Basay language


Basay was a Formosan language spoken around modern-day Taipei in northern Taiwan by the Basay, Qauqaut, and Trobiawan peoples. Trobiawan, Linaw, and Qauqaut were other dialects.
Basay data is mostly available from Erin Asai's 1936 field notes, which were collected from an elderly Basay speaker in Shinshe, Taipei, as well as another one in Yilan who spoken the Trobiawan dialect. However, the Shinshe informant's speech was heavily influenced by Taiwanese, and the Trobiawan informant, named Ipai, had heavy Kavalan influence in her speech.
Li mentions four Basaic languages: Basay, Luilang, Nankan, Puting. Nankan and Puting are close to Kavalan, whereas Luilang is divergent.

Syntax

There are four optional case markers in Basay.
Some function words include:
  • pai 'future'
Trobiawan negators include:
  • mia 'not'
  • asi 'don't'
  • upa 'not to want'
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Yes–no questions are marked by u ~ nu.

Morphology

Basay verbs, like Kavalan verbs, distinguish between agent-focus and patient-focus verbs. The perfective prefixes na- and ni- are allomorphs.
Type of prefixNeutralPerfectiveFuture
Agentive focus -um-, m-na-mi--um-... -a, m-... -a
Patient focus –ni--au
Locative focus -anni-... -an-ai

Pronouns

The Basay pronouns below are from Li.

Revival

Based in part on recordings and field notes made by in 1936, classes teaching Basay were offered in Taiwan starting in 2025.

General references

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