Atayalic Languages

Proto-Atayalic
Proto-Atayalic
Reconstruction of	Atayalic languages
Reconstructed; ancestor	Proto-Austronesian

Atayalic
Atayalic
Geographic; distribution	Northern Taiwan
Linguistic classification	Austronesian Atayalic;
Proto-language	Proto-Atayalic
Subdivisions	Atayal; Seediq;
Linguasphere	30-AA
Glottolog	atay1246

Robert Blust considers them to form a primary branch within the Austronesian language family, However, Paul Jen-kuei Li groups them into the Northern Formosan branch, which includes the Northwestern Formosan languages.

Classification

Li (1981) and Li (1982) classify the Atayalic languages and dialects as follows:

Atayalic
- Atayal
  - Squliq Atayal
    - Squliq
    - Maspaziʔ
    - Pyanan
    - Lmuan
    - Habun Bazinuq
    - Syanuh
    - Kulu
    - ŋŋupa
    - Haga-Paris
    - Kubaboo
    - Rghayuŋ
  - C'uli' Atayal (also known as Ts'ole' Atayal)
    - Skikun, Mnibuʔ
    - Mnawyan
    - Mayrinax (includes female and male registers)
    - Mabatuʔan
    - Matabalay
    - Sakuxan
    - Palŋawan
    - Mkgugut
    - Pyahaw
    - Ryuhiŋ
    - Mtlaŋan
    - Knŋyan
- Seediq
  - Toŋan
  - Toda
  - Truwan
  - Inago

Reconstruction

The Proto-Atayalic language was reconstructed by Taiwanese linguist Paul Jen-kuei Li in 1981. Proto-Atayalic had final voiced stops, which are preserved in the Mayrinax dialect of Cʔuliʔ Atayal. These voiced stops include *-b, *-d, *-g, and *-g'. However, they are now lost in many dialects of Atayal, Seediq, and also Pazeh (Blust 2009:615).

References

Notes

General references

Li, Paul Jen-Kuei (2004). "Reconstruction of Proto-Atayalic Phonology". Selected Papers on Formosan Languages (in English and Chinese). Taipei: Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica. ISBN 9789570184136.