An Introduction to the language
commonly referred to in the West as Taiwanese. This information is
based on a monologue read by Dr. Hok-chu Tiunn, aka Babuza .
What is Taiwanese? Taiwanese is
the abbrevation for Taiwan mother tongue. Taiwan mother tongue is all
of Taiwan's many
local languages, including Aboriginal (Indigenous), Hakka, and Holo.
What is a language? Languages are the expression of ideas through
voice. Mankind has already existed for one million to 850 thousand
years, written language for only six thousand
years. Voice developed earlier. Written language then appeared, their
purpose is to serve record of spoken language, not want
to replace spoken language.
Taiwanese language has taken from ancient Han, contemporary Han, and
modern Han, such as the words for sun, ghost, water, river, horse, and
bird.
Taiwanese also has a significant quantity of non-Han language, which
are not possible to
write with Han characters. We call bean (in Taiwanese) "byntau", hose
as "horsux", melon as "Melorng-koef", and to sip water as "sib". We say
"Rear Car" as "li'ar-khaq". We call the sport of boxing "bok". These
all come from English, as well as "Khaqkhii" of "Khaqkhikhox" (khaki
pants).
However, "khakhih" came to English through a Hindi/Urdu word (meaning
earth-coloured or dust coloured). Soap,
which we call "satbuun" is from the Spanish word "jabón". An
agricultural measure of area that we call "kah" comes from the Dutch
word "akkar", which is known in modern English as "acre". Bread, which
we call "pharng",
comes from Portuguese (pão, through japanese: パン).
From Japanese, we have "clear cut", "emotion", "order", "accompany",
and even the very familiar Han characters meaning "performance",
"creed",
"sanitation", are all Japanese. We use the words "khimokiang" and
"khimobae"
(emotion), which are Japanese words taken into Taiwanese vocabulary.
About seventy to eight percent of
Taiwan's place names are from Aboriginal languages. Kaohsiung's old
name is Tvafkao (Takau, not Phahkao), which may be based on "Makatao",
the name
of the Makatao Aboriginal tribe that lives on Shoushan mountain.
Pingtung's old name is
Akaau (meaning monkey), which also derives from Makatao. Luotung is
from Rutung, from Yi-lan's Kavalan language, and means monkey. If you
simply dryly read the Han characters for "Keelung", you might say
"Kilioong".
However, the old name is "Koelaang" and is derived from
the name of a tribe called Ketagalan. The two Han characters for Taiwan
(台灣) are
read (in Taiwanese) as "Tai5-oan1",
but in Taiwanese we always say "Taioaan" (POJ: Tai5-oan5),
based on
"Tayouan" from the Siraya language. Historical books wrote
"Tayouan", which is not Han language (but used to be sinicized as 大員).
All of the following thing names are
from aboriginal languages: milkfish (moa-sat-bak), the word for
pineapple is
from bunglai/bonglai, the word for guava is from lapat.
This Taiwanese CD provides an introduction to Taiwanese pronunciation.
We hope that is gives you a solid introduction to Taiwanese and
advances you one step in learning Taiwanese. Wish you fun in studying
Taiwanese, and that you remember Taiwan in your heart. Thank you very
much.
Taigie si symmih?
Taigie si symmih? Taigie si Taioaan bQfguo ee kafnzhefng. Taioaan
bQfguo ciuxsi sofu ee Taioaan pwnthor gwgieen, paukoad Goanzuxbiin
oexguo, Khehka-guo, kab HQxlQr-oe. Gwgieen si symmih? Sviaym piawsi
iesux ciuxsi gwgieen. Jinlui zunzai ykefng u cidpaq poehzap go ban nii, bunji
ciaq lak zhengnii, sviaym taixsefng hoattiern. Bunji siong auxboea
cviaa zhut'hien, bunji si beq thex gwgieen hogbu, mxsi beq zhwtai
gwgieen.
Taigie laixbin u kor Harnguo, kixntai Harnguo, kab hiexntai Harnguo.
Chviu jit, goat, zuie, kafng, bea, ciao, lofngsi.
Taigie ma u cinzQe mxsi Harnguo, bQo Harnji thafng siar. Chviu byntau
si
B E A N, "bean". Zuykorng kiQx horsux si H O S E, "hose". Melorng-koef
si "melon", limciuo korng "sib". "Rear Car" ciuxsi larn korng ee
li'ar-khaq. Phaq laang iong bok si "box". Khaqkhikhox ee khaqkhii
lofngsi Engguo, khakhih kQq si Irnto-oe. Tekhof kiQx satbuun si
Sepangaa-oe "jabon". Zhanhngg ee biexnzeg iong "kah" laai sngx. Si kor
HQlaan-oe "akkar", citmar ee Engguo si "acre". Mixpaw kiQx "pharng"
erngkay si Phuthogaa-oe.
Ma u Jidguo khQfpie korng asaflix (asafliq), khimofciq, zuobuun,
arnnai, sixmcix larn lorng cyn segsai ee Harnji suu kekkhoarn, zwgi,
oexsefng, ma si Jidguo. Larn korng khimokiang, khimobae si Jidguo taux
Taigie ee syn zoxsuu.
Goanzuxbiin ee oexguo ma cinzQe taixiog u 70 kaux 80 phaf ee toexmiaa,
lofngsi Goanzuxbiin ee oe. KhQfpie korng, KQhioong kuxmiaa kiQx
Tvafkao, mxsi Phahkao. Tvafkao cit'ee suu si tuix KQhioong Zhasvoaf
(Shoushan) terng ee Goanzuxbiin Makhaftao ee miaa soa koealaai`ee.
Pintofng kuxmiaa si Akaau. Ma si siQkang tuy Makhaftao laai`ee. LQtofng
si Rutung, Gilaan Goanzuxbiin Kavalan ee oe, iesux si kausan'ar.
Koelaang na kantvaf khvoax Harnji tiQqaix thagzQx Kilioong. Thak
Koelaang si tuix Khe-thaf-kQlan (Ketagalan) zuxlaai`ee, kuxmiaa si
Koelaang
ma si kangkhoarn. Taioaan nng ji na iong Harnji laai thak, ym si
Taai-oafn, mxkuo larn lorng
thak zQx Taioaan. Erngkay ma
si Si-la-ia
(Siraya) Goanzuxbiin ee oe. Legsuo zheq siar zQx TAYOUAN, Tai-yuan, ma
mxsi Harnguo. Satbaghii kiQx moasatbak, onglaai si bong-lai, padar si
lapat (nafpoat), lofngsi Goanzuxbiin ee oe.
