Also Known As:
Yami, 達悟, 雅美
Dialects & Varieties
- Iraralay
- Imowrod
E-learning in endangered language documentation and revitalization
Rau, D. Victoria and Meng-Chien Yang. 2007. E-learning in endangered language documentation and revitalization. In D. Victoria Rau and Margaret Florey (eds.), Documenting and Revitalizing Austronesian Languages, pp. 111-133. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/1355
Severely Endangered
100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~3000
Native Speakers Worldwide
Speaker Number Trends
Speaker Number Trend 4
Less than half of the community speaks the language, and speaker numbers are decreasing at an accelerated pace.
4
Domains of Use
Domain Of Use 4
Used mainly only in the home and/or with family, and may not be the primary language even in these domains for many community members.
4
Transmission
Transmission 4
Many of the grandparent generation speak the language, but younger people generally do not.
4
Speakers
Native or fluent speakers:
No results found.
Second-language speakers and learners
No results found.
Semi-speakers or rememberers
No results found.
Children:
No results found.
Young adults
No results found.
Older adults
No results found.
Elders
No results found.
Ethnic or community population
No results found.
Year information was gathered
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Location and Context
Countries
Taiwan
Location Description
Orchid Island (蘭嶼)
Government Support
No results found.
Institutional Support
No results found.
Speakers' Attitude
No results found.
Other Languages Used By The Community
Mandarin
Number of Other Language Speakers:
many
Domains of Other Languages:
many
Writing Systems
Standard orthography:
No results found.
Writing system:
roman scripts
Other writing systems used:
No results text.
Comments on writing systems:
"The more conservative Imowrod dialect is used as the basis for standard orthography... Three different orthographies have been proposed, all based on Roman alphabets with minor differences in the representations of trill vs. flap and glide vs. vowel. One is used in the newly translated Bible, developed in collaboration between SIL missionaries and local pastors. The second was announced by the Council of Indigenous Peoples in 2005 in an effort to standardize the writing systems of all Austronesian languages in Taiwan. The third was jointly developed by Dong and Rau during their collaboration and used in their texts, teaching materials, and Yami dictionary (Rau and Dong, 2006). Except in the teaching of Yami language in primary and secondary school and teacher training workshops, Yami orthography is not in general use by anyone in the speech community. The community has various degrees of literacy in Chinese (95%) while the most educated (less than 1%) are also literate in English (Rau, 1995b)." (p.115)
Recent Resources
Informative message
No results found.
Although Yami has been offered as an elective in elementary school since 1998, Yami is gradually being replaced by Mandarin Chinese in daily use. Among the junior high school students on Orchid Island, 60% either believed Yami would die eventually or were uncertain about the fate of the language (Rau, 1995b).
Adult speakers use both Chinese and Yami in daily communication. The medium of education in schools is exclusively Chinese. Yami is used primarily in Christian church services and traditional ceremonies. Translation of the New Testament of the Bible into Yami was completed in 1995. There is a locally run radio station on the island, managed by a Christian organization, broadcasting programs in Chinese and Yami." (p.115)