Central Amis lessons

[vijayjohn]

Okay, but I think I'll go ahead and start on translating the Central Amis ones. Specifically, I'm starting with p. 44 of this, because it's the first book they have for Central Amis, and everything they have before that page is either introductory material or the same phrases without a translation. These are the first four lessons (if I'm not much mistaken, I believe the content is similar for all the languages):

Lesson 1: Nga'ayho? 'How are you?'

Amis: Nga'ayho kiso, singsi?
Word-for-word gloss: good you teacher
Translation: How are you, teacher?

Hay, nga'ayho. Kiso i?
yes good you [particle]
Yes, I'm fine. How about you?

Nga'a:yto, aray.
also.good thanks
I'm fine, too, thanks.

Lesson 2: O sito kako 'I am a student'

O sito kiso hay?
[particle] student you [particle]
Are you a student?

Hay, o sito kako.
yes [particle] student I
Yes, I'm a student.

O sito ciira hay?
[particle] student he/she [particle]
Is he a student? [Note: It's translated as 'he' in Chinese but can probably also mean 'she']

Caay, o singsi ciira.
no [particle] teacher he/she
No, he's a teacher.

Lesson 3: Kalomowad! 'Please stand up!'

Amis: Kalomowad!
Translation: Please stand up!

Kamaro'!
Please sit down!

Sowalen!
Please explain!

Tengilen!
Listen!

Lesson 4: Cima kiso? 'Who are you?'

Cima kiso?
who you
Who are you?

Ci Tomay kako.
[particle] [name] I
I'm Tomay.

Ci Mayaw ko ngangan nira hay?
[particle] [name] [particle] name he/she/him/his/her [particle]
Is his name Mayaw?

Caay, caay ka ci Mayaw ciira ci Kacaw ko ngangan nira.
no no [particle] [particle] [name] he/she [particle] [name] [particle] name he/she/him/his/her
No, he isn't Mayaw; his name is Kacaw.

[księżycowy]

I'd hate to say this after you've started, but maybe we should make seperate threads for the translations?

[vijayjohn]

I'm fine with that. Either atalarikt or Irusia can split my post into a separate thread if they like.

[vijayjohn]

Thanks for doing that! Here's the rest of the first book:

Lesson 5: O fafahiyan kami 'We are women'

O fa'inayan kiso.
[particle] man you
You are a man.

O fafahiyan kami.
[particle] woman we
We are women.

O fa'inayan ci Panay hay?
[particle] man [particle] [name] [particle]
Is Panay a man?

Caay, o fafahiyan ciira.
no [particle] woman he/she
No, she's a woman.

Lesson 6: O wacu no mako 'My dog'

Ira ko wacu no mako cecay.
there.is/at [particle] dog [particle] I/me/my one
I have a dog.

O kohtingay ko wacu no mako.
[particle] black [particle] dog [particle] I/me/my
My dog is black.

Maolah kako i ciira-an.
like I [particle] it-ACC
I like it.

Maolah cira i takowanan.
like it [particle] me.ACC
It likes me, too.

Lesson 7: Ini ko singsi no mako 'My teacher is here'

Icowa ko singsi no miso?
where [particle] teacher [particle] you/your
Where is your teacher?

Ini ciira.
here he/she
He's here.

Icowa ko impic no miso?
where [particle] pencil [particle] you/your
Where's your pencil?

Ira itiraw ko impic no mako.
there.is/at there [particle] pencil [particle] I/me/my
My pencil is there.

Lesson 8: O maan kinian? 'What's this?'

O maan kinian?
[particle] what this
What's this?

O sapad kinian.
[particle] table this
This is a table.

Fa^ket kiraan a 'anengang hay?
heavy that [particle] chair [particle]
Is that chair heavy?

Hay, fa:^ket.
yes very.heavy
Yes, it's very heavy.

Lesson 9: O ina no mako 'My mother'

Cima kira tamdaw?
who that person
Who is that person?

O ina no mako ciira!
[particle] mother [particle] I/me/my he/she
She's my mother!

Mimaanay ko tayal niira?
do.what [particle] work he/she/him/his/her
What kind of job does she have?/What does she do for a living?

O malakangkofuay ciira.
[particle] working.as.nurse he/she
She's a nurse.

