Word of the day / lê-á kha

Word of the day / lê-á kha

lê-á kha
It's a style of vender cart in the old times. Basically venders could transport food or goods on a simple cart such as a bicycle or adding two wheels onto a hand-pushed cart for easier mobile ability.

- Hit ê á-peh í-tsîng sī sak lê-á kha ta̍k-ūi leh bē gín-á ê tshit-thô mih.
= That man used to push a lê-á khan everywhere to sell kids toys.


#taigi #taiwanese #learntaiwanese #learntaigi #taigu #formosa #poj #pehoeji #formosan #taioan #nativelanguage #taiwan

Word of the day / tuì-tâng

Word of the day / tuì-tâng

tuì-tâng

I heard this term in a cartoon. 

Here it is:

https://youtu.be/kjFj7APhWmI?t=4m6s

(It's a great cartoon for learning Tâigí too!!)

#taigi #taiwanese #learntaiwanese #learntaigi #taigu #formosa #formosan #taioan #nativelanguage

Word of the day / tìu-kiān

Word of the day / tìu-kiān

tìu-kiān
Get upset.

I heard a mom talking about her kid:
"Nā-sī guá bô suî hōo i i beh ài ê mı̍h-kiānn, i tio̍h tī hia tiù-kiān.
If I don't immoderately gives he/her what she wants, he/she would get upset.


#taigi #taiwanese #learntaiwanese #learntaigi #taigu #formosa #poj #pehoeji #formosan #taioan #nativelanguage #taiwan

Word of the day / phôo-lóo-phiat-á

Word of the day / phôo-lóo-phiat-á

phôo-lóo-phiat-á = propellor
This is probably influenced by Japanese: プロペラ which of course likely to come from English.
I heard my dad said it when he was playing a helicopter with the grandkids.



#taigi #taiwanese #learntaiwanese #learntaigi #taigu #formosa #formosan #taioan #nativelanguage

Word of the day / perpetrator

Word of the day / perpetrator

perpetrator = pháinn-lâng, thâi-lâng ê pháinn-lâng

thâi = use a knife to attach, to cut in order to make something die or end its life.

You could thâi-lâng
And you could thâi si-kue
si-kue = water melon

And I realize that there isn't many words in Tâigí that means bad guy. It seems that phiánn-lâng covers criminal, killer, homicide, perpetrator, villain.... and more.
(Is it because most people are nice and there is no need for various words of bad guy, bad person?)

I guess you could always add "iau-siū-kut" kind of term before phiánn-lâng to show how serious the situation is.






#taigi #taiwanese #learntaiwanese #learntaigi #taigu #formosa #formosan #taioan #nativelanguage

Word of the day / tuì-tâng

Word of the day / tuì-tâng

tuì-tâng

I heard this term on a cartoon. 

Here it is:

https://youtu.be/kjFj7APhWmI?t=4m6s

The dad burst out laughing after hearing the grandfather made a comment. 

tuì-tâng here means precisely, can't agree more. 

#taigi #taiwanese #learntaiwanese #learntaigi #taigu #formosa #formosan #taioan #nativelanguage

Idiom of the day /

Idiom of the day /
á-pô á tshue-kué ..... tò-thap

â-pô--á = elderly woman
tshue = steam (a cooking method)
kué = rice cake
tò = on the opposite, overturn, invert.
thap = fall down, collapse, sink in, cave in.
tò-thap : it could mean that the middle of the rice cake sunk in, form a puddle kind of sunk hold in the middle. (Normally the top of rice cake should be flat.)
Also use this pun to mean that (this is hard to explain...) not only you didn't get any profit, benefit from investing time and money into something, someone, it ended up cost you more than you wished.










