Thao language

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Thao
Spoken in:	Taiwan
Total speakers:	5 or 6 (2000)
Language family:	Austronesian  Formosan   Thao
Language codes
ISO 639-1:	none
ISO 639-2:	–
ISO 639-3:	ssf
Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode.

Thao is the language of the Thao, a tribe of Taiwanese aborigines in the region of Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan. In 2000 there were approximately 5 or 6 speakers, all but one of whom were over the age of sixty. It is a Formosan language of the Austronesian family.

[edit] Phonology

[edit] Reduplication

Thao has two or arguably three patterns of reduplication: Ca-reduplication, full reduplication, and rightward reduplication (which is sometimes considered to be a form of full reduplication).

[edit] Further reading

• Blust, R. A. (2003). Thao dictionary. Taipei: Institute of Linguistics (Preparatory Office), Academic Sinica.