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.