#taigi #taiwanese #learntaiwanese #learntaigi #taigu #formosa #formosan #taioan #nativelanguage

Idiom of the day / gia̍t-kat-á uē

Idiom of the day /
gia̍t-kat-á uē
pái-kha-ê kiânn toh tíng .... gioh-toh

pái-kha = limp
pái-kha-ê is someone who limps, crippled.
kiânn = walk
toh = table
tíng = top
toh tíng = on top of the table

pái-kha-ê kiânn toh tíng = the crippled person walks on the table.

gioh is describing the action of limping. Sort like descriptions the one heel twist and dig into the ground kind of movement.
gioh--leh, gioh--leh.

gioh-toh means ..... show off
With a proud air
it's similar to hiau-pai.

gioh-toh is a new term for me. I've never heard of this term before. Perhaps it's not spelled nor translated correctly.

(Help!!!)






#taigi #taiwanese #learntaiwanese #learntaigi #taigu #formosa #formosan #taioan #nativelanguage

Siraya class notes - final exam

Siraya class notes

Oct. 21st 2017


Final exam

Naunamu:

1. Nimilingig ko ki oni ti mamuama aw.

I heard my grandpather's sound.


2. Akumeya ki pitu ki uma ti mamuina tu uwal ki zarok.

Akumeya ki = there are

pitu ki uma = seven fields

uwal ki zarok = the right side of stream/river.


3. vavaw ki talag

over the house/home.

vavaw = over, above

halap = on top of, above


4. Mahapul ta halibang ka maiden k'ata.

This skirt is soft to wear. (it feels soft when you wear the skirt)

halibang = skirt

maiden = wear

mahapaul = soft/tender


5. Q: Kamang ta ata?

A: Ata ta isip.


Q: What is this?

A: This is flower.



Ka raruha:


1.  Tmaplag ta raway ki aluf ka magute ki vato ka maflag.

Tmaplag = hit

raway = kid, child

aluf ka magute = green grass

vato = stone, rock

maflag = big, large


2. ta ti yaw = ko

ta imhu = kaw


3. Nismasasngog ta teni ki isip ka marapul tu iga.

marapul = scent, smells good.



4. Miripa, Hanyu.

Kmana kita, aley ka malaat ato.

ato = already

malaat = late

malaat ato = already late.

Kmana kita = We(everyone) come eat!  Let's eat!


note: Kmita past tense is kiraey

kmite = see, look


5. Mano ka mumha kaw ki Siraya?

tu papitu ki wagi ki kapta


6. Kman ta ina ki apat ki kudo tu iga.

Ni-kman ta ti ina aw ki apat ki kudo tu iga.


Ka tuturu:  Translation:

1. The black dog used his teeth bited three pieces of meat on the road.

Kmagat ta asu ka maudim k'ata ki turu ki vaat ki walig tin tu tarang.


black dog = asu ka maudim

three pieces of meat = turu ki vaat

on the road = tu tarang

it's teeth = walig tin


2. There aare five fish on the living room table.

Akumeya ki rima ki tging ka using tu halap ki tupal tu/ki glaf ki peymawagan.

rima = five



3. My sister saw her kind/sweet friend on the right side of the garden yesturday.

Nikmita ta viil aw ki diu tin ka maharum tu uwal ki raul tu iga.

nikmita = see/look, past tense.


4. Grandma draws two small flowers on the ground.

Hmawaypatag ta ti mumaina ki ruha ki isip ka using tu (halap ki) nay.


5 Welcome to our beautiful village.

(Maku) Tatalaga tu parug yan ka mamutirag.


6. There are rabbits and deer by the river/stream.

Akumeya ki(Itukwa ta) rutok, ki fnang apa tu said/hili/tamang ki zarok.

akumeya ki = there is, there are (no past tense)

Itukwa ta = exist, (verb)  past tense = ni-itulkwa ta


========== the end of final exam ===========



Siraya song on YouTube

https://youtu.be/Foy0fl9gnUg

Masusu-a ki su ka Maka-Siraya


Milingig-a ki oni ta imumi

Masusu-a sumulat-a kuting-a apa

Masusu-a ki mannig ki su ka Maka-Siraya




#sirayalanguage #formosa #siraya #taiwanese #indigenous #triballanguage #Austronesian #西拉雅 #tainan #formosan

Great radio program on Taiwan's history in Tâigí

By Chou Wan-yao (周婉窈), Professor, Dept. of History

http://radio.rti.org.tw/program/detail/?recordId=1410

Or YouTube link here.

