Chinese Studies

An online aboriginal language dictionary was launched Aug. 5 by the ROC Council of Indigenous Peoples as part of central government efforts preserving the cultural heritage of Taiwan’s 14 indigenous peoples.

“Language is a key indicator of the existence of a culture,” a CIP official said. “We expect the platform to serve as an important channel for the promotion, teaching, research and acquisition of different indigenous languages and dialects, further attracting public interest in learning more about Taiwan’s aboriginals.”

First proposed by the Ministry of Education in 2005, the dictionary aims to systemize written signifiers of Taiwan’s indigenous languages, the official said, adding that work on coding dictionaries for the 16 languages and dialects used by the 14 tribes began in 2007.