# Favorlang language

Favorlang is an extinct Formosan language closely related to Babuza. Although Favorlang is considered by Taiwanese linguist Paul Jen-kuei Li to be a separate language, it is nevertheless very closely related to Babuza. In fact, the name Favorlang is derived from Babuza. Alternatively, Favorlang may also have represented a dialect of Babuza at an earlier stage, since Favorlang was documented in the mid-17th century, while Babuza was documented only around the turn of the 20th century by Japanese linguists.

## Phonology

Favorlang has gone through the following sound changes. Except for the *t, *s, *Z > /t/ merger, all of these sound changes are shared by the five Western Plains languages Taokas, Babuza, Papora, Hoanya, and Thao.
* Merger of PAn *n and *ŋ as /n/
* Merger of *t, *s, *Z as /t/
* Merger of *N and *S$_1$ as /s/
* Complete loss of *k, *q, *H
* Partial loss of *R, *j, including the loss of final *-y and *-w
* *s (in initial and medial positions) > /t/

## Sources

Favorlang data sources are:
* Happart, Gilbertus (1650). Woorden boek der Favorlangsche Taal [Favorlang Vocabulary] (in Dutch). Later translated into English:
** Happart, Gilbertus (1840) [1650]. Written at Batavia. Dictionary of the Favorlang Dialect of the Formosan language. Translated by Medhurst, W. H. Parapattan.
* 5 sermons and various prayers, questions, and answers on Christianity by Jacobus Vertrecht [Wikidata] (1647–1651), a Dutch pastor
* Word lists collected by Naoyoshi Ogawa in the early 1900s (unpublished manuscripts dated 1900, 1901, and 1930; others are undated)
** Notebooks 1, 2, 3, and 5, now kept by ILCAA (Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa) and TUFS (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies) – call number "OA052"
** Notebook 4, now kept at the Anthropological Institute, Nanzan University – call number "v. 1-2-1"

## Syntax

Case markers include:
* ja 'nominative marker'
* ta 'personal name marker'
* o, no 'oblique (genitive and accusative, common noun)'
* i 'oblique (personal noun)'
* de 'locative'
* i 'directional'
Agent-focus verbal affixes include:

### Agent-focus

* -um- ~ -umm- (after consonant-initial verb stems) or um- ~ umm- (before vowel-initial verb stem except i-)
* -im-, -em- (lexically conditioned)
* m-
* p-

### Past tense (AF)

* -in-umm-, in-umm
* m-in-
* -in-

### Future tense (AF)

* Reduplication of the first stem syllable

### Imperative (AF)

* -a
Non-agent-focus verbal affixes are:
* -an 'locative focus'
* -en, -in, -n 'patient focus'
* ipa- ... -a 'imperative (non-agent-focus)'
* -in-, in- 'past tense (non-agent-focus)'
* ino- 'future tense (non-agent-focus)'
When -in- and -umm- appear together in a word, -in- usually precedes -um- ~ -umm-, as in Ilokano, Bontok, and some Dusunic languages in Sabah (Rungus Dusun and Kimaragang Dusun). Occasionally, -umm- precedes -in- in several Favorlang lexical forms, but this is not very common.

## Pronouns

All of the following personal pronouns are free forms. All genitive pronouns end with -a.
Favorlang Personal Pronouns :
| Type of Pronoun | Neutral | Genitive | Nominative/Accusative |
| 1s. | ka-ina | na-a | ina |
| 2s. | ijonoë | joa, oa | ijo |
| 3s. | icho | choa | icho |
| 1p. (incl.) | torro | torroa | – |
| 1p. (excl.) | namono | namoa | namo |
| 2p. | imonoë | imoa | imo |
| 3p. | aicho-es dechonoë | choa | decho |

## Examples

| Favorlang | Translation |
| Namoa tamau tamasea paga de boesum, ipa-dass-a joa naan. | Our father, which art in Heaven, let Thy Name be praised! |
| Ka-ina paga ta Jehova oa Deosoe, tamasea pina-ijor ijo.... | I am the Lord, thy God, who led thee.... |

### The Lord's Prayer

Namoa tamau tamasea paḡa de boesum,
Ipádassa joa naan. Ipáṣaija joa chachimit o ai. Ipa-i-jorr'o oa airab maibas de boesum, masini de ta channumma. Epé-e namo-no pia-dai torro uppo ma-atsikap. Ṣo-o abó-e namo tataap o kakossi namoa,
maibas channumma namo mabo tamasea parapies i namo. Hai pásabas i namo, ṣo-o barra'i namo innai rapies ai. Inau joa micho chachimit o ai, ṣo-o barr'o ai, ṣo-o adas ai, taulaulan, Amen.