#taigi #taiwanese #learntaiwanese #learntaigi #taigu #formosa #formosan #taioan #poj

Word of the day - cement

lâm-á khóng
nickname for cement.
lâm-á is a brand name of a cement company (南亞)
khóng is probably the noun for "khōng" (?! Is it?)  -- wrong, please see comment below.
khōng is the action of applying cement onto a mode of some sort.
Another term often heard is "khōng-kû-lí" from "a-ta-ma khōng kû-lí" (originated from Japanese?)
a-ta-ma = あたま means head in Japanese.
"a-ta-ma khōng kû-lí" literally: the brand is full of concrete, meaning stupid, jelly head.

Hanji
khōng = 鞏  -- wrong, please see comment below.


Heard lâm-á khóng on radio. Lots of guesses in today's post. I'm not certain about any of this information. Correct ideas are welcome.

Word of the day - lia̍h-thán-hûainn

lia̍h thán-hûainn
Turn something to horizontal
or mean determined.
For example: guá sim lia̍h thán-hûainn a, it ting ài piànn kàu-té!!

Word of the day - watch out

tiônn-tî
/tiōnn-tî/
Watch out. Be careful.

Word of the day - tsāi pak

tsāi-pak
Solid, opposite of hollow.




#taigi #taiwanese #learntaiwanese #learntaigi #taigu #formosa #formosan #taioan #poj

The Tâigí accent - a new normal

I've been only using Tâigí and English for more than one year.
I've got lots of thoughts on this experience and it will take more than one post to talk about it. This time I want to talk about accent.

I don't know if it's because Tâigí and Manderin Chinese are both tone-based language, unlike English, when it comes to accent, people in Taiwan are especially not so tolerant about having an accent speaking Tâigí.
Or perhaps it's just that the environment - after all, it's an island - it has been relatively isolated therefore it hasn't been seen as often that language is spoken by non-native speakers.  (Compare to countries like the US, UK where immigrants are commonly seen in society.)

Or perhaps it's the ROC-Manderin-centric single-dynamic viewpoint influence. I don't really know. But if you speak Tâigí with an accent, which is easy to have if you are not a native speaker or growing up, you didn't have the chance to actually say it in daily life.  People here would jokingly laugh at you, pick on your accent and therefore as a language learner, you would be easily discouraged and want to give up early on.

This makes the already-difficult language promotion even harder. Because the only way to get rid of the accent is to speak the language!! Even if by practicing so hard, you'd still have the accent. And that's my point. What about the accent? What's wrong with it?
If we are going to save the language, we must accept that we will have to go through a phrase that when most people speak Tâigí (and other native language) with an accent. And that's FINE.
Because it is the fact that we are trying to get out of the colonial period. We are all learning the native language like we were foreigners - and we sort of are considering how unfamiliar we are with our own culture.
It's sad, it's ridiculous but it's TRUE. 

We should recognize it, make peace with it, get over it and start learning our native languages like we are foreigners with a humble attitude and funny accent. So what?

Let the funny accent be a new normal. We should all be speaking in our native languages in funny accents but we are PROUD. We will be proud to be ourselves.




#taigi #taiwanese #learntaiwanese #learntaigi #taigu #formosa #formosan #taioan #poj #accent #newnormal

Word of the day - articulate

Articulate

My guess: iōng ching-chún ê jī lâi piáu-ta̍t kah iù-lōo ê siūnn-hoat, iá-sī kài-liām.

I don't think there is one word or phrase in Tâigí that means "articulate". This is the best way I can think of to express the idea.
If you have better idea of how to say "articulate" in Tâigí, please do share your thoughts.

Word of the day - khùn-thân-khī

khùn-thân-khī
turn sideways (while laying down)

A friend who used be a nurse told me that she was taught this term in order to instruct patients turn sideways.

