Paiwan Every Day 511: amaw // mamaw

aicu a sapui katua zaljum mamaw a kinamasanpazangalan tua tja nasi. 

Free translation: 

This fire and water, they are equally important to our life. 

Word gloss:

1. a-icu: this
2. a: subject case marker
3. sapui: fire
4. katua: and
5. zaljum: water
6. ma-(a)maw: the same, identical
7. a: LIG
8. k<in>a-masan-pa-zangal-an: to have become important things. masan 'to be'; pa- 'to cause to be'; the root is zangal 'value, significance'; -an 'nominalization'. 
9. tua: OBL
10. tja: our, 1st person plural GEN
11. nasi: life

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary sapui. 

The more I study Paiwan, the more I am intrigued by the conjugation people choose. There are easier ways to say 'are', but why does this sentence use a complicated form invloving at least 6 layers of changing? There must be some reason. 

Paiwan is a people of words; inventing witty remarks or lyrics to sing back earns you respect in the community. We admire people who are good with languages. Paiwan: A People of Words. Brilliant book title!

Paiwan Every Day 510: ama / kama

djuljam a ku kama. 

Free translation:

My father is a brilliant hunter who always catches game. 

Word gloss:

1. djuljam: a hunter who always catches game. cinunan is the common word for a hunter. When it comes to someone who never misses game, who always brings a wild boar or muntjac home every time he goes hunting, the Paiwan word to use is djuljam. 
2. a: subject case marker
3. ku: my, 1st person singular GEN
4. kama or ama: father, or male elder

Voice file:

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary kama. 

Paiwan Every Day 509: alu

alu a qayaqayam i qaljiw. 

Free translation: 

There are eight birds on the roof. 

Word gloss: 

1. alu: eight
2. a: LIG
3. qayaqayam: birds
4. i: on, LOC
5. qaljiw: roof

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary alu. 

Paiwan Every Day 508: alip // matjatjuqalip

namatjatjuqalip azua madrusa a semazaya. 

Free translation: 

The two of them walked uphill with arms around each other's shoulders. 

Word gloss: 

1. na-ma-tja-tjuqalip: to have arms around another peron's shoulder. The root is tjuqalip, though in Ferrell (p. 56) the root is alip. The glottal stop (sometimes marked as '‘' or /q/) is a tricky sound. 
2. azua: that, those
3. madrusa: two 
4. a: LIG
5. s<em>a-zaya: go uphill, AV. sa 'go towards'; zaya 'high land'. 

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary matjatjuqalip. 

Paiwan Every Day 507: alim // maalim

nu mevulung a caucau, madjeleanga a maalim a ngadan nua zuma. 

Free translation:

When people get old, other people's name is easy to be forgotten. 

Word gloss: 

1. nu: if or when
2. me-vulung: become old. me- 'agent marker, involving change of status'; the root is vulung 'old'. 
3. a: subject case marker
4. caucau: people
5. ma-djele-anga: to become easy already. ma- 'to be in the condition of'; the root is djele 'easy, simple'; -anga 'COS'. 
6. a: LIG
7. ma-alim: to be forgotten or be caused to be forgotten.  The root is alim 'forget something/someone'. malim or madraudraw means 'to forget something or someone' in a AV structure. If we use malim or madraudraw, the main part of the utterance will be madjeleanga a malim/madraudraw tua ngadan nua caucau. This word also breaks a previously established phonological rule which says Paiwan languages avoids vowel clusters. maalim, madjeleanga are two examples. You hear clearly how two vowels stand next to each other. 
8. a: subject case marker. 
9. ngadan: name
10. na or nua: of, GEN
11. zuma: others

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary alim

Paiwan Every Day 506: alay / kala

maretimaljimaljianga a quljaw na alay tucu. 

Free translation:

Nowadays threads have different colors. [Literally: Now the color of threads is already different.]

Word gloss: 

1. mare-ti-malji-malji-anga: to have become different. The root is malji 'different, special' in RED; -anga 'COS'. 
2. a: subject case marker
3. quljaw: color
4. na: of, GEN
5. alay or kala: thin thread
6. tucu: now, at present

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary kala. 

Paiwan Every Day 505: alaq // kaljualaq

naseminamalji a caquan nua kumakuma a semankaljualaq. 

Free translation: 

Spiders are suprisingly talented in making webs. [Literally: Spiders' web-making talent is amazing.]

