Paiwan Every Day 22: ljayar

The world is deep in its campaign against the pandemic COVID-19. More and more countries are issuing new measures on border control, community lockdown, home isolation, social distancing, gathering prohibition.

But Belarus is different. The president just asks his people to wash hands, drink (alcohol), and take sauna.

Drink alcohol. That's how we in Taiwan also figure the low impact of COVID-19 upon indigenous villages. Is it true?

temeketekel amen i qinaljan, manu maipuq azua ljayar, sa macai timadju. 

In English:
We are drinking in the village. Then the flu drops to the floor, and it dies.

Paiwan Every Day 21: semenay

tjakudain nu tisun a suqelam tjanuaken. 

tjakudain nu suqelame sun, ku kaka nua aken tjanusun. 
nu kacemadja, nu kademut sun, ku kaka nua aken, ika ku su draudravi. 

In English: 
What can I do if you don't want me?
I can do nothing if you don't want me, my love.
Whether far away or close by, my love, I will not forget about you.

Paiwan Every Day 20: luljai // maluljai

Friday evening, feeling a bit exhausted from this week's work. I will be brief today.

maluljai  aken, sa malupi aken. 

In English:

I feel tired, then I feel lazy. 

Paiwan Every Day 19: paiwan // pinaiwanan

Is it difficult to learn Paiwan, the language? Yes, very difficult.

The truth is given the history my generation and those younger are no longer brought up immersed in the language. It becomes very difficult for us to be idiomatic and sound like the local, though we are indeed local. There is an ironic sense of alienation from the self.

kuliw: pazangal a kicaquan ta pinaiwanan?

yedda: ui, pakapanzangal aken a ikai ta pinaiwanan. ayatua, inika aken a ruqivuqivu ta kai na paiwan. 

In English: 
kuliw: Is it difficult to learn the Paiwan language?
yedda: Yes, I find it difficult to speak Paiwan because I don't get to use the language of Paiwan often.

Paiwan Every Day 18: siaq // rusiaqan

I am falling in love with my Paiwan class here in Tainan. It is actually not easy to keep one going in the city. Potential students are already few, nor is there any guarantee to incentivize attendance. People come and go, though most of the times they do not return. But I enjoy mine.

Unlike classes of other languages that I know (and I know many), a Paiwan class is not a stage for a teacher or lecture; rather,  it is (and has to be) participatory. Like a Paiwan group song, there is a leading vocal (the teacher) and responses (the students), and the curious thing is everyone has their turn to lead. All are learning about the language.

While learning conjugation, I made funny sentences like "I like you", "You like me" and "You need to like me". When it came to the third imperative exmaple, the men in the class burst out laughing, saying, "No Paiwan girl will say that. If you do, we will look at you and say, 'aiyanga~'", presumably with pity.

And why? Read today's sentence:

rusiaqan aravac a paiwan zuku. 

In English:
Paiwan people are very shy.

Paiwan Every Day 17: ljaljeqe // kaljaljeqelan

Season is understood by Paiwan by the change in nature. Spring is the time when life grows; summer is the hottest time of the year; in fall, leaves fall from the trees; and winter is the coldest time. Intangible concepts such as time are inscribed into Paiwan consciousness via the tangible, visible, sensible, or direct borrowing. This is the natural way.

izua kaljavevean, kaljaculjuwan, kaljauraman, kaljaljeqelan a i ta cavilj. 
tja tjengelay aken tua kaljaljeqelan, ayatua i ta kaljaljeqelan a ku sinipualjakan.  

In English: 

There are spring, summer, fall, winter in an year. 

I like winter better because my birthday is in winter. 

Paiwan Every Day 16: niki ( にっき日記)

I keep a diary, and I read my diaries almost every day.

vencivecik aken ta niki a ljemita a qadaw. 

a i tja ku niki na masan liyaw aravac a ku siipaqentjan. 

aiyanga, kasicuaian. 

In English: 
I write diary every day. There are many memories in my diary. Oh, how I miss the past.

Paiwan Every Day 15: qepu // qepuin

Today Sagubi and Cekaw came to visit. We had a good chat and good food at T.S. Mall. Just like savings, it takes little to nurture a friendship, though ironically it also takes as little or even less to destory one. The truth of hoarding is pervasive and double-edged, depending on what's hoarded and when. But I had a pleasant evening; I thank the couple for their friendship.

"qepuin a kedri masan liyaw." 

aicu a kai paqulid angata. 

In English: 
"Many a little makes a mickle." This saying is really true.

Paiwan Every Day 14: gadu

So far, the impact of COVID-19 upon indigenous townships and villages is negligible. Family and friends instead worry more about me who lives in the city and who does not practice "self-disinfection" as much as they do. My own guess is geography?

liyaw aravac a gadu i tja qinaljan. 

izua tjalja vavaw. izua tjalja teku. 

In English: 
There are so many mountains in our village. Some are higher. Some are lower. 

Paiwan Every Day 13: pungudan

The universal Lesson 1 of every language class: self-introduction. 

djavadjavay a mapuljat. 

tiaken, ti yedda. aljak aken na kacalisian. 

a ngadan ni kama ti puljaljuyan. navaikanga timadju. 

a ngadan ni kina ti naluku. i tjumaq timadju. 

i pungudan a ku umaq. kivalavalaanga a sema tua ku qinaljan. 

In English: 

Hello to everyone. I am Yedda. I am a child of the aborigines. Father's name is Puljaljuyan; he has passed. Mother's name is Naluku; she is at home. My home is in pungudan. Welcome to my village.