I don't really know first two words. (Help!!!!)
The third word probably means tilted, in an angle, sort of.

I need to do more research on this one.





#taigi #taiwanese #learntaiwanese #learntaigi #taigu #formosa #formosan #taioan #poj

Word of the day

Iûnn-kak tāu
Okra, one of my favorite vegetable!!
It describes okra is a kind of bean that shapes like a goat corn and it really does!!!

iûnn = goat, sheep
kak = corner, pointy edge.
iûnn-kak = goat horn. (Sheep has horn too?!?)

gû-kak = cow corn.

tāu = beans, peas.

Word of the day

sī-kak gē-su̍t
Visual Art




#taigi #taiwanese #learntaiwanese #learntaigi #taigu #formosa #formosan #taioan #poj

Siraya class notes

Siraya language Class Sep. 23rd 2017

class notes

Monday (first day of the week)

(tu) naunamu ki kapta

Tuesday (second of the week)

(tu) ka

Wednesday (third day of the week)

Thursday

question: Mano ka munha kaw(ta imhu) ki Siraya? (what day of a week do you study Siraya?)

Mano ka munha ta imhu ki Siraya? 

mano = when

answer: 

a. Tu ka papitu ki kapta.

b. Mumha ta ti yaw ki Siraya tu ka papitu ki kapta.

   or Nimumha ta ti yaw ki Siraya tu ka papitu ki kapta.

   or Nimumha ko ki Siraya tu ka papitu ki kapta.

c. wagiwagi. (everyday)

d. tu 15:00

e. Tu hinit (today)

f. Tu wagi ka ata. (Tu wagi k’ata)

January (the beginning month)

(tu) naunamu ki vural

February (second month)

(tu) ka raruha ki vural

last week

awug ki sat ki kapta.

paranag ka maflag.

big tree (tree ka big)

kaawlung ka using

little people (people ka small)

halibangbang ka mamutirag

beautiful butterfly (butterfly ka beautiful)

oni ka maanig

beautiful sound.

maanig = abstract beautiful.

In Siraya language, a verb or adj is usually placed at the beginning of the sentence as the most important.

booklet no. 7

page4

Vungo ka pagdumdum = a brain that thinks.

Pagdumdum ka mungo = thinking brain.

page6

ilingig - hear, heard

milingig = hear, listen

page12

munonang

walk

mnononang

taking a slow walk

sisium

run

munoang-a = walk!!

sisiuma = Run!! (please run! why don’t you run?)

head = vungo

hair = vukug

face = mula

eyes = mata

nose = gongos

ears = tangira

mouth =  mutus

feet/foot = rapal

hand = rima

body = vual

textbook page 23

mahapul ta halibang ka maiden.

mahapul = soft/tender

this skirt is soft/tender to wear.

Maiden ta ti yaw ki mahapul ta halibang k’ata. (WRONG!!)

I wear this tender skirt.

correct version= Maiden ta ti yaw halibang ka mahapul.

Marurirag ta teni ka halibang.  (WRONG!!)

She wears beautiful skirt. 

correct: Maiden ta teni ki halibang ka mamutirag.

kaliut = 桑椹

hom = 野莓 wildberry

baliw = 雞肉絲菇 - a wild mushroom that only grows after rain on occasions.

mamutirag = beautiful

matadung = ugly

irang = big, grant 大、偉大

maflag = big, grant 大、偉大

maangig = good, nice (for things.)

mamutirag = good, beautiful (for people)

malabang = happy

Malabang Chistmas = merry christmas

school = patawtawugan

elementry school(lowest school) = patawtawugan ka rarim

middle school = patawtawugan ka tukad

high school = patawtawugan ka mahandag

college (highest school) = patawtawugan ka sibavaw

villege 部落 = purug

gathering place 集會所 = kuva

church 教會 = atalagan/ atatalagchang / pakoisasalan

home = talag

garden = raul

bridge = taltal

yard 院子 = papamamagha

market = panag ka pakoisal - kairagan

store = papeylaan

try to use ta, ki, ka, tu to make sentences.

