Amis language
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (September 2007) |
| Amis | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spoken in: | Taiwan | |
| Total speakers: | 137,651(by Council of Indigenous Peoples of Executive Yuan, Taiwan, in 2002) | |
| Language family: | Austronesian Formosan Amis |
|
| Language codes | ||
| ISO 639-1: | none | |
| ISO 639-2: | – | |
| ISO 639-3: | ami | |
| Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. | ||
Amis is the language of the Amis or Ami, a tribe of indigenous people on Taiwan (see Taiwanese aborigines). It is a Formosan language of the Austronesian family.
The public spaces of the counties where many Amis people live in Taiwan, like Hualien Train Station, Taitung Train Station, and Jhihben Train Station, broadcast in Amis Language also.
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[edit] Dialects
There are some dialects of Amis language: Sakizaya language (regarded as a language independent to Amis language sometimes), Northern Amis dialect, Middle Amis dialect, Seashore Amis dialect, Malan Amis dialect and Hengchun Amis dialect.
[edit] Phonology
| Bilabial | Labiodental | Dental | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Epiglottal | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plosive | p | t | k | q | ʡ (written ') | ʔ (written ^) | |||
| Fricative | f | d | s (z) | x | h | ||||
| Affricate | ts (written c) | ||||||||
| Nasal | m | n | ŋ(written ng) | ||||||
| Trill | r | ||||||||
| Lateral Approximant | l | ||||||||
| Approximant | w | j(written y) |
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closed | i | u | |
| Mid | e | o | |
| Open | a |
- "z" is only occurred in Sakizaya language. except the /s/(represented by "s") and /z/(represented by "z") in Sakizaya language, every dialect of Amis language doesn't distinguish the voiceless consonants and voiced consonants.
- "f" and "d" have allophones: "f" can be pronounced as /b/, /f/ or /v/, and "d" can be pronounced as /d/ or /ð/.
[edit] Examples of words
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- Compare with Tagalog baboy (pig), tatlo (3), apat(4), lima(5), anim(6), pito(7), walo(8)
- Compare with Kapampangan asu(dog), pusa(cat), atlo(3), apat(4), lima(5), anam(6), pitu/pito(7), walu/walo(8), siyam(9), apulu/apulo(10) and ama (father) and ima(mother)
- ma olah kako mimali = I like to play sports.
- takaraw ko pi ta’kod = I jump very high.
- kalamkam ko kacomikay = I run very fast.
- Ira ko tata’angay a mata a ko = I have big eyes
- mamangay a ngapa ’= A small mouth
- takaya’ay a fokes = long hair
- sowalsan ko kahaccay a tamdaw makapahay kako = Everyone tells me that I am beautiful.
- ma fana’ay mi asik，misawsaw to kaysing，milidong to fodoy = I can sweep the floor, wash dishes and clothing.
- ma olah midmak kako to tayal no loma’ = I love to do houshold chores.
- nawhani ma olah kako to loma’no mako = Because I love my home.
[edit] Grammar
There are some inflections of verbs exist in Amis language, like Existential clause, Active voice, Passive voice, disposal sentence, Imperative mood, Optative mood, Prohibitive mood, and etc.
There are two Word Orders in Amis language, called "General" Word Order and "Special" Word Order.
Below are some examples of Amis sentence:
[edit] "General" Word Order Sentence I : Verb-Subject
| Verb | Subject |
|---|---|
| Verb, Adjective, etc. | ko (Preposition for Subjects)+Nouns |
[edit] Example
- Maomahay ko wama.(The father is working at the farmfield.)
- mimaomahay: Work(at farmfield)
- wama: Father
- Misaholoay ko wina.(The mother is cooking rice.)
- misaholoay: Cook(rice)
- ina/wina: Mother
[edit] "General" Word Order Sentence II : Verb Subject Object
| Verb | Subject | Object |
|---|---|---|
| Verb, Adjective, etc. | ko (Preposition for Subjects)+Nouns | to (Preposition for Objects)+Nouns |
[edit] Example
- Mifaca' ko kaying to riko'.(The young woman is washing cloth.)
- Mifaca' koya kaying to riko'.(The young woman is washing cloth.)
- mifaca': wash(clothes)
- kaying: young woman
- riko'/fudoy: cloth
