Tsou
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A language of Taiwan
ISO 639-3
Alternate Names
Cou, Namakaban, Niitaka, Tibola, Tibolah, Tibolak, Tibolal, Tso, Tsoo, Tsu-U, Tsu-Wo, Tsuou, Tzo
Population
4,000 (Zeitoun 2005).
Location
Chiayi county: Alishan (Mt. Ali) area; Kaohsiung county: northwest and central; Nantou county: south central.
Language Maps
Language Status
6b (Threatened).
Classification
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
Writing
Latin script [Latn].