a .Hmawaypatag ta teni ki ngataf ka maflag ki halibangbang tu papeylaan.

she draws big butterfly on the door in market.

hmawaypatag = draw

ngataf = door

maflag = big

papeylaan = market.

b. Mamuy ta ti Mamuina ki pakulalulug ka idang tu purug.

grandma likes to prey loud in viliage.

mamuy = like

mamuina = grandma

pakulalulugen = to be preyed

idang = loud

purug = land, village

c. Mananag ta diu ko ki vato ka using tu raul.

my friend plaies small rocks in the garden.

ko = my (=ta ti yaw)

d. Maraw ta saka ki wagi ka maanig tu pulag ka madalag.

borther looks at beautiful sun in the hot wildfield.

maraw = look

saka = brothers / sisters

wagi = sun

maanig = beautiful

pulag = wild field

madalag = hot (temperature)

e. Smulat ta tamamacit ki susu ka bibig tu halap ka tupal tu pekangiligan.

soldier writes the word of mouth on top of a table in the kitchen.

tamamacit = soldier

bibig = words

halap = above (with contact)

tupal = table, desk

pekangiligan = kitchen

five sample sentences from Hanyu

a. Nimamuy da teni ki rurawka maanig tu awug.

nimamuy = liked (past tense)

rurawka = song

maanig = beautiful (of non-object)

b. Nimurubo ta teni ki glaf aw ka maflag tu iga.

nimurubo = came in

glaf= room

iga = yesturday 

c. Mirip ta ruklaw k’ata tu said ki talag tin ka mabahu’.

this cat eat by his smelly home

mabahu = smelly

said = by, next to

ruklaw k’ata = this cat

ruklaw k’ana = that cat

d. Nihmawaypatag ta viil aw ka matalagkaw ki purug yan tu iag.

my smart sister drew our rurug yesturday

e. Tmabe ta viil tin ki mamuina aw ka mahapug tu madama ki wagi.

his sister greeted the grandma this morning

#sirayalanguage #formosa #siraya #taiwanese #indigenous #triballanguage #Austronesian #

Word of the day

pōng thé-tāng
weigh. Take the measurement unit from a scale.

Compare to nîu 量 (nîu thé-tāng)
pōng literally means pound, the unit for weight.
tsı̍t-pōng one pound
gōo-pōng five pound

but using pōng instead of nîu is very authentic way of weighing something/someone on a scale.

nîu is influenced by Chinese usage of taking measure.

hán-bûn: 磅體重
Chinese: 量體重




#taigi #taiwanese #formosa #formosan #englishtaiwanese

Word of the day

khóo-kue-hōng
Stuffed bitter melon
traditional Taiwanese dish.

khóo is bitter
kue is all melon type of vegetable.
hōng sort of represent the action of "stuffed". That's my guess.
Another guess is that because you would empty all the seeds in a bitter melon and then stuff mixture of meat back into the melon and close the opening. Perhaps "hōng" also has the meaning of filling, closure and block the opening.
Or maybe hōng is how you cook this dish which I don't know. Ha ha ha

This dish in Chinese is 苦瓜盅


#taigi #taiwanese #learntaiwanese #learntaigi #taigu #formosa #formosan

Learning Siraya

Siraya class notes

Sep. 16th

Grammer

Ki - similar to “of”

making sentances:

asu aw - my dog

asu oho - your dog

asu ki tin - his/her dog

talag ki asu - dog’s house

ki - use with numbers 

page 8

making sentances:

pitu ki uma - 

seven fields

grandma’s seven fields - 

pitu ki uma ki mamuina

turu ki uma ki ina - 

mom’s three fields

uncle’s five dog - 

rima ki asu ki sama

uncle - 

sama

my friend’s flower - 

isip ki diu aw

next to Alis’s house - 

hili ki talag ti Alis

The sky above boy’s beautiful garden - vulum ki vavaw ki maanig raul ki (little boy)

Vavaw ki (raul ka mamutirag ki) rawayparag ka using

rual ka mamutirag - beautiful garden

rawayparag ka using - little boy

above the big tree where that bird is in.

halap ki paranag ki ayam.

halap ki paranag ka maflag ki ayam ka ana.

halap ki paranag ka maflag ki ayam k’ana.

ka ta = k’ata  means this

ka ana = k’ata means that

magflag means big

Practice: (hand out)

Kmita ta teni ki fnang.

