Two Aboriginal languages — Atayal and Sediq — have been added to the languages in which information is available on Wikipedia, the Ministry of Education said on Thursday.
The languages, which Wikipedia lists as Tayal and Sediq Taroko, were recognized by the online encyclopedia and granted their own language option on March 16, the ministry said.
There were 2,400 Wikipedia entries in Atayal and 1,037 in Sediq, the ministry said.
The two became the second and third languages of Taiwan-based Aborigines on Wikipedia, following the Sakizaya language, which was added in November 2019, it said.
Before recognizing a language and allowing it its own section, the Wikimedia Foundation assesses how many active users have contributed to entries in the language over a period.
Amis might also receive its own Wikipedia option soon, the foundation said.
The ministry, in collaboration with National Chengchi University (NCCU), launched a Wikipedia project six years ago with the goal of promoting writing in Aboriginal languages and encouraging the languages’ use among young people, Deputy Minister of Education Lin Teng-chiao (林騰蛟) said.
However, while spoken Aboriginal languages in Taiwan have been used and passed on, their writing systems are far more recent, mainly based on the Latin alphabet.
They were not officially recognized until 2005.
A 2016 report commissioned by the Council of Indigenous Peoples evaluated native language proficiency among Aborigines through tests given to more than 20,000 people in 16 languages.
The report showed that only 27.6 percent of Sediq were able to read the newly developed script, while less than 12 percent knew how to write it.
Only 20.6 percent of Atayal were capable of reading the script, while less than 5 percent could write it, the report said.
When it comes to preserving languages, speaking and writing are both important, Lin said, adding that through the project, young Aborigines obtain knowledge in their mother tongue under the guidance of their elders.
NCCU professor Lim Siu-theh (林修澈), who presides over the project, said that in addition to documenting the written language, the group also “reinvents” words so they can be used in a modern context.
Hitay-Payan, a leader of the editing team for Atayal entries on Wikipedia, said that there were challenges creating entries in his native tongue.
The team began by translating introductory texts on well-known people, he said.
Lituk Teymu, who leads the Sediq editing team, said that she was pleased to see the language of her ancestors being given a global stage.
The team would continue to promote the Sediq language, she said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu, front, grabs the pennant in a dragon boat race hosted by Qu Yuan Temple in the Shuanghsi River in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday.