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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > Taiwan > Rukai

Rukai

A language of Taiwan

ISO 639-3: dru

Population  10,500 (Council of Indigenous Peoples 2002). Ethnic population: 10,543.
Region  South central mountains, Ping Tung area, 11 villages; Taitung area, 2 or 3 villages; west of the Puyuma [pyu].
Language map  Taiwan
Alternate names   Banga, Bantalang, Bantaurang, Drukai, Drukay, Dukai, Dyokay, Kadas, Rutkai, Sarisen, Taloma, Tsalisen, Tsarisen
Dialects  Budai, Labuan, Tanan, Maga, Tona, Mantauran. Mantauran, Tona, and Maga dialects are divergent.
Classification  Austronesian, Rukai
Language use  All domains. Some monolingual older adults. Some also use Puyuma [pyu]. Some older adults also use Japanese. Budai people speak Taiwanese [nan].
Language development  Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 2001.
Writing system  Latin script.
Comments  Some linguists classify it as Paiwanic. Paiwanic influence. VSO.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

HUTESON, Greg, author. 2003. "Sociolinguistic survey report for the Tona and Maga dialects of the Rukai language."  Available online