The Sirayaic languages are one of the sub-branches of the Formosan branch, under the Austronesian languages family. Both Blust (1999) and Li (2010) considers Proto-Siraya belongs to East Formosan languages, along with Kavalanic and Amis languages.
The Proto-Siraya language is the reconstructed ancestor of the Sirayaic branch. Proto-Siraya includes at least three languages: Siraya, Taivoan, and Makatao. Li claimed Proto-Siraya might have split from the other East Formosan languages around 3,500 years ago, and began to develop into modern Siraya, Taivoan, and Makatao 3,000 years ago.
Classification Raleigh Farrell (1971) believes there were at least five indigenous peoples in the southwestern plain of Taiwan at that time:
Sirayaic Siraya Tevorang-Taivuan Takaraian (now classified as Makatao) Pangsoia-Dolatok (now classified as Makatao) Longkiau (now classified as Makatao)
Based on the latest corpora, Li (2010) attempted two classification trees for Sirayaic languages:
Tree based on the number of phonological innovations Tree based on the relative chronology of sound changes Sirayaic Taivoan Siraya–Makatao Siraya Makatao Sirayaic Siraya Taivoan–Makatao Taivoan Makatao
Reconstruction Adelaar published his reconstruction of Proto-Siraya phonology in 2014: +Proto-Siraya Consonants (Adelaar, 2014)LabialAlveolarPalatalVelarGlottalUnvoiced stopptkVoiced stopbdNasalmnŋUnvoiced spirantsshVoiced spirantsvðɣLateralr, łSemivowelswy +Proto-Siraya Vowels (Adelaar, 2014)HeightFrontCentralBackCloseiuMidəOpena
Sound changes Based on the comparison of the available corpora, Adelaar (2014) proposed a summary of sound correspondences between Proto-Austronesian and Proto-Siraya, comapared with Siraya or Taivoan in the 17th century, accompanied with the other three East Formosan languages, Basay, Kavalan, and Amis, proposed by Li (2004):
Proto-AustronesianProto-SirayaSiraya (UM)Siraya or Taivoan (Gospel)BasayKavalanAmis*p*pppppp*t, *C*tttttt*c --*k*kkkk, h /_ak, qk*qØØØQ*b*bb/vb/vbbf*d*ðs/d, -s-, -sd/r, -r-, -r/d*-D --r, lzd*z*dddr, lzd*j*nnnnnn*g --*m*mmmmmm*n*nnnnnn*ñ?*nnnnnd*ŋ*ŋŋŋŋŋŋ*hØØØh, ?*S*sØ, -s-Ø, -h-sss*s*ss/h-, -s/h/x-, -xs/h-, -s/h/x-, -Øcsc*R*xxh/Ø-, -h/Ø-, -xr, lr, l, Rl*l*rrrcr, l, Rl*r --*N*łllnnd*w*w, *uwwwwv*y*yyyyyy*a*aaaaa, i / *qa*ə*əØØ*i*ii, -i/ei, -i/eiii*u*uuu/aw-, -u-, -u/awuuu
Comparison chart Below is a chart comparing list of numbers of 1–10 in Sirayaic languages, including different dialects of Siraya, Taivoan, and Makatao language, spoken from Tainan to Pingtung in southwestern Taiwan, and from Hualien to Taitung in eastern Taiwan:
Austronesian List of Numbers 1-10DialectsAutonym12345678910Proto-Austronesian*əsa *isa*duSa*təlu*Səpat*lima*ənəm*pitu*walu*Siwa*(sa-)puluqProto-Siraya*saat*ðusa*turu*səpat*rǐma*nəm*pitu*kuixpa*ma-tuda*saat ki tian17th centurySirayaUtrechtAttested in the Utrecht Manuscripts written in the 17th century. --saatsa-soatu-turopa-xpatri-rimani-nampi-pitokuxipatmatudaketeangSiraya (arguably)GospelAttested in the Gospel of St. Matthew in the 17th century, which Li (2010) regards as Taivoan language along with Moatao dialect, rather than Siraya. --saatruhaturuxpatrimanompitukuixpamatudakitian20th centurySiraya KonganaAttested and recorded in Kongana (崗仔林), a Siraya community in nowadays Zuojhen, Tainan.Siraiyasasaatduhaturutapattu-rimatu-numpitupipakudaketengSiraya (arguably)MoataoInvestigated and recorded by Ino. Kanori in Moatao (麻豆), a Siraya community located in nowadays Madou, Tainan.SiraiyaisarusataousipathimalomupituvaosivamasuTaivoanSuannsamnaInvestigated by Ino, Kanori in Suannsamna (山杉林), a Sia-urie-Taivoan community located in nowadays Shanlin, Kaohsiung. --sa'azuato'osipat
gaspaurimaurumuupituuwaruhsiya--TaivoanSiaolinIncluding vocabulary attested in Siaolin (小林) and Alikuan (阿里關), as the Taivoan people emigrated from Alikuan to Siaolin only in the late 19th century and have had very close relationship with each other. Both of the communities belong to Tevorangh-Taivoan.Taibowantsaha sakaruha luhatohupaha' limtahimalom lanlankitokipamatuha matsuhakaipien kaitianTaivoanDazhuangAttested in Dazhuang (大庄), a community in Hualien, founded by mainly Taivoan people immigrated from Siaolin and Laulong, and also by some Makatao people and very few Siraya people in the 19th century.Taivoan Taiburantsatsa'araruhatato'otapattarimatanumtyausenrapakoravasenkaitenMakataoLaopiInvestigated in Marun or Laopi (老埤) in the early 20th century, a Makatao community located in nowadays Neipu, Pingtung.MakataosakabailungkutunglumtarimalangalankimsengkalasinkabaityakaitenMakataoKanapoInvestigated and recorded in Kanapo (加蚋埔) in the early 20th century, a Makatao community located in nowadays Gaoshu, Pingtung.--na-saadra-ruhara-rumara-sipatra-limara-hurumra-pitora-harura-siwara-kaitianMakataoBankimInvestigated in Bankim (萬金), a Makatao community located in nowadays Wanluan, Pingtung, in the late 19th century by Steere. --saatlaluhataturuhapatlalimaanumpapitu --tudasaatitin
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