| Also Known As: Sao,Chuihwan,Vulung,Chui-huan,Shao,Sau,Suihwan
Description:
Thao, also known as Sao, is the language of the Thao people, a tribe of Taiwanese aborigines in the region of Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan. In 2000 there were approximately 5 or 6 speakers, all but one of whom were over the age of sixty. It is a Formosan language of the Austronesian family; Brawbaw and Shtafari are dialects.
p as in punuq (head), apuy (fire)
b as in bidhu (beard), tubu (urine)
m as in matha (eye), rumfadh (bird), urum (cloud)
f as in funush (knife), afu (food), qaruf (knee)
t as in taparudh (rabbit), katawnan (village), shpat (four)
d as in dadú (chief), shmadiya' (owl)
n as in nipin (tooth), tanathu (nine), mudhin (nose)
ɬ as in lhanadh (name), tilhadh (sun), qawlh (bamboo)
l as in luysh (short, not long), lalay (cicada), bunal (sand)
r as in ribush (tree), katuru (six), kamar (millet)
θ as in thaythuy (they), ruthun (monkey), lhamith (root)
ð as in dhama (tongue), padhay (corn husk), fidhfidh (banana)
s as in sadhum (water), rusaw (fish), balis (iron)
ʃ as in shmin'an (to drink), tusha (two), shaqish (face)
k as in ku'aw (eagle), kakulhum (ant)
ŋ as in kakani na pangka (table), lhungqawshin (to sneeze)
q as in qnuwan (deer, pig), maqusum (black), flhuq (to..... full article at Wikipedia |
