Yami People, Lanyu Island Taiwan

The Yami people are an indigenous Polynesian tribe on the island of Lanyu, 70 miles east off Taiwan. This film looks at their typhoon-proof under-ground houses, their folklore and their boat-building.
Manchán Magan, Global Nomad Films. www.manchan.com

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Yami
• Lanyu
• Taiwan
• indigenous
• tribes
• Magan
• Global
• Nomad
• Manchan
• Ruan

[anak1]

All Malayan, Micronesian, Melanesian and Polynesian peoples belong to the same common ancestors. The group is called Austronesian by anthropologists. Example of the similarities exist in that of the languages: "me": Ako (Filipino) = Aku (Indonesian), Ahau (Maori), A'u (Hawaiian). "you": Ikaw/Kayo (Filipino) -> Kowe (Javanese), Iko (Fijian), Koe (Maori), 'Oe (Hawaiian). "coconut": Niyog (Filipino), Niyuh (Balinese) -> Niu (Polynesian languages).

[anak1]

More examples: "fire" Apoy (Filipino), Api (Indonesian) -> Ahi (Maori, Hawaiian, Rapanui etc). "sun" Araw (Filipino) -> Allo (Toraja), Are (Madurese), Ra~ (Maori), La (Hawaiian), Ra'a (Rapanui). "two": Dalawa / Duha (Filipino), Dua (Indonesian) -> Rua (Maori, Fijian, Hawaiian). "five": Lima (Filipino) -> Lima (Indonesian, Maori, Fijian, Hawaiian, Rapanui). "six": Pito (Filipino), Pitu (Javanese, Toraja) -> Whitu (Maori), Vitu (Fijian), Fito (Malagasy), Hiku (Hawaiian).

[nenabunena]

@unknowndeoxys00 apparently their language is classified as ivatan under the philippine language family

[nenabunena]

excuse me? yami's are polynesian? they are austronesians! the ancestors of polynesians came from asia, from the same people, so why exactly are the yamis from the ancestral area, polynesians? if anything it should be the other way around! it's like saying brits are really americans because a wave of their people in the past migrated to america.

[tulano]

interesting, i was drawn here due to HLA links i found, thanks for the the segment.

[unknowndeoxys00]

The interviewer reminds me of John Lennon if he had an Irish accent. xD Anyway, I find this fascinating. I never really was aware of the Taiwanese aborigines before...anyone who moved south from there must have hit the Philippines. Their language sounds like a distant relative of a northern Philippine dialect in a way. Really interesting. :D

[nr94jenno]

the little pig *-* xD

[blackiebori]

@Mangkukutod You are correct.

[blackiebori]

Correction to 65bridges: The Yami (also called Tao) are NOT Polynesians. The Yami are Taiwanese Aborigines who are distinct from the mainland Taiwan aboriginals in that their language is closer to that of the Northern Philippine Ibatan languages. However, like Polynesians, their language (along with that of the mainland aboriginals) are Austronesian. Yami language is classified by most linguists under the Malayo-Polynesian phylum of the Austronesian language family.

[Mangkukutod]

These people are cousins of the Filipinos.

[pakarayan]

Go tell that to the chinse government. Comments like yours spoils beuatiful posts like this.

[pakarayan]

This is so much like Batanes on the northernmost part of the Philippines, the language I can relate in a way. The boat making is so much the Ivatan way. We trace our ancestry from the Lanyu people.