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Favorlang language

Favorlang is an extinct Formosan language closely related to Babuza. Although Favorlang is considered by Taiwanese linguist Paul Jen-kuei Li to be a separate language, it is nevertheless very closely related to Babuza. In fact, the name Favorlang is derived from Babuza. Alternatively, Favorlang may also have represented a dialect of Babuza at an earlier stage, since Favorlang was documented in the mid-17th century, while Babuza was documented only around the turn of the 20th century by Japanese linguists.

Phonology

Favorlang has gone through the following sound changes. Except for the *t, *s, *Z > merger, all of these sound changes are shared by the five Western Plains languages Taokas, Babuza, Papora, Hoanya, and Thao.

  1. Merger of PAn *n and *ŋ as
  2. Merger of *t, *s, *Z as
  3. Merger of *N and *S<sub>1</sub> as
  4. Complete loss of *k, *q, *H
  5. Partial loss of *R, *j, including the loss of final *-y and *-w
  6. <nowiki>*s</nowiki> (in initial and medial positions) >

Sources

Favorlang data sources are:

  • Later translated into English:
  • 5 sermons and various prayers, questions, and answers on Christianity by (1647–1651), a Dutch pastor
  • Word lists collected by Naoyoshi Ogawa in the early 1900s (unpublished manuscripts dated 1900, 1901, and 1930; others are undated)
  • Notebooks 1, 2, 3, and 5, now kept by ILCAA (Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa) and TUFS (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies) – call number "OA052"
  • Notebook 4, now kept at the Anthropological Institute, Nanzan University – call number "v. 1-2-1"

Syntax

Case markers include:

  • ja 'nominative marker'
  • ta 'personal name marker'
  • o, no 'oblique (genitive and accusative, common noun)'
  • i 'oblique (personal noun)'
  • de 'locative'
  • i 'directional'

Agent-focus verbal affixes include:

Agent-focus
  • -um- ~ -umm- (after consonant-initial verb stems) or um- ~ umm- (before vowel-initial verb stem except i-)
  • -im-, -em- (lexically conditioned)
  • m-
  • p-
Past tense (AF)
  • -in-umm-, in-umm
  • m-in-
  • -in-
Future tense (AF)
  • Reduplication of the first stem syllable
Imperative (AF)
  • -a

Non-agent-focus verbal affixes are:

  • -an 'locative focus'
  • -en, -in, -n 'patient focus'
  • ipa- ... -a 'imperative (non-agent-focus)'
  • -in-, in- 'past tense (non-agent-focus)'
  • ino- 'future tense (non-agent-focus)'

When -in- and -umm- appear together in a word, -in- usually precedes -um- ~ -umm-, as in Ilokano, Bontok, and some Dusunic languages in Sabah (Rungus Dusun and Kimaragang Dusun). Occasionally, -umm- precedes -in- in several Favorlang lexical forms, but this is not very common.

Pronouns

All of the following personal pronouns are free forms. All genitive pronouns end with -a.

Examples

The Lord's Prayer

References

Bibliography