| East Formosan | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution: |
Taiwan |
| Linguistic classification: | Austronesian
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| Subdivisions: | |
(purple) Li's East Formosan
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The East Formosan languages consists of various Formosan languages scattered across Taiwan, including Kavalan, Amis, and the extinct Siraya language. This grouping is supported by both Robert Blust and Paul Jen-kuei Li. Li considers the Siraya-speaking area in the southwestern plains of Taiwan to be most likely homeland of the East Formosan speakers, where they then spread to the eastern coast of Taiwan and gradually migrated to the area of modern-day Taipei (Li 2004).
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Li (2004) presents the following criteria as evidence for an East Formosan subgrouping.
Li (2004) notes that the split of *k into k and q (before *a) is shared exclusively by Basay and Kavalan. Like Kavalan and Basay, the Siraya language merges the patient-focus and locative-focus forms, although Amis distinguishes the two focus forms. Li also gives scores of lexical innovations shared by the East Formosan languages.
The Basay, Kavalan, and Amis also share an oral tradition stating a common origin from an island called “Sinasay” or “Sanasay,” which is probably the Green Island of today.[1]
Li (1992) distinguishes 6 Ketagalan dialects (alternatively called the "Basaic" group[2]).
The Sirayaic languages are:
Paul Jen-kuei Li (2009) attempted a classification of the three Sirayaic languages Siraya, Taivuan, and Makatau.[3]
However, Li (2009) found that there were two conflicting trees.
1. Tree based on the number of phonological innovations
2. Tree based on the relative chronology of sound changes
Li (2009) considers the second tree (the one containing the Taivuan–Makatau group) to be the somewhat more likely one.
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