Paiwan language
Quick Summary
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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Austronesian languagesSize and geographic scope…1 to 10 in the Paiwan language of southeastern Taiwan, Cebuano Bisayan (Visayan) of the central Philippines, Javanese of western Indonesia, Malagasy of Madagascar, Arosi of the southeastern Solomon Islands in Melanesia, and Hawaiian.
Read More…1 to 10 in the Paiwan language of southeastern Taiwan, Cebuano Bisayan (Visayan) of the central Philippines, Javanese of western Indonesia, Malagasy of Madagascar, Arosi of the southeastern Solomon Islands in Melanesia, and Hawaiian.
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Austronesian languagesFormosan…the narrow east coast), and Paiwan (spoken near the southern tip of the island); only superficial descriptions are available for most of the other Formosan languages.
Read More…the narrow east coast), and Paiwan (spoken near the southern tip of the island); only superficial descriptions are available for most of the other Formosan languages.
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