a kai nua caucau sinipavai nua cemas,
a napakisumalji a manguaqan,
tjasipakakeljakeljangan tua tjavarung.
Free translation:
Human language is a gift from God,
a very special blessing,
the means through which we reveal our heart.
Word gloss:
- a: subject case marker
- kai: language
- nua: GEN
- caucau: people, human being
- s<in>i-pa-vai: given, UV. si- 'IF'; pa- 'to cause to be'; the root is vai 'give, offer'.
- nua cemas: literally of god, but to be understood as by god because the agent of a UV verb in Paiwan is in GEN.
- a: subject case marker
- na-pa-ki-su-malji: different or special. na- 'PRF'; pa- 'to cause to be'; ki- 'to get, obtain'; su- '?'; the root is malji 'different'.
- a: LIG
- ma-nguaq-an: blessing, NVZ. ma- 'to be in the condition of'; the root is nguaq 'good, well'; -an 'nominalization'.
- tja-si-pa-ka-kelja-keljang-an: used by us to make known or to show, IF. tja- 'our, GEN, proclitic, used as the agent of IF sentence'; si- 'IF'; pa- 'to cause to be'; ka- 'inchoative marker'; the root is keljang 'know, understand' in RED; -an 'referent focus'. [This word is complicated. A Paiwan word is a sentence. Can there be two focuses in one Paiwan word? Can this word combine UV and IF?]
- tua: OBL
- tja-varung: our heart. The root is varung 'heart'.
Voice file:
From tinagiljan a semanvecik tua kai nua sepaiwan 'The Origin of Writing in Paiwan Language'.
This article is narrated by Pastor ljumeg, Tsai Ai-lien, and very likely written by her too.
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