Word gloss:

1.  na-s<em>ina-malji: suprising or amazing, AV. The root is malji 'different, special'. What is sina? Could it be si-na 'to be used for, IF', giving two na in one word?  
2. a: subject case marker
3. caqu-an: talent. The root is caqu 'be able to, capable of'; -an 'nominalization NMZ'. 
4. nua: of, GEN
5. kumakuma: spider. Ferrell had ljualaq as 'spider' (p.56), but now kumakuma and cacagalj are more common. 
6. a: LIG
7. s<em>an-ka-lju-alaq: make webs, AV. The root is alaq, to lju-alaq 'spider',  to ka-ljualaq 'spider's web'. aray nua kumakuma is another expression for spider's web.  

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary kaljualaq. 

Paiwan Every Day 504: lap // alapen

alapen a nia paisu na cemakacakaw. 

Free translation: 

A thief stole our money. [Literally: Our money was stolen by a thief.]

Word gloss: 

1. a-lap-en: stolen, UV. (m)a- 'to be in the condition of'; the root is lap 'take, replace'; -en 'UV case marker'. 
2. a: subject case marker 
3. nia: our, 1st person plural GEN
4. paisu: money, loanword from Spanish peso, which travelled to Taiwan from the Philippines. 
5. na: of GEN, which in a Paiwan UV sentence serves as the case marker for the actor
6. c<em>aka-cakaw: the one who steals, a thief, AV. The root is cakaw 'steal, stolen'. gurucuki, a loanword, also means a thief, though I have no idea where it came from as thief in Japanese is 泥棒 どろぼう?

Voice file:

 From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary alapen. 

Paiwan Every Day 503: alang // kipualang

kipualang aken tua zikang. 

Ferrell Translation:

I'll find out what time it is. 

Word gloss:

1. ki-pu-alang: to get understanding or knowledge of, to find out. ki- 'to get or obtain'; pu- 'to have'; the root is alang. 
2. aken: I, 1st person singular NOM clitic, but I put it separately. 
3. tua: OBL
4. zikang: time, loanword from Japanese 時間 じかん.  milingan is another word for time. 

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (p. 56). 

This root alang and its derived forms including pualang 'hear, see, perceive, comprehend', pinualang 'to have been understood, UV', kipualang 'find out', sepualang 'come to understand', pasepualang 'explain' are not found in online dictionaries. 

Paiwan Every Day 502: aladji // pasaladji

aladji: never mind, don't bother, it makes no difference

saladji. 

pasaladji. 

saladji a kemim. 

Free translation:

No, I don't want to. 

No, I don't want to. 

Forget i, don't bother trying to find it. 

Word gloss:

1. sa-(a)ladi or pa-sa-(a)ladji: I don't want to. 
2. a: LIG
3. k<em>im: find, AV. The root is kim 'find'. 

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982), p. 56. 

I heard pasaladji often, especially when mom's trying to talk me out of some stubborn thoughts. Yet, I cannot find in other dictionaries. This is weird. 

Paiwan Every Day 501: alju // pualjuan

pualjuan nusauni a vava. 

Free translation:

Add sugar to the liquor later. 

Word gloss:

1. pu-alju-an: to make something a place with sugar, to add sugar to, UV. pu- 'to get or obtain'; the root is alju 'sugar, sweet'; -an 'NMZ'. 
2. nusauni: later, after a short while
3. a: subject case marker NOM in Paiwan, but it is the object in meaning. 
4. vava: wine, liquor, alcohol 

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary pualjuan. 

Ferrell had pualju as the third of four social classes' in Timur dialect. That include from top to bottom: mamazangiljan 'chief or headman', laraqus 'noble, chief's family or relatives, pualju 'professional gentry', and qaqetitan 'common people'. 

Paiwan Every Day 500: qata

nguanguaq aravac a nu qata. 

Free translation:

Your glass beads are very pretty. 

Word gloss: 

1. ngua-ngua-q: pretty. The root is nguaq 'good, well' in RED for emphasis of degree. 
2. aravac: very, quite
3. a: subject case marker
4. nu: your, 2nd person plural GEN
5. qata or 'ata: sglass bead. Another word is mulimulitan, which really refers to the most significant and precious bead among all glass beads. However, in Ferrel (p. 55), he had drungaljisan 'glass bead, specific type from Dutch trade. I could not find drung in any dictionary, but aljis is tooth, and -an is the end marker for nominalization. 

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary qata. 

Ferrell also put aljis nua kutji as 'glass bead, a specific type from Dutch trade' (p. 55). kutji means female genitalia. The phrase literally means 'teeth of vagina'. 

Among native or indigenous folklore, there is a story of women with biting vagina who eat up their suitors after intercourse. But this is the first time I read a biting vagina is referring to accessory. Interesting. 

Paiwan Every Day 499: aljis

navaik ti kama tatiyaw a kipucemel tua aljis. 

