Thursday, December 30, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 660/661/662/663: pai

kuliu: namadraudraw aken a kemacu tua ku bintu. 
cudjui: pai numayan tjakanauanga ku bintu. 

Free translation
kuliu: I forgot to bring my lunch box. 
cudjui: come, in that case, let's eat my lunch box. 

Word gloss
  1. na-ma-draudraw: to have forgotten, actor focus
  2. aken: I, 1st person SIN NOM
  3. a: LIG
  4. k<em>acu: bring, AV. The root is kacu 'bring'. 
  5. tua: OBL
  6. ku: my, 1st person SIN GEN
  7. bintu: lunch box, loanword from Minnan
  8. pai: invitation to action
  9. numayan: if so, in that case
  10. tja-kan-au-anga: let's eat. The root is kan 'eat'. 
Voice file




kuliu: bulai a vaik itjen a ljemangui?
cudjui: bulai aravac. pai, ari vaiki. 

Free translation
kuliu: Is it a good idea that we go swimming?
cudjui: That's very good. Come, let's go. 

Word gloss
  1. bulai: good, beautiul
  2. a: LIG
  3. vaik: go, come
  4. itjen: we, INCL
  5. lj<em>angui: swim, actor focus
  6. aravac: very much
  7. pai: invitation to action
  8. ari: let's
  9. vaik-i: go, INCL
Voice file




kuliu: qemudjaljanga. inika aken a nakemacu tua kausua. maqati aken a supasedjaman?
cudjui: ita a ku kausua. pai, kadjadjalani a kiljaung. 

Free translation
kuliu: It's raining now. I did not bring an umbrella. Can you lend me yours?
cudjui: I only have one umbrella. Come, let's share the umbrella. 

Word gloss
  1. q<em>udjalj-anga: it is raining already, actor focus. The root is qudjalj 'rain'. 
  2. inika: no, not
  3. na-k<em>acu: brought. The root is kacu 'bring'. 
  4. kausua: umbrella, loanword from Minnan. 
  5. maqati: can 
  6. su-pa-sedjam-an: you lend. The root is sedjam 'borrow, lend'. 
  7. ita: one
  8. pai: come, invitation to action
  9. kadjadjalan-i: I am not sure about this word. 
  10. kiljaung: shade, cover
Voice file




aicu djukap nua vavui. pai, aicu avan a djaladjalan nua vavui. 

Free translation
This is the footprints of wild boars. So, this is the path of wild boars. 

Word gloss
  1. aicu: this
  2. djukap: foot print
  3. nua: of, GEN
  4. vavui: wild boar
  5. avan: is
  6. djala-djalan: little trail or path. The root is djalan 'road' in RED, smaller road. 
Voice file

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 659: pai

pai, iljavaranu. anemanema kudamunu i Taiwan?

Free translation
Come, tell. What fruits are there in Taiwan?

Word gloss
  1. pai: invitation to action
  2. iljavaran-u: tell, imperative exclusive
  3. a-nema-nema: what, RED
  4. kudamunu: fruit, loanword from Japanese
  5. i: LOC
  6. Taiwan: Taiwan
Voice file

From klokah.org kudamunu (Fruit)

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 657/658: pai

vuvu vavayan, ti kuliu 'a ti paljai amen. pai, suqeljevi amen. 


Free translation
Grandma, it's kuliu and paljai. Please open the door for us. 

Word gloss
  1. vuvu: grandparent, grandchild
  2. vavayan: woman
  3. ti: subjet case marker for specific noun
  4. kuliu, paljai: male names
  5. amen: we, 1st person PL NOM
  6. pai: please, polite request for action
  7. su-qeljev-i: you open the door, imperative inclusive, agent of a Paiwan NAF clause. The root is qeljev 'open the door'.  
  8. amen: we, 1st person PL Nom, patient of a Paiwan NAF clause
Voice file

From klokah.org inaqatiyan a qadaw (Birthday). 


pai, qiladju. anema su'anen?

