Tsou

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A language of Taiwan

ISO 639-3
tsu
Alternate Names
Cou, Namakaban, Niitaka, Tibola, Tibolah, Tibolak, Tibolal, Tso, Tsoo, Tsu-U, Tsu-Wo, Tsuou, Tzo
User Population

4,000 (Zeitoun 2005). Ethnic population: 6,700 (2020 CIP).

Location

Chiayi county: Alishan (Mt. Ali) area; Kaohsiung county: northwest and central; Nantou county: south central.

Language Maps
Language Status

6b (Threatened).

Classification
Austronesian, Tsouic
Dialects

Luhtu (Duhtu), Luhtu, Tapangu, Tfuya (Tfuea), Iimucu (Iimutsu). Iimucu has no remaining speakers (Wurm and Hattori 1981); Luhtu is on the verge of extinction (Zeitoun 2005).

Typology

VOS; nominative and oblique case-markers; no prepositions; voice, tense and aspect encoded in auxiliary verbs; 16 consonants and 6 vowels; stress on penultimate syllable; inclusive/exclusive pronouns.

Language Use

Many speak Tsou in daily life. Youth speak Mandarin Chinese [cmn]. Some young people, all adults.

Language Development

Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 2014.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Tsou
Writing

Latin script [Latn].