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The Paiwan language is one of the aboriginal languages of Taiwan, belonging to the Austronesian family. It is part of the Paiwanic branch, which is one of the three major branches of Formosan languages. These languages were traditionally spoken only in small communities in remote areas and lacked a written form until contact with Europeans in the 17th century. Each aboriginal group in Taiwan speaks a distinct language, generally unintelligible to other groups.12

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