Free translation
Come, sit down. What will you have?

Word gloss
  1. pai: invitation to action
  2. qiladj-u: sit, imperative exclusive. The root is qiladj- 'sit, seat'. 
  3. a-nema: what
  4. su-'anen: your food. kanen or 'anen with the root of kan 'eat'. 
Voice file: 

From klokah.org i tja kakanen (In the Restaurant)

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 656: pai

pai, kusualapav a dengec i tua su mudingan. 

Free translation
Come, let me get the crumbs off your face. 

Word gloss
  1. pai: reminder, invitation, command
  2. kusualapv: let me take. I think this is patient focus because the subject of the sentence is the semantic object dengec so literally similar to taken by me
  3. a: subject case marker
  4. dengec: food crumbs
  5. i: LOC
  6. tua: OBL
  7. su: your, 2nd person SIN GEN
  8. mudingan: face. qimi means cheeks. 
Voice file:

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary dengec

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 655: pai

pai, kipapaulingavu. akumayanga sa su tjengez?

Free translation
Come on, get it all together. Why are you dozing off like this?

Word gloss
  1. pai: indicate irritation, sarcasm, scold
  2. ki-pa-pau-lingav-u: be careful, watch out, keep alert. The root is lingav 'time, wisdom, hurry'. 
  3. akumayanga: for what, why. I think this is a combination of aku 'why', maya 'like this or similar', and -anga 'suffix indicating change of state'. 
  4. sa: subject case marker
  5. su: your, 2nd person SIN GEN
  6. tjengez: doze, sleepiness
Voice file

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary tjengez

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 652/653/654: pai

pai, mayanan maya penurpur a su kaka. 

Free translation
Do not yet disturb your brother. 

Word gloss
  1. pai: give a command
  2. mayanan: not yet, still
  3. maya: do not
  4. p<en>urpur: disturb, actor voice. The root is purpur 'annoy, disturb'. 
  5. a: LIG? 
  6. su: your
  7. kaka: brother or sister
Voice file

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary penurpur



pai, maya manu seman-neka-aravac tua zuma. 

Free translation
Do not act like so disrespectful to other people. 

Word gloss
  1. pai: give a command
  2. maya: do not
  3. manu: like, another interesting filler
  4. s<em>an-neka-aravac: to excessively disregard or disrespect too much, literally to make nothing out of at all. Interesting word!
  5. tua: OBL
  6. zuma: other people
Voice file: 

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary semaneka



pai, kiumalju. semiaq sa su sikudan. 

Free translation
Come, change to a new leaf. What you did is shameful. 

Word gloss
  1. pai: command or invitation to action
  2. kiumalju: repent and change
  3. s<em>iaq: be shameful, actor voice. The root is siaq 'shame'. 
  4. sa: subject case marker
  5. su: your, 2nd person SIN GEN
  6. si-kud(a)-an: behavior, deed
Voice file

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary semiaq

Saturday, December 18, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 650/651: pai

ljaljeqeljeqel aicu a kinsa. pai, seljecuanan. 

Free translation
The food is already cold. Go, heat it. 

Word gloss
  1. lja-ljeqe-ljeqel: cold, in RED. The root is ljaljeqel 'cold'.
  2. aicu: this. I always think aicu is a-icu; however, Professor Anna Chang said it is aicu, and in Paiwan demonstratives and case marker are "mutually exclusive" (Chang, 1992, p. 88).  
  3. a: subject case marker
  4. k<in>(e)sa: food. The root is kesa 'cook'. 
  5. pai: command or invitation to action
  6. seljecuanan: heat the food. seljecu 'heat food by steam'. 
Voice file

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary ljaljeqeljeqel



pai, pasazalemani a remasudj tua tjakinepel a qavai. 
ulja tjen a kemeljang tu pidanga supu a penuljat. 

Free translation
Come, let's put all long rice cakes in line on the floor. 
We want to know how many there are in total. 