Free translation:

Dad went to get medicine for the teech [see the dentist] yesterday. 

Word gloss: 

1. na-vaik: went, AV. na- 'PRF'; the root is vaik 'go'. 
2. ti: subject case marker for people
3. kama: father
4. ta-tiyaw or ka-tiyaw: yesterday. ta- or ka- 'prefix which indicates past time'. 
5. a: LIG
6. ki-pu-cemel: to get medicine or to see a doctor. ki- 'to get or obtain'; pu- 'to have'; the root is cemel 'grass, herbal medicine'. 
7. tua: OBL
8. aljis: teeth

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary aljis. 

Paiwan Every Day 498: kialjing / inuli

pinaka tua ngadan ni yisu kiristu a inuli, amen. 

Free translation:

In Jesus Christ's name we pray, amen. 

Word gloss:

1. pinaka: through or in the name of
2. tua: OBL
3. ngadan: name
4. ni: of, GEN
5. yisu kristu: Jesus Christ, loanword. 
6. a: LIG
7. inuli: pray, loanword from Japanese 祈る いのる. Ferrell (1982) has this word kialjing (root aljing) as 'pray'. However, nowadays inuli or kiqaung or 'iquang is more common in the church context. 
8. amen: amen

Voice file:

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and inuli ni vuvu 'Grandma's prayer'. 

Paiwan Every Day 497: alji // samalji

akuken a samalji tua su sikudan. 

Free translation:

I am surprised at your behaviour. 

Word gloss:

1. aku: why
2. ken: I, clitic, from aken
3. a: LIG
4. sa-ma-(a)lji: feel surprised. The root is alji 'undefined' (Ferrell, p. 55). 
5. tua: OBL
6. su: your, 2nd person singular GEN
7. si-kuda-(a)n: behavior, deed, doing. The root is kuda 'work, regulation'. 

Voice file:

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary samalji. 

Paiwan Every Day 496: aljak

mapida mareka a su aljak?

Free translation:

How many kids do you have?

Word gloss:

1. ma-pida: how many, used for people
2. mareka: each, every
3. a: subject case marker 
4. su: your, 2nd person singular GEN
5. aljak: kid, child

Voice file:

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary aljak. 

Paiwan Every Day 495: alja // sialja

alapu tua sialja sa sevalji a su kaka. 

Free translation:

Take that baby wrap and carry your sister on the back. 

Word gloss:

1. a-lap-u: take, imperative end case marker. The root is lap 'take, replace'. 
2. tua: OBL
3. si-alja: that used for carrying, IF. si- 'IF'; the root is alja 'undefined' (Ferrell, p. 54)
4. sa: and, then, CONJ
5. sevalj-i: carry on the back, imperative. The root is sevalj 'carry on the back'. 
6. a: subject case marker?
7. su: your, 2nd person singular GEN
8. kaka: younger or elder brother or sister

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary sialja. 

Paiwan Every Day 494: aken / tiaken / tjanuaken

a-ken

----- ti-aken 'I'

----- tjanu-aken 'me'  (Ferrell, p. 54)

tiaken a navaik a ma ripun. 

akusun a kemeljang tjanuaken?

Free translation:

It was I who went o  Japan. 

Why do you know me?

Word gloss:

1. ti-aken: I, NOM. ti 'case marker for person, proclitic'; the root is aken 'I' or ken 'I' with a being 'LIG?'. In Ferrell (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary, aken is split into a-ken with the root ken and a 'undefined'. I've never considered ken a root. This is new to me. 
2. a: LIG
3. na-vaik: to have been to or went to. na- 'PRF'; the root is vaik 'go, come'. 
4. ma: towards, to. This may be a word with a lost root or prefix with the meaing of direction. I have not found any source to support this yet. 
5. ripun: Japan, loanword from Minnan?
6. aku-sun: why do you. aku 'why'; sun 'you, 2nd person singular NOM, clitic'. 
7. k<em>eljang: know, AV. The root is keljang 'knowledge, understanding'. 
8. tjanu-aken: me, OBL

Voice file:

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary aken and tjanuaken. 

Paiwan Every Day 493: ainu / inu

 a-inu or inu 'where' (Ferrell, p. 54)

ainu a kaus? ku sikaus ta siyaw. 

inu a ‘u sivecivecik?

Free translation:

Where is the soup spoon? I use it to serve soup. 

Where is my pen?

