Paiwan Every Day 261: cai // kipacai

titjen a paiwan, pinaka palisi aravac a kipacai. 

In English: 

For us Paiwan, suicide is regarded as a big taboo. 

Glossary: 

1. titjen: we, 1st person plural inclusive (INCL)
2. a: ligature (LIG)
3. paiwan: Paiwan
4. p<in>aka: is called or named or regarded as. The root is paka 'to name, to call'. 
5. aravac: very, quite
6. a: subject case marker
7. ki-pa-cai: literally to make death happen or suicide. ki- 'to get somthing'; pa- 'to make'; the root is cai 'death'. 

Reading: 

From CIP Online Paiwan Dictionary kipacai. 

In class today, sinsi idis talked about suicide cases in the village. Suicide is a taboo in the Paiwan society. If someone commits suicide in the house, the entire house will be demolished to the ground, and the family will move elsewhere to avoid ill fortune. 

However, since suicide is feared by everyone, one such case is always better remembered than other deaths. Ironically what is avoided instead follows even more closely.