Paiwan Every Day 19: paiwan // pinaiwanan

Is it difficult to learn Paiwan, the language? Yes, very difficult.

The truth is given the history my generation and those younger are no longer brought up immersed in the language. It becomes very difficult for us to be idiomatic and sound like the local, though we are indeed local. There is an ironic sense of alienation from the self.

kuliw: pazangal a kicaquan ta pinaiwanan?

yedda: ui, pakapanzangal aken a ikai ta pinaiwanan. ayatua, inika aken a ruqivuqivu ta kai na paiwan. 

In English: 
kuliw: Is it difficult to learn the Paiwan language?
yedda: Yes, I find it difficult to speak Paiwan because I don't get to use the language of Paiwan often.

Glossary:

1. pa-zangal: difficult. The root is zangal 'significant, expensive'. 
2. ki-caqu-an: to learn to be able to use with knowledge. The root is caqu 'knowledge, talent'. 
3. ta: oblique (OBL) case marker 
4. p<in>aiwan-an: the Paiwan language. The root is paiwan 'Paiwan'. 
5. ui: yes
6. aken: I, 1st person singular nominative (NOM)
7. a: ligature (LIG)
8. i-kai: speak. The root is kai 'word'. 
9. ayatua: because
10. inika: not, negator (NEG)
11. ru-qivu-qivu: speak often or frequently. ru- 'of high frequency'; the root is qivu 'say or speak' in reduplication (RED).

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