Word gloss: 

1. ainu or inu: where
2. a: subject case marker
3. kaus: ladle, soup spoon
4. ku or ‘u: my, 1st person singular GEN
5. si-kaus: to use the ladle to get  soup. The root is kaus 'ladle'. 
6. ta: OBL
7. siyaw or siav: soup
8. si-veci-vecik: thing used for writing, pen. si- 'IF'; the root is vecik 'writing, pattern' in RED

Voice file:

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDC Online Paiwan Dictionary sikaus. 

Paiwan Every Day 492: aiyanga

aiyanga, ‘u singelitan tjanusun. 

Free translation: 

Oh my, how I miss you!

Word gloss: 

1. aiyanga: oh my, aye, exclamation
2. ‘u or ku: my 1st person singular GEN
3. singelit-an: the state of missing or thinking of, NMZ. The root is singelit or singlit 'to miss, to think of'; -an 'nominalization NMZ'. 
4. tjanusun: towards you, about you, 2nd person singular and plural OBL

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982). 

Paiwan Every Day 491: agu / quzip

agu

--- qu-agu 'to herd animals' (Ferrell, p. 53)

napenalisi tua paquzip ta gung ‘asicuaiyan. 

Free translation:

In the past herding cattles was considered a taboo. 

Word gloss: 

1. na-p<en>alisi: to have been forbidden or regarded as a taboo, AV. The root is palisi 'taboo'. 
2. tua: OBL
3. pa-quzip: herd or feed. pa- 'to cause to be'; the root is quzip 'herd, nurture' used for animal and human being. 
4. gung: cow, cattle, loanword from Minnan.
5. ‘a-si-cuai-yan or kasicuaiyan: from a long time ago. The root is cuai 'long'. 

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and Pastor ljumeg's 'paquzip tua gung'. 

Nowadays quagu is replaced by words formed from the root quzip. 

Paiwan Every Day 490: adjuq // madjuq

namadjuq a ku ljinay i qaqeregan. 

Free translation: 

My umbrella was left  in the room. 

Word gloss:

1. na-ma-(a)adjuq: to have been left behind. na- 'PRF'; ma- 'to be in the condition of'; the root is adjuq 'leave thing behind'. The word is in Ferrrel (1982); he documented 5 derivational words from adjuq. His examples show vowel cluster, which according to a later study of Paiwan phonology is considered is considered ineligible.A reason for more research. 
2. a: subject case marker
3. ku: my, 1st person singular GEN
4. ljinay: umbrella. A synonym kausua, loanword from Minnan, is also used. 
5. qaqerengan: bedroom

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982). 

Paiwan Every Day 489: adjum // ruadjuadjum

ruadjuadjum a vakela. 

Free translation:

Arrow is usually sharp. 

Word gloss:

1. ru-adju-adjum: sharp. ru- 'be frequently/habitually'; the root is adjum 'sharp point' in RED. 
2. a: subject case marker
3. vakela: arrow

Voice file:

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary ruadjuadjum. 

Paiwan Every Day 488: adjaq / cakar

adjaq  'ceremonial place (=tsakar, cakar)' (RF, p. 53)

aicu a cakar namasan kakituluan nua mimaqacuvucuvungan a uqaljaqaljay. 

Free translation:

This men's house has become the school of young men who are turning into adults. 

Word gloss: 

1. a-icu: this. a- 'subject case marker'; icu 'this'. 
2. a: LIG
3. cakar: men's house, a meeting place for young and adult men
4. na-masan: have become. na- 'PRF'; masan 'is'. 
5. ka-ki-tulu-an: the place of instruction or school. ka--an 'the main or principal place'; ki- 'to get or obtain'; the root is tulu 'instruct, teach'. 
6. nua: of, GEN
7. mi-ma-qa-cuvu-cuvung-an: to become adults, AV. mi- 'agent marker'; ma- 'to be in the condition of'; qa- or ka- 'inchoative marker'; the root is cuvung 'adult, complete, enough' in RED for present progressive.  
8. a: LIG
9. u-qalja-qaljay: men. The root is uqaljay 'boy, man' in RED for plural. 

Voice file:

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary cakar. 

adjaq is not found in dictionaries, and presumably less or even no longer used.  

Paiwan Every Day 487: adam / qayaqayam

adam

--- ri-adam-an: omen bird of a specific type

--- s(e)man-adam:  to take serious interest in

These two words are in RF's Paiwan Dictionary (1982), but neither appears in the ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary or in the List of A Thousand Paiwan Vocabulary in 2021. The root adam seems lost. I have not heard of it. Need more research. 

The common word for bird for almost all Paiwan dialects is qayaqayam. 

kiljivakan a mareka qayaqayam. 

Free translation: 

Love every species of bird. 

