Thursday, June 24, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 474: kai (III)

ljakua a kacalisiyan i Taiwan, 
kemasicuai amin a tjaucikel, amin a vecik, 
a pitua inalang a kasiw, a qaciljai, katua vincikan a itung, 
a inalang a cempu, a vincikan i ta lima. 

Free translation:
But for indigenous peoples in Taiwan, 
for a long time, there is only oral story, only pattern
as per patterns made on the tree trunk, on the stone, and drawn on clothing, 
drawn in weaving, written on the hand. 

Word gloss:
  1. ljakua: but, CONJ
  2. a: subject case marker
  3. ka-calisi-(y)an: hill people or indigenous people. The root is calisi 'hill, slope'; -an 'specific location in space, referent focus, NMZ'. 
  4. i: in or at, LOC
  5. k<em>asi-cuai: coming for a long time ago, AV. kasi 'come from'; cuai 'a long time ago'. 
  6. amin: only, alone
  7. tjaucikel: story telling, oral history
  8. vecik: pattern, line, cruve or drawing
  9. a: LIG
  10. pitua: as per, according to
  11. <in>-a-lang: made, UV. The root is lang 'make'; malang means to make, AV. The vowel /a/ must be an addition to make the word pronounciable, like lap and m-a-lap 'take, AV'. 
  12. a: subject case marker
  13. kasiw: tree
  14. qaciljai: stone
  15. katua: and, CONJ
  16. v<in>cik-an: the thing that is drawn or pattern, UV. The root is vecik 'pattern'; /e/ disappears phonologically. 
  17. itung: clothing
  18. c<em>pu: weave, AV. The root is cepu 'weaving'; /e/ disappears phonologically. 
  19. lima: hand
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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Paiwan Every Day 668: pai

pai, kinemnemanga tiamadju tu kemacu tua ljigim nua kakinan.   Free translation : Now, they decided to take their mother's sewing needle...