... na 'superlative'
  • noka- 'past'
  • noma- 'future (remote)'
  • sicia- 'present'
  • sima- 'future (proximal)'
  • tey- 'direction'
  • tey- 'very, too'
  • tey- (reduplicated root) 'amount allocated to each unit

Vocabulary

Cognates with Philippine languages
English Yami Tagalog/Ilokano/Visayan, etc.
Persontaotao (Tagalog), tawo (Cebuano Vis.)
Motherinaina
Fatheramaama
Headooulo
Yesnohonoho (opo)
Friendkagagankaibigan
whosinosino, sin-o (Hiligaynon Vis.), hin-o (Waray Vis.)
theysirasila (Tagalog), sira/hira (Waray Vis.)
theirniranila
offspringanakanak
I (pronoun)koko, -ko (Ilokano)
youkaka, -ka (Ilokano)
dayarawaraw, aldaw (Ilokano), adlaw (Cebuano Vis.)
eatkanenkain, kanen (Ilokano), kaon (all Visayan)
drinkinomeninumin, inomen (Ilokano)
speechciriciringchirichirin (Itbayaten Ivatan), siling (Hiligaynon Vis., say), siring (Waray Vis., say)
andakasaka
ouchAnanayAray, Agay (Cebuano Vis.), Annay (Ilokano)
homevahaybahay, balay (Ilokano, Cebuano Vis.)
pigletviikbiik (Tagalog, piglet)
goatkadlingkambing, kanding (Cebuano Vis.), kalding (Ilokano)
stonevatobato (Tagalog, all Visayan, etc.)
towniliili (Ilokano)
oneásaisa (Tagalog, Hiligaynon Vis.), maysa (Ilokano), usa (Cebuano Vis.)
twodóa (raroa)dalawa (Tagalog), duha (Cebuano), dua (Ilokano)
threetílotatlo, tulo/tuto (Cebuano Vis.), tallo (Ilokano)
fourápatapat (Tagalog, Hiligaynon Vis.), upat (Cebuano Vis.), uppat (Ilokano)
fivelímalima
sixánemanim (Tagalog), innem (Ilokano), unom (Cebuano Vis.), anum (Hiligaynon Vis.)
sevenpítopito
eightwáowalo
ninesíamsiyam, siam (Ilokano)
tenpóosampu (Tagalog), sangapulo (Ilokano), napulo (all Visayan)

Japanese loanwords
English Yami Japanese
Airplanesikokihikouki (飛行機)
Alcoholsakisake (酒)
Battleshipgengkanggunkan (軍艦)
Bibleseysioseisho (聖書)
ChristKizistokirisuto (キリスト)
Doctorkoysango-isha-san? (お医者さん)
Flashlightdingkidenki (電気)
Holy Spiritseyziseirei (聖霊)
Keykagikagi (鍵)
Medicinekosozikusuri (薬)
Monkeysazosaru (猿)
Motorcycleotobayōtobai (オートバイ; auto bike)
Policekisatkeisatsu (警察)
Schoolgakogakkō (学校)
School bagkabangkaban (鞄)
Teachersinsisensei (先生)
Ticketkipokippu (切符)
Trucktozakotorakku (トラック; truck)

Chinese loanwords
English Yami Mandarin Chinese
Winepotaw ciopútáojiǔ (葡萄酒)

See also

References
  1. Rau & Dong 2006, p. 79
  2. Rau & Dong 2006, pp. 79–80
  3. Rau & Dong 2006, p. 81
  4. Rau & Dong 2006, p. 123
  5. Rau & Dong 2006, p. 135
  6. Rau & Dong 2006, p. 135–136

Sources
  • Rau, D. Victoria; Dong, Maa-Neu (2006). 達悟語：語料、參考語法、及詞彙/ Yami Texts with Reference Grammar and Dictionary (PDF) (in Chinese and English). Taipei: Academia Sinica.
  • Rau, D. Victoria 何德華; Dong, Maa-Neu 董瑪女; Chang, Ann Hui-Huan 張惠環 (2012). Dáwù yǔ cídiǎn / Yami (Tao) Dictionary 達悟語詞典 / Yami (Tao) Dictionary (in Chinese and English). Taibei shi: Guoli taiwan daxue chuban zhongxin. ISBN 978-986-03-2519-5.
  • Rau, Der-Hwa 何德華; Dong, Maa-Neu 董瑪女 (2018). Dáwù yǔ yǔfǎ gàilùn 達悟語語法概論 [Introduction to Tao Grammar] (in Chinese). Xinbei shi: Yuanzhu minzu weiyuanhui. ISBN 978-986-05-5695-7 – via alilin.apc.gov.tw.

Further reading
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