Suwanlukus -Place Where Cloth is Hung-

The pronunciation of this place name reveals the relationship and interaction between the Kaxabu and Seediq people.

Bauké Dai'i is a member of the younger generation of Kaxabu who are actively involved in language revival. In the past, he said, the Seediq people would come down from the mountains to trade and interact with Kaxabu language speakers. While their two languages share some similar vocabulary, they are not mutually intelligible. This location in the Seediq language is called Slowan lukus, while this is pronounced as Suwanlukus in the Kaxabu language. In Kaxabu, lukuts means pants, which is in line with its meaning in Seediq, “Place Where Cloth is Hung”. In the past, older generations could speak some Seediq language, so Slowan lukus may have been directly borrowed from Seediq. In any case, Suwanlukus is how contemporary Kaxabu people refer to Shouchengfen. The name covers the entire scope of Shouchengfen, not a specific point within the village.

The Seediq tongue of the place name at the beginning of the video was confirmed and recorded by Dakis Pawan.