Yami
ciciring no Tao
Native toTaiwan
EthnicityTao
Native speakers
about 4000 (2012)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3tao
Glottologyami1254
ELPTao
Linguasphere31-CAA-a
Yami language is classified as Vulnerable by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger
Approximate location where Yami is spoken
Approximate location where Yami is spoken
Yami
Orchid Island in Taiwan
Approximate location where Yami is spoken
Approximate location where Yami is spoken
Yami
Yami (Southeast Asia)
Coordinates: 22°03′N 121°32′E / 22.050°N 121.533°E / 22.050; 121.533

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 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 Batanes province of northern Philippines, and as such is part of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of Austronesian.

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 ʔ
voiced b d͡ʒ ɖ ɡ
Fricative v ʂ ʁ
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 is 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 is a list of 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., Bicol)
Motherinaina (Tagalog)[7]
Fatheramaama (Tagalog), ama (Ilokano)[8]
Headooulo (Tagalog), ulu (Cebuano), olo (Ilokano)[9]
Yesnohonoho (Pandan Bikol, Bikol Sentral)
Friendkagagankaibigan (Tagalog)
whosinosino, sin-o (Hiligaynon Vis.), hin-o (Waray Vis.)
theysirasila (Tagalog), sira/hira (Waray Vis.)
theirniranila (Tagalog)
offspringanakanak (Cebuano Vis.), anak (Hiligaynon Vis.), anak (Ilokano), anak (Tagalog)
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 (Bikol Sentral, Calabanga variant) (historically "saka asin")
ouchAnanayAray, Agay (Cebuano Vis.), Annay (Ilokano)
homevahaybahay, balay (Ilokano, Cebuano Vis.)
pigletviikbiik (Tagalog)
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 (Cebuano Vis.), lima (Hiligaynon Vis.), lima (Ilokano), lima (Tagalog)[10]
sixánemanim (Tagalog), innem (Ilokano), unom (Cebuano Vis.), anum (Hiligaynon Vis.)
sevenpítopito (Tagalog/Ilokano/Visayan)
eightwáowalo (Tagalog/Ilokano/Visayan)
ninesíamsiyam, siam (Ilokano)
tenpóosampu (Tagalog), sangapulo (Ilokano), napulo (all Visayan)

Japanese loanwords

English Yami Japanese
Airplanesikokihikouki (飛行機)
Alcoholsakisake ()
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 ()
Medicinekosozikusuri ()
Monkeysazosaru ()
Motorcycleotobayōtobai (オートバイ; 'auto bike')
Policekisatkeisatsu (警察)
Schoolgakogakkō (学校)
School bagkabangkaban ()
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. 1 2 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
  7. "ACD - Austronesian Comparative Dictionary - Cognate Sets - I".
  8. "amax father". ACD. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  9. "quluh head". ACD. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  10. "lima five". ACD. Retrieved 30 December 2022.

Sources

Further reading

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