Word gloss:

1. kiljivak-an: to have love, UV. The agent of this UV verb is missing but can be understood as we all. Can -an be the third imperative end case marker in addition to -i and -u? In what circumstances does a Paiwan UV omit its subject? These are interesting questions to investigate. 
2. a: subject case marker for NOM, which in a Paiwan UV sentence refers to the object. 
3. ma-reka: each and every. ma- 'to be in the condition of'; the root is reka 'each, everyone'. 
4. qayaqayam: the bird species

Voice file:

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary qayaqayam. 

Paiwan Every Day 486: ada

sannguaq a ada.

Free translation:

Onion is delicious. 

Word gloss: 

1. san-nguaq: tasty, delcious. The root is nguaq 'good, well'. 
2. a: subject case marker
3. ada: onion in RF (1982). ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary does not have this word; instead, it has canga, a loanword from Minnan tshang-á.  And in "List of Southern Pawian Vocabulary", there is ada 'onion' or 'scallion'. Another more common word is nigi for scallion and tamanigi for onion. Both are loanwords from Japanese ねぎ and 玉ねぎ たまねぎ. 

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and List of Paiwan Vocabulary ada. 

Paiwan Every Day 485: abunai / gemagalj

abunai aravac a sapui. 

gemagalj aravac azua a djalan.

Free translation: 

Fire is very dangerous. 

That road is very dangerous. 

Word gloss: 

1. abunai: dangerous, loanword from Japanese. 
2. g<em>agalj: dangerous, fearful, AV. The root is gagalj 'fear, danger'. 
3. a-ravac: very, quite
4. a-zua: that
5. a: subject case marker
6. sapui: fire
7. djalan: road, way

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell Paiwan Dictionary (1982), ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary abunai and gemagalj. 

Paiwan Every Day 484: abar // ljiabar

nu temulutulu a vavuluvulungan,

naljiabar a tjacalinga a lemangdangda. 

Free translation: 

If the elders are teaching, 

we open our ears and listen. 

Word gloss: 

1. nu: if or when, complementizer 
2. t<em>ulu-tulu: be teaching, AV. The root is tulu 'teach, instruct' in RED for present progressive. 
3. a: subject case marker
4. va-vulu-vulung-an: elders. The root is vulung 'old, senior' in RED for plural. 
5. na-lji-abar: to have already open ears. na- 'PRF'; lji- '?'; the root is abar 'earlobe' in RF (1982). I didn't find it in ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary nor List of A Thousand Paiwan Vocabulary. The common word for ear is calinga. It will be interesting to pursue the meaning and use of words like abar. They stay in a conjugated form while the root form is already lost. 
6. a: subject case marker
7. tja-calinga: our ears
8. a: LIG
9. l<em>angd(a)-angda: listen, AV. The root is langda 'listen' in RED for emphasis. 

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary lijabar. 

Paiwan Every Day 483: abar / yasi

liyaw a talem ni kama a abar (yasi). 

Free translation: 

The coconut trees planted by father are a lot. (Father plants many coconut trees). 

Word gloss: 

1. liyaw: many, a lot of
2. a: LIG
3. talem: plant, cultivate, UV. Also considered a root form; this is the first word I find that in root form, it is in undergoer voice or patient focus. 
4. ni: of, GEN, used to bring the subject or actor of the UV verb. 
5. a: subejct case marker
6. abar or yasi: coconut trees. abar is in RF's dictionary (1982); however, in both CIP Online Paiwan Dictionary and The List of A Thousand Paiwan Vocabulary, yasi is recorded. It seems the word abar has fallen into disuse and been replaced by the loanword from Japanese やし. 

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrel's Paiwan Dictionary (1982) and CIP Online Paiwan Dictionary yasi. 

Paiwan Every Day 482: -a

nananguaqan aravac a mareka tia Pia. 

Free translation: 

Pia and those with him, everyone is very nice. 

Word gloss: 

1. na-nanguaq-an: kind, nice, have good virtues. The root is nguaq 'good, blessed'. 
2. aravac: very
3. a: LIG
4. mareka: every
5. ti-a: subject case marker for plural. ti- 'subject case marker for person'; -a 'pluralizer with personal pronouns and pronominal article' (RF, 1982). 
6. Pia: male name

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell Paiwan Dictionary (1982). 

Paiwan Every Day 481: a

kemakan  a aljak. 

Free translation: 

The kid is eating. 

Word gloss: 

1. k<em>a-kan: eating, AV. The root is kan 'eat'. 
2. a: subject case marker. RF (1982) defined, 'equational construction marker for noun phrase'. 
3. aljak: kid, child

Voice file: 

From Raleigh Ferrell Paiwan Dictionary (1982).