Word gloss
  1. pai: invitation to action
  2. pasa-zaleman-i: let's place on the floor, imperative, inclusive. The root is zaleman 'floor'. 
  3. a: LIG
  4. remasudj: to make peace. It means to arrange or line up the rice cakes in a good way. 
  5. tua: OBL
  6. tja-kinepel a qavai: our long rice cake
  7. ulja: wish, want to
  8. tjen: itjen, we 1st person PL 
  9. k<em>eljang: know, actor focus. The root is keljang
  10. tu: complementizer
  11. pid(a)-anga: how many already
  12. a penuljat: totall, all
Voice file

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary pasazalemani

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 649: pai

pai, kesau tua tjacengelj. 

Free translation
Go make our lunch. 

Word gloss
  1. pai: give a command
  2. kesa-u: cook, imperative, exclusive. The root is kesa 'cook'. 
  3. tua: OBL
  4. tja-cengelj: our lunch
Voice file

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary kesau

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 648: pai

pai, capau azua vasa. 

Free translation
Go roast those taros. 

Word gloss
  1. pai: give a command
  2. capa-u: roast or bake, imperative, exclusive. The root is capa 'roast, bake'. 
  3. a-zua: that or those
  4. vasa: taro
Voice file

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary capau

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 646/647: pai

pai here means like come, an invitation to action, or come one, an invitation to not to act on something. 

pai, senasenayu. masepelj itjen. 

Free translation: 
Come, sing a song. We are bored. 

Word gloss
  1. pai: come
  2. sena-senay-u: sing, imperative for the hearer. The root is senay 'sing, song' in RED; -u 'imperative marker excluding the speaker'. 
  3. ma-sepelj: to be bored. ma- 'to be in the condition of without volition'; the root is sepelj 'play around without a purpose'. 
  4. itjen: we, including the speaker
Voice file

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary masepelj


pai, maya qemaluvu a tja kinateveteveljan. 

Free translation
Come on, do not disturb our gathering. 

Word gloss
  1. pai: come on
  2. maya: do not, prohibition
  3. q<em>aluvu: mix up or distrub, actor focus. The root is qaluvu 'to mix up, distrub'. 
  4. a: subject case marker
  5. tja: our, 1st person PL GEN
  6. kinateveteveljan: gethering or meeting
Voice file

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary qemaluvu

Sunday, December 12, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 644/645: pai

pai as a filler like 'Look!'. 

maya masepelj a siqunu ni su vuvu, aya aken tjanusun. 
inika sun a lemang(e)da. 
pai, mavuciqanga a su lima. 

Free translation
I told you not to play wioth your grandpa's small knife. You didn't listen. 
Look, your hand is cut.

Word gloss
  1. maya: no, not, NEG
  2. ma-sepelj: play with or fiddle with. The root is sepelj 'tease, fool around with without purpose'. 
  3. a: subject case marker
  4. siqunu: small knife usually used by elders to cut betel nuts apart and add lime
  5. ni: of, GEN
  6. su: your, 2nd person SIN GEN
  7. vuvu: grandpa or grandma
  8. aya: so said
  9. aken: I, 1st person SIN NOM
  10. tjanusun: to you, towards you
  11. inika: no, not , NEG
  12. l<em>ang(e)da: listen or hear, actor focus. The root is lang(e)da 'listen, hear'. 
  13. pai: look
  14. ma-vuciq-anga: gets cut. ma- 'to be in the state of, without volition'; the root is vuciq 'cut, sever'; -anga 'COS'. 
  15. lima: hand
Voice file

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary pai


pai as 'right' in a question. 

maljenguaqanga aza kuang, pai?

Free translation
That gun is ready, right?

Word gloss
  1. ma-lje-nguaq-anga: to already go in the diretion of well. ma- 'to be in the state of without volition'; lje- 'to go in the direction of'; the root is nguaq 'well'; -anga 'COS'. 
  2. aza: that
  3. kuang: gun, loanword from Minnan
  4. pai: right?
Voice file

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary pai

Friday, December 10, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 643: pai

pai is a Paiwan word that has a lot of functions. It is an interesting subject of research. 

inika sun narukisasusu tua mareka tjakaka, pai sipavai tua zuma a hiu niamadju. 

