Language Culture

History and Geography • Language Culture • Social Structure • Rituals and Ceremonies • Sinbaiyang

Languages and Culture

Language is the most important core of a tribe. Truku Tribe successfully rectified its name as a tribe precisely because their language is different from the language of Atayal Tribe.

The following is an introduction to the basic pronunciation of the Truku language according to The Written System of Aboriginal Languages published by Ministry of Education, and a list of Truku language’s alphabet and phonation.

19 consonants:
Places and Manner of Articulation	Script	The International Phonetic Alphabet	Places and Manner of Articulation	Script	The International Phonetic Alphabet
Bilabial Plosives (voiceless)	p	p	Velar fricative (voiceless)	x	x
Bilabial plosive (voiced)	b	b	Pharyngeal fricative (voiceless)	h	ħ
Apical (voiceless)	t	t	Bilabial nasal	m	m
Apical (voiced)	d	d	Alveolar nasal	n	n
Velar plosive (voiceless)	k	k	Velar nasal	ng	ŋ
Velar plosive (voiced)	g	g	Alveolar tap	r	ſ
Uvular plosive (voiceless)	q	q	Alveolar lateral approximant	l	l
Alveolar affricate (voiceless)	c	ts	Bilabial semivowel	w	w
Alveolar affricate (voiced)	j	ĵ	Palatal semivowel	y	j
Coronal sibilant (voiceless)	s	s
5 vowels:
Places and Manner of Articulation	Script	The International Phonetic Alphabet	Places and Manner of Articulation	Script	The International Phonetic Alphabet
High front vowel	i	i	Back close vowel	u	u
Central mid vowel	e	ә	Back mid vowel	o	o
Central open vowel	a	a

Table 1: The Written System of Truku Languages

References:

The Written System of Aboriginal Languages (Dec. 15, 2005). Tai-Yu-Tze-Di#0940163297, Yuan-Min-Chiao-Tze-Di#09400355912. Taipei: Ministry of Education, Council of Indigenous Peoples, Executive Yuan. http://www.edu.tw/files/list/M0001/aboriginal.pdf