Lesson 10: O kahngangay a cudad 'The red book'

Ira ko cudad i safaled no sapad hay?
there.is/at [particle] book [particle] above [particle] table [particle]
Is there a book on the table?

Tolo ko cudad i safaled no sapad.
three [particle] book [particle] above [particle] table
There are three books on the table.

Cecay ko kahngangay, tosa ko kohtingay.
one [particle] red two [particle] black
One is red, and two are black.

Nima kiraan a kahngangay a cudad?
whose that [particle] red [particle] book
Whose is the red book?/Who does the red book belong to?

No singsi kiraan a kahngangay a cudad.
[particle] teacher that [particle] red [particle] book
The red book is the teacher's/belongs to the teacher.

Vocabulary for each lesson:

Lesson 1: Nga'ayho? 'How are you?'

Lesson vocabulary:
nga'ay 'good'
kiso 'you'
singsi 'teacher'
hay 'yes'
i = a particle
aray 'sorry'

Additional vocabulary:
nga'ayho 'are you okay?'
nga'a:yto 'I'm fine, too'
kamo 'y'all'
kako 'I'

Lesson 2: O sito kako 'I'm a student'

Lesson vocabulary:
sito 'student'
ciira 'he/she'
caay 'no'

Additional vocabulary:
cudad 'book'
micudaday 'learner'
caayay 'which/that isn't(?)'

Lesson 3: Kalomowad! 'Please stand up!'

Lesson vocabulary:
kalomowad 'please stand up'
kamaro' 'please sit down'
sowalen 'explain'
tengilen 'listen'

Additional vocabulary:
lomowad 'stand up'
kamowad 'stand up'
maro' 'sit down'
sowal 'speech(?)'
tengil 'listen'

Lesson 4: Cima kiso? 'Who are you?'

Lesson vocabulary:
cima 'who'
ci = a particle
Tomay = 'bear' or a personal name
kako 'I'
Mayaw = a personal name
ngangan 'name'
Kacaw = a personal name

Additional vocabulary:
no mako 'I/me/my'
mako 'I/me/my'

Lesson 5: O fafahiyan kami 'We are women'

Lesson vocabulary:
fa'inayan 'man'
fafahiyan 'woman'
kami 'we (exclusive)'
Panay = a personal name

Additional vocabulary:
fa'inay 'husband'
fafahi 'wife'
kamo 'y'all'
kita 'we (inclusive)'

Lesson 6: O wacu no mako 'My dog'

Lesson vocabulary:
wacu 'dog'
kohtingay 'black'
maolah 'to like'

Additional vocabulary:
pusi 'cat'
kohting '(the color) black'
ma'osi 'to hate'

Lesson 7: Ini ko singsi no mako 'My teacher is here'

Lesson vocabulary:
cowa 'where'
ini 'here'
impic 'pencil'
ira 'there is/at'
tiraw 'there'

Additional vocabulary:
icowa 'where is'
itiraw '___ is there'

Lesson 8: O maan kinian? 'What's this?'

Lesson vocabulary:
maan 'what'
kinian 'this'
sapad 'table'
fa^ket 'heavy'
kiraan 'that'
a = a particle
'anengang 'chair'

Additional vocabulary:
kini 'this'
fa:^ket 'very heavy'
kahmaw 'light'
kira 'that'
'anengan 'chair'

Lesson 9: O ina no mako 'My mother'

Lesson vocabulary:
tamdaw 'person'
mimaanay 'doing what'
tayal 'work'
kangkofu 'nurse'

Additional vocabulary:
tamdamdaw 'people'
adaaday 'sick person, patient'
ising 'doctor'

Lesson 10: O kahngangay a cudad 'The red book'

Lesson vocabulary:
cudad 'book'
safaled 'surface'
cecay 'one'
kahngangay 'red'
tosa 'two'
nima 'whose'

Additional vocabulary:
fafaled 'surface'
faled 'above'

[aaakknu]

Are there any explanations about the pronounciation in the book?

[vijayjohn]

No, but there are on Wikipedia. The lessons are also available with audio. This is the version of this book that includes the audio.