He look at deer.

Kman ta asu ti vaat tu talag tin.

Dog eats meat at his house.

Mit ta ti yaw ki salom tu zarok.

I drink water at the river.

Mirung ta ruklaw ka using tu (halap ti) nay.

Little cat(Kitten) sit on the floor.

Translation:

Mavagango ta akey ka maflag ki wagi.

The big eagle loves the sky.

Milingig ta ti yaw ki oni viil tu raul.

I heard sister/brother’s sound in the garden.

Making a senteance:

Gmisong ta ti ama ki gisong tin.

Dad works on his work.

Kmagat ta tumay ki rawayparag tu vukin

Kmagat ta asu ki rutok tu darang.

Dig bites a rabbit on the road.

Kmagat ta ti ama ki paul tu talag aw.

Dad bites bread at my house.

—————

handout page 5

Verbs

*note: if the verb needs to be furture tense, or make someone to do something, usually add “a” at the eng.

(siyara - english)

mumha - learn

matawtawug - teach

kting - read, study

smulat - write

hmawaypatag - draw

mururaw - sing

mananag - play

milingig - listen/hear

masusu - say

kmita - look, see

matawa - smile/laugh

kman - eat

mit - drink

mirip - sleep

tmabe - greeting

gmisong - work

mamuy - like

mavagango - love

mukwa - go

irua - come

murubo - come inside

(rubo - inside)

mumala - come/go outside

mala - out

halap - above (with contact)

vavaw - above (no contact)

hilip - by the side of

*note: if the verb needs to be future tense, or make someone to do something, usually add “a” at the eng.

example:

mumha - study

mumha-a - go study, why don’t you sutdy

matawtawug-a  - please teach, teach us! go ahead and teach!

Kting-a   - please read!

exception:

1. kmita

kita - kmita - kitaey

see, look

please look!

exception:

2. irua - iruaw

come   please come

*to change verb to past tense, add in- at the begining.

Time:

iga ki sat - the day before yesturday

iga - yesturday

wagi k-ata - day this - today

hinin - tomorrow

udamey - the day after tomorrow

udamey ki sat - 

wagiwagi -  everyday

tu sat apa ki wagi - every other day

tu naunamu - at the beginning

naunamu - first, beginning

ka raruha - the second

ka tuturu - the third

ka apat - the forth

ka ririma - the fifth

ka papitu - the sixed

ka kipa - the seventh

ka nimaduta - the ninth

ka kitian - the tenth

ka sat kitian ab ki sat - the eleventh

ka sat kitian ab ki ruha - the twelvth

apa - means (?)

naunamu ki vural - firth month, january

ka raruha ki vural - second month, feburary

ka tuturu ki vural - third month, march

Make a sentence using past tense:

nihmawaypatag ta teni ki susu ki Siraya tu halap ki kasuy aw tu iga ki sat.

he drawed Siraya words on my pants the day before yesterday.

ni-hmawaypatag - drawed

tinian - him

susu- words

halap - above

Mumha ko (=ta ti yaw) ki Siraya wagiwagi.

Mumha ko ki Siraya ka anim ki kapta.

Tu hinin.

Wagiwagi.

Instructor: Hanyu Talavan

#siyara #formosan #formosa #taiwan #nativelanguage #languagelearning 

Tâigí word of the day

New vocabulary of the day

tsínn-kiong (younger ginger, not as spicy.)
Chinese: 嫩薑

Related word: lāu-kiong (older ginger, stronger flavor).
Chinese: 老薑

kiong = ginger


#taigi #learntaigi #formosa #formosan #taiwanese