Atayalic (Noun)
Meaning
A language spoken by a Malaysian people on Formosa.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The Atayalic languages are spoken by indigenous Taiwanese peoples, who were the original inhabitants of the island of Taiwan before the influx of Chinese and Japanese immigrants.
- Many linguists recognize Atayalic as a language isolate, as researchers have not been able to establish any links with other known languages.
- The Atayalic languages are part of the Formosan languages, and today are mainly spoken by the Atayal people, who originated from the mountains of Taiwan.
- Seediq, a major subgroup within the Atayalic languages, is notable in that it has been more thoroughly documented by both Japanese and European linguists.
- These Atayalic languages are critical to scholars trying to piece together the prehistory and potential migrations of those cultures living around the islands of the western Pacific and who all would have had more frequent contact with these island people.