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.^[1] 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.^[2]

Phonology

Favorlang has gone through the following sound changes. Except for the *t, *s, *Z > /t/ merger, all of these sound changes are shared by the five Western Plains languages Taokas, Babuza, Papora, Hoanya, and Thao.^[3]

1. Merger of PAn *n and *ŋ as /n/
2. Merger of *t, *s, *Z as /t/
3. Merger of *N and *S₁ as /s/
4. Complete loss of *k, *q, *H
5. Partial loss of *R, *j, including the loss of final *-y and *-w
6. *s (in initial and medial positions) > /t/

Sources

Favorlang data sources are:^[4]

• Happart, Gilbertus (1650). Woorden boek der Favorlangsche Taal [Favorlang Vocabulary] (in Dutch). Later translated into English:
  • Happart, Gilbertus (1840) [1650]. Written at Batavia. Dictionary of the Favorlang dialect of the Formosan language. transl. Medhurst, W. H. Parapattan.
• 5 sermons and various prayers, questions, and answers on Christianity by Jacobus Vertrecht (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• Word lists collected by Naoyoshi Ogawa in the early 1900s (unpublished manuscripts dated 1900, 1901, and 1930; others are undated)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:^[5]

• 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:^[6]

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:^[6]

• -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

• Namoa tamau tamasea paga de boesum, ipa-dass-a joa naan.
  • Our father, which art in Heaven, let Thy Name be praised!^[7]
• Ka-ina paga ta Jehova oa Deosoe, tamasea pina-ijor ijo....
  • I am the Lord, thy God, who led thee....^[7]

The Lord's Prayer^[8]

Namoa tamau tamasea paḡa de boesum,
Ipádassa joa naan.
Ipáṣaija joa chachimit o ai.
Ipa-i-jorr'o oa airab maibas de boesum, masini de ta channumma.
Epé-e namo-no pia-dai torro uppo ma-atsikap.
Ṣo-o abó-e namo tataap o kakossi namoa,
maibas channumma namo mabo tamasea parapies i namo.
Hai pásabas i namo, ṣo-o barra'i namo innai rapies ai.
Inau joa micho chachimit o ai, ṣo-o barr'o ai, ṣo-o adas ai, taulaulan,
Amen.

References