Permalink :  http://hdl.handle.net/2115/91284

JaLCDOI :  10.14943/Jais.4.147

KEYWORDS : 台湾オーストロネシア諸語; 誰; 名前; Formosan languages; who; name

This paper investigated the expression “What is your name?” in the early documents related to Formosan languages (Austronesian) recorded in the late 19th century to the early 20th century. As a result, fourteen languages (Atayal, Seediq, Basay, Kavalan, Amis, Puyuma, Paiwan, Bunun, Saisiyat, Pazih, Taokas, Babuza, Papora, and Hoanya) were observed to use an interrogative meaning “who” (“who” type). Thus, the expression means “Who is your name?” Two languages, Tsou and Pazih, uses “what” (“what” type); however, Pazih also has a “who” type. Two other languages, Thao and Bunun, use “how” (“how” type), with the expression “How is your name (called)?” However, Bunun also has “who” type. These observations indicate that the original expression in Formosan languages was the “who” type, and this shifted to the “what” type or “how” type in a few languages. These shifts may have been triggered by a calque of the expressions in Chinese dialects, which use interrogatives “what” or “how” when asking a person’s name. The original expression “Who is your name?” invites the same answer as the question “Who are you?” The idea behind this is that a name represents identity (“who”). The expression “Who is your name” is likely based on this cultural and linguistic background shared by the Formosan people.

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