台灣平埔族語言大多數在二十世紀初就已消失了,但今日偶爾仍然可以找到極少數老人依稀記得一些單字甚至片語。作者因一些熱心人士的指引,得以記錄台灣北部馬賽(Basay)族,南部西拉雅(Siraya)族,西部道卡斯(Taokas)族的一些語言資料。雖然並不多,但部分資料卻是前人沒有記錄過,而部分資料可以提供重要的線索,所以這些資料值得公諸於世。本文指出這些資料的價值和意義,並且列舉說明了馬賽語和西拉雅語的歷史音韻演變,以及它們和其他台灣南島語言的顯著差異。
最後一節全面檢討台灣南島語言面臨滅絕的危機,語言使用的現況,並提出挽救這些語言的具體方案──作者已為它們個別設計了文字書寫系統。如能鼓勵本族人儘量多講、多寫,相信至少可以延續一些語言的壽命,有助於保存這些語言和文化。
Some field data is presented for three extinct Formosan languages, namely: Basay, Siraya and Taokas, and some conclusions are drawn as to their linguistic value and historical derivations form Proto-Austronesian (PAN) or Proto-Hesperonesian-Formosan (PHF). Through this paper, I hope to stimulate more research concerning these soon to be lost languages, since all Formosan languages are threatened with extinction today. Some suggestions for preserving these languages are also given in this paper, including the recently devised orthographic systems.