ATAYAL: Introducing an Indigenous Language of Taiwan via food

Well, it has been years since my last blog but my cooking show is still going strong. We were featured in a number of papers and TV including the Asturian, Paraguayan and Guamanian press for our work with indigenous languages and cuisine. So when I have time I'll share you those recipes and experiences.

But for now, I would like to share with you a real treasure of humanity - an interlinear gloss of my Taiwanese Steamed Fish video, showing the beauty and complexities of one of Taiwan's endangered indigenous languages: Atayal.

Atayal is spoken in Northern Taiwan, the map above shows the two major dialects, Squliq and C’uli’.

Although the Atayal language is only spoken in the island of Taiwan, it is NOT related to Chinese in any way. It is an Austronesian language most closely related to the languages of the northern Philippines, like my language! The Ethnologue reports that is is spoken by 84,300 people. These are the ingredients needed to make this dish (in both languages). The ingredients proportions will vary depending on the size of the fish. This is for one pompano fish (but many saltwater white flesh fishes will do). Use white fleshed fish which have a more delicate flavor.

Ingredients Needed
ENGLISH	ATAYAL
1 whole white fish	qutux s’rux qulih
Ginger	quriq
Green onions (scallions)	qinuw
Soy Sauce	toyu’
Rice wine vinegar	mngihuy na’ qwow
Coriander leaves	abaw ramat ka blaq sokan
Chili peppers (optional)	qurip muyaw
Cooking oil	suyu’

The dish is simple, yet delicious. It's extremely easy to make. I'll show you how in this bilingual video dedicated to the Atayal and the original inhabitants of Taiwan.

The video closes with an Atayal proverb:
Maha qutux squliq ga, ini’ qbaq kinraral qani ga, iyat nya’ baqun maha pkusan nanu’ mqyanux la.
"If one doesn’t know history he will not know how to live."

Before I share with your the interlinear gloss of my Atayal video's narration, I would like to give a very special thanks to Maya Yu-Ting Yeh and Hama’ Ihil (Yue-mei Xu) for their wonderful and patient help with their language as well as beautiful Atayal narration. I have new recipes each week, so subscribe now so you don't miss any of my shows!

Before sharing the interlinear gloss for interested linguists, here's the Atayal video narration first in the official orthography. Listen to it with the English subtitles here:

Blaq simu’ kwara’? kun ga, ptayak Rafi. Mqas saku’ balay mwah simu’ sa kamuk mu qani.
Kira’ ga, pcbaqun simu’ maha, son nanu’ pskulu’ qu’ qutux s’rux na’ qulih.
Qani ga, ’llaw balay qu’ thqun na’ ramat.
Kun ka ptayak qani ga, blaq mu pcwakun qu’ qulih na’ umi’. Slaqux nya’ qu’ qulih na’ pitung hya’.
Baqun su cyux maki’ inu’ qu’ ttayal hya’? Si ktai qu’ pintasan ka biru’ qani.
Kwara’ qani ga, nanu yasa qu’ nyux su ggalan sa pcwakan qani.
Nyux su ggalun qani ga, qutux s’rux plquy na’ qulih. Laxi prungi qu’ tunux na’ qulih.
Pinbaq mita’ qu’ qulih qani! Qinu’ na’ giqas balay. Ini’ ksknux.
Pkslyut qmwax qu’ qulih qani. Agal kwara’ qu’ gyus na’ qsahuy nya’.
Te sazing binah nya’ ga, hboci cikay.
Yan qani hmubing qu’ qinuw ru qurip.
Si’ sa ktu’ ru babaw na’ qulih qu’ qinuw ru qurip qani.
Qurip qa ga, spposa’ sa yaqih kinsokan na’ qulih.
Spemaw qu’ toyu’ ru mngihuy na’ qwow lga, nanu stukun sa babaw na’ qulih.
Maha smoya’ su sa melux ga, nanu twangi qurip muyaw uzi’
Shmiq qu’ qsya’, pskulu sa qulih ru, spat puzit lga, yasa la.
Galun qu’ qulih. Syun sa ska’ na’ sara’.
Skluxun qu’ suyu’ ru, stukun sa babaw na’ qulih. tmwang sa kinsokan.
Abaw ramat ka blaq sokan ga, syun sa babaw qulih. Skbetunux ktan.
Maha qutux squliq ga, ini’ qbaq kinraral qani ga, iyat nya’ baqun maha pkusan nanu’ mqyanux la.
Tmasuq la! Wahi maniq la.
Mhway simu’ wahan saku’ mita’.
Babaw nya’ ga, wahi saku’ mita’ sa ChefRafi.com loziy.

