How does the study of Taiwanese syntax contribute to the broader field of Taiwan Studies? (Questions about Taiwanese; part 7)

Okay, so, everyone knows we tend to focus on indigenous languages to show Taiwan's different from China, which makes sense. But honestly? That's only part of the story.  Taiwanese isn't just some dialect of Chinese. It might have roots there, sure, but it's grown into its own thing.  It's deeply tied to our culture and history here, and let's face it, it has been the natural lingua franca. Plus, legally speaking, it's a national language here in Taiwan, which is pretty different from how other similar languages are treated elsewhere. Plus, Taiwanese is actually the most prominent version of Southern Min spoken around the world.

Think of it this way: when we study British stuff, we don't get too hung up on the old Germanic roots of English. Instead, we look at how English is used to build British culture and literature. Same idea here.

So, I’m not going to say that diving into Taiwanese syntax is like unlocking the secrets of Taiwan's culture and history, even if the language is super connected to the island's identity. Us syntacticians, we're mostly interested in sentence structures and function words – they're basically linguistic data for us. We see them as specimens of Taiwan, just like scholars study literature, politics, history, culture, or even the animals, plants, and geography here. All of that stuff is part of Taiwan, and Taiwanese syntax should be too. If we take a broader look at Taiwan studies, then yeah, studying Taiwanese syntax definitely contributes because it gives us another way to understand how this linguistic part of Taiwan builds sentences, in contrast to languages spoken elsewhere around the world.

Basically, for Taiwan Studies, focusing on Taiwanese syntax adds another perspective. Currently, there’s a heavy emphasis on Chinese since it's widely spoken, but Taiwanese holds centuries of local history. Examining Taiwanese syntax helps us maintain and honor Taiwan's diverse language and culture, and it also encourages us to acknowledge Taiwan's authentic languages, moving away from Chinese political narratives. So, it's about more than just language—it's about reconnecting with Taiwan's true heritage.