Paiwan is a native language of Taiwan, spoken by the Paiwan, a Taiwanese indigenous people. Paiwan is a Formosan language of the Austronesian language family. It is also one of the national languages of Taiwan. Dialects Paiwan variants are seen divided into the following dialect zones by(Ferrell 1982:4–6). A1 – southern and central Kuɬaɬau (Kulalao) – used in Ferrell's 1982 Paiwan Dictionary due to its widespread intelligibility and preservation of various phonemic distinctions; also spoken in Tjuabar Village, Taitung County, where Tjariḍik and "Tjuabar" (closely related to Tjavuaɬi) are also spoken. Kapaiwanan (Su-Paiwan) Tjuaqatsiɬay (Kachirai) – southernmost dialect A2 – central ɬarəkrək (Riki-riki) Patjavaɬ (Ta-niao-wan) B1 – northernmost Tjukuvuɬ (Tokubun) Kaviangan (Kapiyan) B2 – northwestern Tjaɬakavus (Chalaabus, Lai-yi) Makazayazaya (Ma-chia) B3 – east-central Tjariḍik (Charilik) B4 – eastern Tjavuaɬi (Taimali) Tjakuvukuvuɬ (Naibon, Chaoboobol) This classification were though be corrected by Cheng 2016 as below: Note: A village unnoted of Vuculj/Ravar is by default placed under Vuculj here. Phonology Kuljaljau Paiwan has 23–24 consonants ( is found only in loanwords, and is uncommon) and 4 vowels (Ferrell 1982:7). Unlike many other Formosan languages that have merged many Proto-Austronesian phonemes, Paiwan preserves most Proto-Austronesian phonemes and is thus highly important for reconstruction purposes. The four Paiwan vowels are . is written e in the literature. In Northern Paiwan the palatal consonants have been lost, though this is recent and a few conservative speakers maintain them as allophonic variants (not as distinct phonemes). is robust, unlike in other Paiwan dialects where its status is uncertain, as it derives from *q. Younger speakers tend to pronounce as . Fricative is characteristic of Mudan village; elsewhere is Southern Paiwan it tends to be a trill , though it still varies . Word-initial *k has become . Grammar Pronouns The Paiwan personal pronouns below are from Ferrell (1982:14). Function words Paiwan has three construction markers, which are also known as relational particles (Ferrell 1982:13). a – shows equational relationship; personal sing. = ti, personal plural = tia nua – shows genitive / partitive relationship; personal sing. = ni, personal plural = nia tua – shows that the relationship is neither equational nor genitive; personal sing. = *, personal plural = Other words include: i – be at, in (place) nu – if when na – already (definitely) done/doing or have become uri – definite future negative marker uri – definite future marker ɬa – emphasis, setting