Free translation
You did not take good care of our brothers and sisters, therefore they gave their votes to others. 

Word gloss
  1. inika: no, not, NEG
  2. sun: you, 2nd person SING NOM, clitic?
  3. na-ru-kisasusu: to have often cared for. na- 'PRF'; ru- 'frequently'; kisasusu 'to investigate, to look after' with the root is susu 'meaning'. 
  4. tua: OBL
  5. mareka: every or each
  6. tja-kaka: our brother and sister. tja- 'our, 1st person PL GEN clitic'; kaka 'brother or sister'. 
  7. pai: therefore, consequently, but also can mean look in this context. 
  8. si-pa-vai: to give, IF. 
  9. zuma: others
  10. a: subject case marker
  11. hiu: vote, must be a loanword since in Paiwan there is no phoneme /h/ but I do not know its origin. 
  12. niamadju: their, 3rd person PL GEN
Voice file

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary pai

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 641/642: manusika / manasika

saqetju a ku kaka, manusika inika kasikakituluan. 

Free translation
My brother is ill, therefore he did not go to school 

Word gloss
  1. saqetju: ill, hurt
  2. a: subject case marker
  3. ku: my
  4. kaka: brother or sister
  5. manusika: therefore, so, consequently
  6. inika: not, no
  7. ka-si-ka-ki-tulu-an: to the school. kakituluan 'the place to learn' with the root tulu 'learn, teach'. 
Voice file

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary manusika


pai manasika a i taiwan mavan a ku qinaljan, uta aya aken. 

Free translation
Therefore, Taiwan is my home, so I also say. 

Word gloss
  1. pai: therefore, so
  2. manasika: therefore, so, consequently
  3. a: LIG
  4. i: in or at, LOC
  5. taiwan: Taiwan
  6. mavan: is
  7. a: subject case marker
  8. ku: my, 1st person SING GEN
  9. qinaljan: hometown
  10. uta: also, too
  11. aya: say
  12. aken: I, 1st person SING NOM
Voice file

From klokah ku qinaljan uta a i taiwan 'Taiwan is Also My Hometown'. 

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 640: ayatua (IV)

naminseg a ljavek, ayatua neka nu vali. 

Free translation
The sea has calmed down because there is no wind. 

Word gloss
  1. na-minseg: have become calm. na- 'PRF'; the root is minseg 'calm, still'. 
  2. a: subject case marker
  3. ljavek: sea, another word is vaung
  4. ayatua: because, provides a reason (cause?). 
  5. neka: no, NEG
  6. nu: ? Usually nu is your (2nd personal plural GEN). Here why the elder says nu is unknown to me. 
  7. vali: wind
Voice file

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary minseg

Monday, December 6, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 639: ayatua (III)

kipaula aravac tiamadju ta icu a qudjalj, ayatua siniqaljudj a quma. 

Free translation
They suffer severely from this rain, because the farm was washed away. 

Word gloss
  1. ki-paula: suffer from or experience something bad or encounter. ki- 'to get or obtain'; the root is paula 'diaster, pity, experience'. 
  2. aravac: quite, ADV
  3. tiamadju: they, 3rd person PL
  4. ta: OBL
  5. icu: this
  6. a: LIG
  7. qudjalj: rain
  8. ayatua: because or as, provides not the cause but result. 
  9. s<in>i-qaljudj: to be swept or washed away. The root is qaljudj 'swept or washed away'. 
  10. a: subject case marker
  11. quma: farm or field
Voice file

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary kipaula

Sunday, December 5, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 638: ayatua (II)

ayatua a picul a ligu nisunanga a penuljat a kemasi tucu a patje palalautanga. amin. 

Free translation
Because power, honor, all belongs to you, from now until forever. amen. 

