Atayalic languages

The Atayalic languages are a group of Formosan languages spoken in northern Taiwan. Robert Blust considers them to form a primary branch within the Austronesian language family, However, Paul Jen-kuei Li groups them into the Northern Formosan branch, which includes the Northwestern Formosan languages.

Atayalic
Geographic distribution	Northern Taiwan
Linguistic classification	Austronesian Atayalic
Proto-language	Proto-Atayalic
Subdivisions	Atayal Seediq
Language codes
Linguasphere	30-AA
Glottolog	atay1246

Classification

A map showing the distribution of the two major dialect groups of the Atayal language. The Atayal people reside in central and northern Taiwan, along the Hsuehshan mountains.

Li (1981) and Li (1982) classify the Atayalic languages and dialects as follows:^[1]

• Atayalic
  • Atayal
    • Squliq Atayal
      • Squliq
      • Maspaziʔ
      • Pyanan
      • Lmuan
      • Habun Bazinuq
      • Syanuh
      • Kulu
      • ŋŋupa
      • Haga-Paris
      • Kubaboo
      • Rghayuŋ
    • C'uli' Atayal (also known as Ts'ole' Atayal)
      • Skikun, Mnibuʔ
      • Mnawyan
      • Mayrinax (includes female and male registers)
      • Mabatuʔan
      • Matabalay
      • Sakuxan
      • Palŋawan
      • Mkgugut
      • Pyahaw
      • Ryuhiŋ
      • Mtlaŋan
      • Knŋyan
  • Seediq
    • Toŋan
    • Toda
    • Truwan
    • Inago

Reconstruction

Proto-Atayalic
Reconstruction of	Atayalic languages
Reconstructed ancestor	Proto-Austronesian

The Proto-Atayalic language was reconstructed by Taiwanese linguist Paul Jen-kuei Li in 1981.^[1] Proto-Atayalic had final voiced stops, which are preserved in the Mayrinax dialect of Cʔuliʔ Atayal.^[2] These voiced stops include *-b, *-d, *-g, and *-g'. However, they are now lost in many dialects of Atayal, Seediq, and also Pazeh (Blust 2009:615).