Enjoy, Linguists, the ATAYAL INTERLINEAR GLOSS:

blaq=simu’          kwara’? kun           ga,    ptayak              Rafi.   good=2Pl.Nom  all            1Sg.Neu   Top  cook.ActrNmlz PN     mqas=saku’                  balay m-wah=simu’           sa     kamuk=mu              qani. happy.AF=1Sg.Nom     true   AF-come=2Pl.Nom  Loc   program=1Sg.Gen  this

kira’   ga, pcbaq-un=simu’       maha, so-n       nanu’  pskulu’ qu’    qutux later Top teach-PF=2Pl.Nom  Quot    say-PF   what   steam  Nom  one s’rux                      na’    qulih. stand.StatNmlz   Gen   fish

qani ga,   ’llaw balay qu’    thq-un               na’    ramat. this  Top   easy true  Nom cook-ObjNmlz  Gen  dish

kun           ka  p-tayak               qani ga,   blaq=mu          pcwak-un qu’    qulih 1Sg.Neu  Lig  ActrNmlz-cook  this  Top  like=1Sg.Gen  cook-PF    Nom  fish na’    umi’.   s-laqux=nya’        qu’     qulih na’   pitung hya’. Gen  sea      CF-win=3Sg.Gen  Nom  fish   Gen  pond   3Sg.Neu

baq-un=su                 cyux        maki’      inu’      qu’    t-tayal    hya’?       si       know-PF=2Sg.Gen    Ext.Rem exist.AF  where Nom Red-PN  3Sg.Neu  just  kta-i                   qu’      p<in>tas-an                      ka  biru’    qani. see-NAF.Imp    Nom   <Perf>tattoo-LocNmlz   Lig  book  this (Ext: Existential marker; Rem: Remote)

kwara’ qani ga,   nanu yasa           qu’    nyux=su                      g-gal-an         sa all         this  Top  what that.way  Nom  Prog.Imm=2Sg.Nom Red-take-LF Obl pcwak-an              qani. cook-LocNmlz     this

nyux=su                      g-gal-un         qani ga,    qutux s’rux                     plquy Prog.Imm=2Sg.Nom Red-take-PF  this  Top  one    stand.StatNmlz   white na’   qulih.   laxi prung-i                        qu’    tunux na’    qulih. Gen fish      Neg cut.off-NAF.Neg       Nom   head  Gen  fish

pin-baq                        mita’    qu’    qulih qani!  qinu’       na’ giqas balay. Emp-know(.AF.Imp)  see.AF Nom  fish   this    whether  Lig  new  true ini’     k-sknux. Neg  Stat-stink

p-k-slyut                             q<m>wax qu’      qulih qani. agal                   kwara’ qu’ Cau-Stat-clean(.AF.Imp)  <AF>wash Nom  fish   this   take(.AF.Imp)  all         Nom gyus na’   qsahuy=nya’. guts Gen  inside=3Sg.Gen

te      sazing binah=nya’     ga,    hboc-i                cikay. Loc   two    side=3Sg.Gen  Top   cut-NAF.Imp    a.bit

yan      qani  h<m>ubing qu’     qinuw               ru    qurip. alike    this   <AF>cut      Nom   green.onion   and   ginger

si’                        sa    ktu’   ru     babaw na’ qulih   qu’     qinuw             ru    qurip put(.NAF.Imp)  Loc  belly  and above   Gen fish    Nom  green.onion  and ginger qani. this

qurip    qa     ga,    s<p>p-osa’            sa    yaqih k<in>sok-an                         na’ ginger  Dem Top   CF<Red>Cau-go   Obl   bad   Stat<Perf>smell-LocNmlz Gen qulih. fish

s-p-emaw     qu’    toyu’           ru    m-ngihuy na’ qwow lga,       nanu stuk-un CF-Cau-mix  Nom  soy.sauce  and AF-sour   Lig   wine  FP:Top  what  pour-PF sa   babaw na’ qulih. Loc  above Gen fidh

maha s<m>oya’=su          sa    melux                      ga,   nanu  twang-i      Quot <AF>like=2Sg.Nom Obl spicy.StatNmlz       Top  what  increase-NAF.Imp qurip   muyaw uzi’. ginger  red       also

s-hmiq                                     qu’    qsya’, pskulu  sa  qulih ru,   spat   puzit lga, generate-shallow(.AF.Imp)  Nom  water steam Loc fish  and  eight strike FP:Top yasa            la. that.way   FP

gal-un     qu’     qulih. sy-un    sa      ska’      na’    sara’. Take-PF  Nom  fish    put-PF   Loc   middle Gen   dish

s-klux-un               qu’    suyu’ ru,   stuk-un   sa    babaw na’ qulih. t<m>wang generate-hot-PF  Nom  oil    and   pour-PF  Loc  above  Gen fish   <AF>increase sa    k<in>sok-an. Obl Stat<Perf>smell-LocNmla

abaw ramat         ka   blaq   sok-an     ga,    sy-un    sa    babaw qulih. leaf    vegetable  Lig   good  smell-LF  Top  put-PF  Loc above   fish s-k-betunux       kt-an. CF-Stat-pretty  see-LF

maha qutux squliq ga,   ini’   q-baq          kin-raral    qani ga,      iyat=nya’ Quot  one     man  Top   Neg  Stat-know Emp-past  this  Top    Neg=3Sg.Gen baq-un    maha p-kus-an nanu’   m-qyanux la. know-PF  Quot  Fut-do-LF  what  AF-live   FP

tmasuq              la!  wah-i                 maniq  la. finish(.AF.Imp) FP  come-NAF.Imp eat.AF  FP

mhway=simu’            wah-an=saku’          mita’. generous=2Pl.Nom  come-LF=1Sg.Nom see.AF

babaw=nya’        ga,   wah-i=saku’                           mita’   sa     Rafi.com loziy. above=3Sg.Gen  Top  come-NAf.Imp=1Sg.Nom   see.AF Loc  PN            again

Help me continue to work with indigenous people by sharing my channel and wearing one of my shirts!