Word gloss
  1. ayatua: because
  2. a: subject case marker
  3. picul: power, strength
  4. ligu: honor
  5. ni-sun-anga: of yours already. ni- 'of, GEN marker'; -sun 'you, 2nd person SING clitic'; -anga 'change of state COS'. 
  6. penuljat: all. p<en>uljat (AF) 'all'with the root of puljat 'all'. 
  7. a: LIG
  8. k<em>asi: from, AF
  9. tucu: now
  10. patje: until 
  11. palalaut-anga: forever or everlasting. The root is palalaut 'forever'. 
  12. amin: amen
Voice file

From klokah The Lord's Prayer

I am trying to figure out the function of ayatua in Paiwan, which depending on the context seems to indicate more than a causal relation. 

Saturday, December 4, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 636/637: ayatua (I)

inianga kapazangal a kemesa tucu, ayatua izuanga a tinku. 

Free translation
Because of electrical rice cooker, it is no longer difficult to cook now. 

Word gloss
  1. ini-anga: no longer. ini- 'no, not, NEG'; -anga 'marker of change of state'. 
  2. ka-pazaangal: be difficult. ka- 'inchoative marker'; the root is pazangal 'valuable, difficult'. 
  3. a: LIG
  4. k<em>esa: cook, AF. The root is kesa 'cook'. 
  5. tucu: now
  6. ayatua: because of, because
  7. izu(a)-anga: there exists already
  8. a: subject case marker
  9. tinku: electric rice cooker, loanword from Mandarin. 
Voice file

From ILRDF Online Paiwan Dictionary ayatua


ayatua a benuru uri si'atarivak na 'u lingalingaw. 

Free translation
Because exercise will make my body healthy. 

Word gloss
  1. ayatua: because
  2. a: subject case marker
  3. b<en>uru: exercise or do sports or literally to play with a ball, AF. The root is buru 'ball', loanword. 
  4. uri: want to or will
  5. si-'(k)a-tarivak: to make healthy, IF. The root is tarivak 'healthy'. 
  6. na: of, GEN
  7. '(k)u: my, 1st person SING GEN
  8. lingalingaw: body
Voice file

From klokah undu

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Paiwan Every Day 634/635: djaljep // djaljepan

I like this word djaljepan 'so that's the way it is!'. It functions like a filler. Why is it from djaljep 'suitable, fit, assistant'? Interesting. 

djaljepan a kisasusu aravac tjajuaken a nia sinsi, manu seljaseljang ni kama kisansinsi. 

Free translation
So that's why my teacher cares very much for me, because he was dad's colleague at school. 

Word gloss
  1. djaljepan: so that's the way it is; so the reason why...is that...
  2. a: LIG
  3. kisasusu: take care of
  4. aravac: quite, a great deal
  5. tjauaken: to me or for me, OBL
  6. a: subject case marker
  7. nia: our, often used in Paiwan even for its singular sense
  8. sinsi: teacher, loanword from Japanese
  9. manu: because, as
  10. seljseljang: colleague, classmate. We more often say salasaladj. 
  11. ni: of
  12. kama: dad
  13. kisansinsi: to be a teacher, teaching at a school
Voice file

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


djaljepan tu kemavasun tua bulabulay, avan susikabulay. 

Ferrell's translation
Oh, the reason why you are so beautiful is because of the clothes you're wearing!

Word gloss
  1. djaljepan: so that's the way it is; so the reason why...is that...
  2. tu: complementizer
  3. k<em>ava-sun: you wear, AF. The root is kava 'shirt, clothes'; -sun 'you, clitic'. 
  4. tua: OBL
  5. bulabulay: beautiful 
  6. avan: is
  7. su-si-ka-bulay: the way you use to become beautiful or the reason why you become beautiful, IF
Voice file

From Raleigh Ferrell's Paiwan Dictionary (1982), p. 71. This is mean but probably meant to be sarcastic or funny. Halirious!

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...