Fun Taiwanese Linguistic fact! Paylang (Taiwanese Han) = pháinn-lâng (Bad People)!

Indigenous 'Paylang' 白浪 (Taiwanese Han) =
Taiwanese Hokkien ‘pháinn-lâng’ 歹人 (Bad People)

 Indigenous - Taiwan Hokkien Linguistics Puzzle Remarkably Solved! 
陳耀昌 Chen Yao Chang a veteran hematology professor, stem cell researcher and historical novelist - once again supplied me the answer to a question from 3 years ago, an answer I have not been able to reach from any indigenous 'specialists' I came across. 

First wonderful information Professor Chen gave me is on 
The Principal Unit of Land Measure :

The principal unit of land measure is 甲 (Taiwanese: kah, Hakka: kap, Mandarin: jiǎ). The unit is derived from the obsolete Dutch morgen, which was introduced during Taiwan's Dutch era.





The second one (and I am sure there will be plenty more 'surprises' from the extraordinary Professor Chen!) is on this term 白浪 (pinyin bailang) I first heard from a sausage vendor in Wulai Old Street. His stall is the first one after this bridge. 
'Bailang' apparently is a term used by several indigenous peoples referring to Taiwanese Han. I did ask him why, where the origin of this term because neither in pronunciation nor writing I could relate to 'Taiwanese Han' - such as myself and my family. He didn't know. I also asked around a few friends who are indigenous culture enthusiasts, especially those frequented Wulai on a regular basis. No one knew or even heard of it. Google search yields nothing credible either. 

Until this morning, Professor Chen posted on Facebook about US, Australia, New Zealand indigenous vs Taiwan's and advocacy of August 1 a National  'Taiwan Thanksgiving Day". 

2016 August 1 is the day President Tsai apologizes to indigenous peoples on behalf of government. 


'Taiwan Thanksgiving Day' proposal is inspired by Jared Diamond's 'Taiwan’s gift to the world'

Taiwan’s gift to the world

Nature 403, 709-710 (17 February 2000)
Linguistics: Taiwan's gift to the world
Jared M. Diamond
Abstract
Study of the giant Austronesian language family tells us a great deal about the history of Pacific peoples and boatbuilding, as well as about Aboriginal Australia.
We humans are defined and fascinated by our languages. Especially intriguing are the 1,200 or so languages of the Austronesian language family, possibly the largest family among the 6,000 languages of the modern world1.


Here is the original FB conversation with Professor Chen where I learned the source and meaning of 'Paylang' - 
K: Where does the indigenous term bailang 白浪 come from? 
C: Bailang is pháinn-lâng 'Bad people'
K: Is that right? ... I first heard it in Wulai, but no one I knew was able to explain the term. So that is a Hokkien linguistic influence on the indigenous ??
C: Yes! Paylang usage exists from Paiwan to Sakizaya。
K: Jeez! I have not been able to get an answer from indigenous studies researchers I came across! 

 A QUESTION REMAINS:
'Paylang' - an indigenous name. I then discovered not uncommon indigenous peoples named 'Paylang' - in particular in Amis and Paiwan. So it remains a question to me at this time if this name hints any Han/Hokkien connection?

 林詩函，Siko Paylang，阿美族

Sufin Paylang 

Perhaps most notable is 蘇錦雄Paylang．Caya . 
A former New Taipei 'Plains Indigenous' DPP party candidate. 



Updates Sep 24 2023 

Saisiyat 
閩南人為 『kamsiulang』、外省人為『babui』
kam is 幹 F-word. (Taiwanese Benshengren)
babui is pig. (Chinese Waishengren)

Atayal 
Hakka (Male) Na-Na
Source of origin - ngay means 'I' 我 in Hakka. and they often address themselves 'ngay-ngay'



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mongolian BBQ History Taiwan - Created by a Chinese Comedian 1951

Image
Photo Update (June 10 2020)  Source - 'Remembering Taiwan' Facebook Group Mongolian BBQ mobile vendors in the late 1950s on the east bank of Tamsui River  Credit to Mr A Zoraster who stationed at Taipei Air Station from Aug 64 until Dec 66  Credit to Mr A Zoraster who stationed at Taipei Air Station from Aug 64 until Dec 66  “In Mongolia, you won’t find Mongolian Barbeque.   But, you do in Taiwan.   It’s just as you won’t find Fuzhou Noodle in Fuzhou.   But, you do in Taiwan.   Neither would you find Sichuan Braised Beef Noodle Soup in Sichuan.   Again, you do in Taiwan.   They are created by Taiwanese food industry to reflect the chefs’ imaginations of the regions and creativities.” In my forthcoming book with Steven Crook “The Culinary History of Taipei” Chapter 6: Supplying the Consumer (Taipei’s Markets) . We included an anecdote of Mongolian BBQ mobile vendors in the late 1950s on the east bank of Tamsui River : “…… and that cooked in the op
Read more

Sweet thirty hour stay - Taitung

Image
1. Our host  Aeles (tears in the Rukai language) at her restaurant Dawana ( a place of rest) 2. Buddha's head (fruit) in a bowl bought from a Paiwan wood-craftsman  3. The wood artist's most famous work - lily (flower) 4. Green Island on the horizon 5. Taiwan red quinoa  6. Ancient 'hot stone technique‘ soup My original plan was to go to Miaoli for a vegetable dyeing and weaving workshop with 林淑莉 Lin Shu-li a Taiwanese married into Atayal family and who demonstrated her skill in London in 2018. The workshop was closed until further notice. I therefore contacted Lily Wen (or Aeles Lrawbalrate in Rukai and 溫秀琴 in Mandarin) in Taitung if I could pay a long overdue visit - cancelled two years ago by typhoon. She readily welcomed and there I went with a friend. (Note -  For the Paiwan and Rukai peoples, lilies signify virtue and beauty in women as well as bravery and hunting power in men) We were greeted by a local friend and taken to
Read more

Saartje Specx (17th Century Dutch-Japanese, Famous Prisoner Batavia, Wife of First Missionary Fromosa) and Her Grave by Pineapple Stretch

Image
Terrence Ying-Tai Lai  賴英泰 in a recent talk I attended mentioned 'Sara's Grave 莎拉之墓' in Tainan.  Saartje Specx story, unknown to many including myself, is most fascinating.  A 17th-century watercolor drawing of the Dutch East India Company’s Fort Zeelandia, present-day Tainan, taken from the Eugenius-atlas, which was commissioned by Laurens van der Hem, a Dutch lawyer and map collector. (Wikipedia) Saartje's grave in green circle.  Pineapple stretch, women prison, graveyard, Amsterdam (a farm) clearly labelled. (Terrence Ying-Tai Lai  賴英泰 talk at Linking Publishing    聯經書房) Page one of a piece I found online. Saartje Specx (1617–1636) was the daughter of Jacques Specx, governor of the North Quarter of the Dutch East India Company's (VOC's) Asian trading empire, and a Japanese concubine. Saartje (Sara in English) was born at the Dutch trading base on the island of Hirado. In 1629, aged 12, she was living at Batavia in Java under the protection of Jan Coen, gov
Read more