Btw, I think I mixed up Central Amis and Tavalong-Vata'an, and I think this is Tavalong-Vata'an, not Central Amis. I say that because I just looked at the second book in each variety, and the second one in this variety I've been covering has a person saying they're from Tavalong...whereas the equivalent in what I now think is probably in Central Amis says they're from Taitung.

It's been hard for me to tell which is which because in Chinese, they're not called "Central Amis" or "Tavalong-Vata'an"; they're called "Coastal Amis" and "Xiuguluan Amis." These lessons are in "Xiuguluan Amis."

[vijayjohn]

I think I'll just go ahead and translate the next lesson in this series anyway, though, even if it is really in Tavalong-Vata'an rather than Central Amis. It's from this book. This is the version with audio.

Lesson 1: O paro no loma' no mako 'My family'

Lalima ko paro no loma' no mako.
five [particle] member [particle] family [particle] I/me/my
There are five people in my family.

O ama:, o mama, o ina, o fafahiyan a safa ato kako.
[particle] paternal.grandmother [particle] father [particle] mother [particle] female [particle] younger.sibling and I/me
My grandmother, my father, my mother, my little sister, and me.

Micudad kako i picudadan.
study I [particle] school
I study at school.

Micudad ko fafahiyan a safa no mako i yociing.
study [particle] female [particle] younger.sibling [particle] I/me/my [particle] kindergarten
My little sister studies/is in kindergarten.

[atalarikt]

Whoa, much thanks for the translation of the lessons, Vijay! Didn't expect this to come out pretty fast, honestly.

I think I'll just go ahead and translate the next lesson in this series anyway, though, even if it is really in Tavalong-Vata'an rather than Central Amis. It's from this book. This is the version with audio.

The second link redirects to the index page of the classroom.

[vijayjohn]

Whoa, much thanks for the translation of the lessons, Vijay! Didn't expect this to come out pretty fast, honestly.

No problem! The dialogues so far are pretty easy.

The second link redirects to the index page of the classroom.

Oh, sorry! It should be http://file.alcd.tw/nine_student_ebook/2/223/ch1.html. I hope that works. I'll change the link in that post, too.

[księżycowy]

No problem! The dialogues so far are pretty easy.

Exactly what I thought when I saw them on the site.

Which is why I also thought they'd make interesting Chinese practice. Two birds, one stone.

[vijayjohn]

I hope I didn't kill the fun for you or anything then.

Here's the next three lessons:

Lesson 2: Maranam 'Breakfast'

Maranam, ina.
good.morning mother
Good morning, mother.

Maratar kiso Payo, atiati, maranamto.
good.morning you [name] come (hurry?) it's.time.for.breakfast
Good morning, Payo. Come on, it's time for breakfast!

Honito, misoracaho kako to wadis.
wait.a.minute wash/brush I [particle] teeth
Hold on, let me brush my teeth first!

Kalalo'op kiso.
wash.face you
Wash your face!

Hay, ina.
yes mother
Okay, mother!

Lesson 3: Mo^tepto ko mihcaan no mako 'I'm ten years old'

Pinato ko mihcaan no miso?
how.much/many.already [particle] age [particle] you/your
How old are you?

Mo^tepto ko mihcaan no mako.
ten.years.old [particle] age [particle] I/me/my
I am ten years old.

Papina kamo a malakaka?
how.much/many y'all [particle] sibling
How many brothers and sisters do you have?

Tatosa ko kaka no mako to fa'inayan, cecay ko safa no mako to fafahian.
two [particle] older.sibling [particle] my [particle] male one [particle] younger.sibling [particle] my [particle] female
I have two big brothers and one little sister.

Pina ko mihcaan no safa no miso?
how.much/many [particle] age [particle] younger.sibling [particle] your
How old is your little sister?

Enem ko mihcaan no safa no mako.
six [particle] age [particle] younger.sibling [particle] my
My little sister is six years old.

Lesson 4: Icowa ko loma' no miso? 'Where is your home?'

Icowa ko loma' no miso?
where [particle] home [particle] you/your
Where is your home?

I satimolan no fanaw ko loma' no mako.
[particle] south [particle] Yuchi [particle] home [particle] I/me/my
My home is in the southern part of Yuchi.

