Are aboriginal names "English"? 🙄

Need more CPBL players using their aboriginal names!

When a player writes his name in improvized romanization because he belongs to an obscure language group that is rarely found in any written form, I don’t mind at all. He is finding a way to communicate.

When a minister who boasts of having been to Harvard scolds us for writing his name in Hanyu pinyin and not the crazy hapzardly no-pinyin-known to man, changes every year way he does "because he should know how to write his own name in English since lived in the US for, ehem, several years, I do mind. I wish I could tell him to his face he’s an ignorant jerk, but I have 10 mouths to feed.

When people laugh in our faces when we try to explain that is no “English” letters, that also grinds my gears.

Please merge this with the thread on baseball players’ aboriginal names which I can’t find because this system’s search engine is weird. Thanks.

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I’m so glad Giljegiljaw Kungkuan became the first Taiwanese to use his Aboriginal name in the MLB system.

Giljegiljaw is Paiwan. Looking at historical records, Paiwan names should be “Personal Name + House Name.” Although, nowadays there are some confusion among the middle and younger generation about the naming order.

For Giljegiljaw’s case, he is using the traditional order. So his name is Giljegiljaw, and his is of House Kungkuan.

Interestingly, when I looked at the Executive Yuan’s Aboriginal name guide, the spelling of that House name seems to be Kunkuan, without the “g”.

Kungkuan with the “g” means school in Paiwan, possibly loaned from the Taigi or Hakka word kong-kuán (公館).

The name Giljegiljaw seems to be reserved for non-first born male nobles. If Giljegiljaw is to introduce himself in Paiwan, he’d probably say

Ti Giljegiljaw aken a lja Kungkuan.

or

Lja Kungkuan aken a ti Giljegiljaw.

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陳俊秀 was at Compassion Cup. I didn’t think he was aboriginal.

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Did you ever find out?

Will be applying for my daughters 身份證 on Monday. Originally I had planned not to get her one, as they aren’t necessary for young children, but then I realised that it is the only photo ID card that lists my name as the father, which could be useful in the future, like at the airport.

VP Lai participates in a “Respect Aboriginal Names” event with Tarzan, Ake, et al.

Then he goes on Elta and calls Ake 林智勝 when talking about it.

Then Coach Yeh goes off on stereotypes about aboriginal athletic superiority.

The Hans just can’t help themselves.

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Without looking, using your guide I can probably determine what tribes the four players come from:

Palac Nalifong: Paiwan (personal name followed by family name)
Ngayaw Ake: ? (grandfather followed by personal)
Ati Masaw: Amis (personal followed by father)
Sungtok Icung: Amis (personal followed by father)

Palac Nalifong: Amis
Ngayaw Ake: Amis
Ati Masaw: Amis
Suntok Icung: ?

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How ironic. People really seem to think respect is positive stereotypes. How often did I hear they can sing well, and oh they can drink so good. Too bad they spend all their money on alcohol. Racism runs deep.

Sorry this just made me think of this (in German “Amis” = Americans):

Another player has opted to use his Aboriginal name.

Masegesege Abalrini, a Drekay (Rukai), made a name for himself by his outstanding performance in the 2009 Little League World Series. He was known by his Han name Ou Jin (歐晉). Abalrini is his house name, and Masegesege is a common male name from the Ngudradrekay speaking villages.

Imcomplete list of players with known Aboriginal names

Name Han Name Team
Haro Ngayaw 王勝偉 Chinatrust Brothers
Tahai Isliduan 林子偉 Long Island Ducks
Cudjui Taljimahaw 劉致榮 Portland Sea Dogs
Giljegiljaw Kungkuan 朱立人 Wei Chuan Dragons
Masegesege Abalrini 歐晉 Wei Chuan Dragons
Namoh Iyang 拿莫‧伊漾 Wei Chuan Dragons
Nayaw Ake’ 林智勝 Wei Chuan Dragons
Mayaw Ciru 陳鏞基 Uni Lions
Pacidal Nikar 王帛聖 TSG Hawks
Ati Masaw 張泰山 Wei Chuan Dragons

You can’t really find the romanization of 王帛聖’s aboriginal name, but considering he is Amis, and the chosen Hanji, I think it is definitely Pacidal Nikar. The only curious thing is that Pacidal is a house name and usually for Amis the house name comes last. For example, the famous singer, host, actress, Ado’ Kaliting Pacidal.

Pa- is an action prefix, cidal means the sun. Pacidal means shined by the sun.

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