Filipino linguists in Taiwan | The Manila Times

LANGUAGE and linguistics wise, then and now, the Philippines and Taiwan have a lot in common. The Indigenous languages of the Philippines and Taiwan belong to the same Austronesian language family. Austronesian languages are said to have descended from Taiwan to the Philippines and other Pacific islands — and also the Malay peninsula and even as far as Madagascar — several thousand years ago. At present, the languages of the Philippines and Taiwan belong to different principal branches of the Austronesian language family. Taiwan, being its place of origin, has much linguistic diversity — a typical characteristic of places where language families originate — having nine of the 10 principal branches of the Austronesian language family. A well-received theory suggests that around 3000 to 1,500 BCE, Austronesian people traveled by sea, possibly using canoes, and settled first in northern Luzon, then went onward to the south of the Philippines and further to the Celebes Sea.

Linguistics is alive and well in Taiwan, producing excellent research in this field. The island is also home to many linguists who have contributed significantly to the study of languages, not only of Asia but of the world. Being close to the Philippines, Taiwan has naturally attracted some of the best linguists the country has produced, so allow me to introduce three of the most admired Filipino linguists who now consider Taiwan their academic base.