Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Tsu-U, Tsoo, Tsuou, Tsu-Wo, Tzo, Tso, Namakaban, Niitaka, Tibola, Tibolah, Tibolak, Tibolal, Sprache von Formosa, 鄒語
CLASSIFICATION		Austronesian, Tsouic
ORTHOGRAPHY		latin script
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		tsu
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Duhtu Iimutsu Luhtu Tapangu Tfuea
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS		The Tsouic language has traditionally been divided into the northern branch (Tsou) and the southern branch (Kanakanabu and Saaroa). The Kanakanabu people and the Saaroa people, who had long been classified under the Tsou nationality, have been officially recognized as two independent ethnic groups in June 26, 2014.

Compare Sources (5)

Information from: “Personal Communication on Tsou” . Jozsef Szakos (2015)

Endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~1000
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Around 200 of 1000 speakers have a really good command of Tsou.

DATE OF INFO: 2015

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Children also learn the basics, but their language competence is far from the elderly native speakers. Young people in general have at least the passive knowledge of their heritage language.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Mandarin

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

Mandarin is the medium of education. Tsou is used by the older speakers at home, in the church, and during the farming work or other traditional activites.

Scripts (Writing system)

latin script

PLACES: Taiwan

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Mt. Ali (阿里山) in Chiayi (嘉義)

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2,130
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
2,127

DATE OF INFO: Council of Indigenous Peoples 2002 (speaker number)

PLACES: Taiwan

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: West central mountains southeast of Chiayi, Alishan (Mt. Ali) area.

Ethnic population
7,087 (including Tsou, Kanakanabu and Saaroa)
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
The Kanakanabu people and the Saaroa people, who had long been classified under the Tsou nationality, have been officially recognized as two independent ethnic groups in June 26, 2014.

DATE OF INFO: 2014

PLACES: Taiwan

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Alishan Township 阿里山鄉 in Chiayi 嘉義 County, and Hsinyi 信義 Township in Nantou 南投 County.

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2,127
Native speakers worldwide

	January		2014	The Tribes in Taiwan (Tsou)	in Chinese		online			https://www.apc.gov.tw/portal/docList.html?CID=F07B48DFDA79CF95&type=D553881BB72C42C9D0636733C6861689	Council of Indigenous Peoples (行政院原住民族委員會)	Council of Indigenous Peoples (行政院原住民族委員會). 2014. "The Tribes in Taiwan (Tsou)." Online: https://www.apc.gov.tw/portal/docList.html?CID=F07B48DFDA79CF95&type=D553881BB72C42C9D0636733C6861689.		7,087 (including Tsou, Kanakanabu and Saaroa)		2014		The Kanakanabu people and the Saaroa people, who had long been classified under the Tsou nationality, have been officially recognized as two independent ethnic groups in June 26, 2014.												Taiwan	Alishan Township 阿里山鄉 in Chiayi 嘉義 County, and Hsinyi 信義 Township in Nantou 南投 County.
				World Oral Literature Project						https://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: https://www.oralliterature.org.			2,127		1000-9999								Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
	March 24		2015	Personal Communication on Tsou							Jozsef Szakos	Szakos, Jozsef. 2015. Personal Communication on Tsou (March 24).			~1000	2015	1000-9999	Around 200 of 1000 speakers have a really good command of Tsou.	many	Mandarin	no	Mandarin is the medium of education. Tsou is used by the older speakers at home, in the church, and during the farming work or other traditional activites.	no	almost all	Endangered (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	11	Children also learn the basics, but their language competence is far from the elderly native speakers. Young people in general have at least the passive knowledge of their heritage language.	14	14	Taiwan	Mt. Ali (阿里山) in Chiayi (嘉義)
0199255911			2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures		Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer		Oxford University Press	New York			2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.																				23.5,120.75
		16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)		M. Paul Lewis		SIL International	Dallas, TX	https://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. https://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub	2,127	2,130	Council of Indigenous Peoples 2002 (speaker number)	1000-9999								Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Taiwan	West central mountains southeast of Chiayi, Alishan (Mt. Ali) area.

Tsou

Language metadata

Language information by source

Endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~1000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,130

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,127

Discussion

Tsou

Language metadata

Language information by source

Endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~1000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,130

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,127

Discussion

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Sources of information

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