Filling in the gaps: A study of Northern Plains Formosan languages
Date:
Abstract: The Austronesian languages once spoken along the northwestern coast of Taiwan became extinct in the nineteenth century. They are poorly documented, with fragmentary word lists consisting of a few dozen items being the norm. Studies have classified these languages in terms of similarity to other, better documented Formosan languages, citing shared lexical and phonological innovations. However, comparisons with Proto-Austronesian (PAn) reconstructions and neighboring Formosan languages suggest greater linguistic diversity in the area than previously assumed. In this study, languages spoken in the area between modern-day Taipei and Taoyuan are classified based on previously-unanalyzed materials collected during the colonial Japanese era. The analysis challenges two established subgrouping assumptions: Luilang cannot be reliably classified as East Formosan and differs substantially from Ketangalan (Basay), and Kulon lacks sufficient evidence to support its proposed affiliation with Saisiyat. In addition, the limited data from Lamkham is found to not align with any known Formosan language, as illustrated by key reflexes of PAn phonemes in table 1. In addition, evidence indicates the presence of Kavalan- and Atayal-speaking communities in the area, supported by both linguistic data collected in Taoyuan and contact effects in surrounding languages. The findings in this study suggest that there was a higher degree of linguistic diversity in northwest Taiwan than previously assumed, with multiple smaller languages being spoken in a limited geographic area.