I ngata no picudadan ko loma' namo haw?
[particle] near [particle] school/classroom [particle] home y'all('s) [particle]
Is your home close to the school?

Hay, i ngata no picudadan ko loma' niyam.
yes [particle] near [particle] school/classroom [particle] home we/us/our
Yes, my home is close to the school.

Romakat kako a talapicudadan to romi'ami'ad.
walk I/me [particle] go.to.school [particle] everyday
I walk to school every day.

[księżycowy]

I hope I didn't kill the fun for you or anything then.

Not until you start translating the Seediq lessons.
(And even then, nothing is stopping me from reading the Chinese version.)

I'm curious about all of these particles, by the way. It almost seems as if <no> is similar to の in Japanese.

[atalarikt]

I'm curious about all of these particles, by the way. It almost seems as if <no> is similar to の in Japanese.

If anything, I find the "no" particle in Amis more similar to Malay/Indonesian "-nya" particle.
But yeah, Formosan languages have some Japanese loanwords as a result of the Japanese invasion.

[księżycowy]

I don't know any Indonesian (or any Austronesian languages for that matter ), so i couldn't make that connection. I do know some Japanese though.

Maybe you can help fill in some grammar, atalarikt?

[atalarikt]

Maybe you can help fill in some grammar, atalarikt?

I'm afraid not. The grammar is pretty different compared to that of Indonesian to some degree, but I'll see what I can do.

[księżycowy]

I'm not asking for a miracle, just any insight you can give.

[vijayjohn]

I'm curious about all of these particles, by the way. It almost seems as if <no> is similar to の in Japanese.

I think it just means (roughly) the same thing as 'of' in English. No idea whether it's related to Malay/Indonesian -nya or not.

Maybe i is an emphatic particle or something, o is some sort of determiner, hay is an interrogative particle (in addition to meaning 'yes', I guess), ci is a definite article before names, or a name-marker or something, ko is a linker (like e in Polynesian languages, IIRC), and caay ka means something like 'to not be' or 'isn't'? I'm probably wrong about both i and ko at least.

[vijayjohn]

Two more lessons:

Lesson 5: NaniTafalong kako 'I'm from Tavalong'

Marang, nanicowa kiso?
[name] from.where you
Where are you from, Marang?

Nani-Tafalong kako.
from-[place name] I/me
I'm from Tavalong.

O tatalacowa kiso anocila?
[particle] to.where you tomorrow
Where are you going tomorrow?

O tala-Kalinko kako anocila.
[particle] to-[placename] I/me tomorrow
I'm going to Hualien City tomorrow.

Arayom, na'on hanto ko rakat.
goodbye slowly thus [particle] go
Then bye, have a nice trip!

Lesson 6: O lotok ato sa'owac 'The mountain and brook'

Fangcal ko romi'ad anini.
good [particle] day now/today
The weather is good today.

Tatalotok ci mama a mi'adop.
ascend.mountain [particle] father [particle] hunt
Father is hunting on the mountain.

Mifaca' ci ina to fodoy i sa'owac.
wash.clothes [particle] mother [particle] clothes [particle] brook
Mother is washing clothes by the brook.

Misalama kako aci kaka no mako i loma'.
play I/me and older.sibling [particle] I/me [particle] home
My big brother and I are playing at home.

[vijayjohn]

Lesson 7: Masadak ko cidal 'The sun is shining'

Masadak ko cidal.
emerge [particle] sun
The sun is shining.

Matayal ci mama aci ina.
work [particle] father and mother
Father and mother go to work.

Masadak ko fulad.
emerge [particle] moon
The moon is shining.

Taloma' ci mama aci ina.
return.home [particle] father and mother
Father and mother come back home.

Minengneng kita to fu'is.
look we (inclusive) [particle] star
We go look at the stars.

[vijayjohn]

Lesson 8: Ma'oradto 'It's raining'

Ma'oradto.
It's raining.

Sicacelakan kiso?
bring.umbrella you
Did you bring an umbrella?

Hay.
Yes.

Icowaay ko cacelakan no miso?
which [particle] umbrella [particle] you/your
Which umbrella is yours?

Inian ko cacelakan no mako.
this.one [particle] umbrella [particle] I/me/my
This one is my umbrella.