#austronesian

[videshisutra]

Linguistic Clues towards Madagascar's Population History

This is the kind of post which needs to start with some maps and then contain even more maps: Notice Madagascar in the lower left hand corner. (source) This map is useful because it shows that Malagasy (the primary language of Madagascar) is in the same sub-group as Bornean languages. There is a little pocket of this sub-group on Sumatra, but otherwise they seem oddly distant, with Sumatra and…

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[youronlyoneofcl]

Another thing these Chinese "scholars" claiming "Batanes belongs to China through Taiwan" must remember: all Chinese bloodlines are foreigners in #Taiwan. The island is natively #Austronesian, BROWN! So by your own logic, Taiwan belongs to the #Philippines, not

[youronlyoneofcl]

Chinese "academics" are claiming #Batanes, Philippines belongs to #China through Taiwan. If they want to do that, well, #Taiwan belongs to the #Philippines through: 1. Batanes - Tao tribes (Tao were Ivatans) 2. #Austronesian tribes (majority are in the Philippines)

[absolutkino]

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

[kekaiomalienakukuiokahekili]

E Komo Mai, Welina mai i koʻu Wahi Hou!; My; Work Artist Ke Kaiomalie Nakukuiokahekili Naiʻa Akana Moku = The Austronesian language-Mixed Speaking Personality Voyager - The Man who loved languages, indigenous & aboriginal peoples, & native, endemic, and prehistoric/extinct species

[panicinthestudio]

Indigenous Taiwanese paddle to the Philippines on long-lost route, June 16, 2026

A group of indigenous Taiwanese left to paddle to the Philippines on a hand-built wooden canoe across the Bashi Channel, reviving a maritime route dormant for hundreds of years and re-establishing ‌a lost cultural connection. Reuters

Further reading:

Reuters: Indigenous Taiwanese to paddle to the Philippines reconnecting long-lost route, June 15, 2026

[sarvatri]

Facial Tats Across Southeast Asia

Discretion:

This post does not cover all ethnic groups present in modern-day Southeast Asia. If you wish to share about your own people and culture, you are welcome to do so separately.

This page reflects my personal exploration of SEAblings and linguistically related groups tied to my South and Southeast Asian ancestral heritage.

Mon-Khmer groups (Austroasiatic Linguistic groups)

Brao (Brau):

Based in modern-day Cambodia, Laos, & Vietnam

Both men and women were tattooed around age 15 (a practice once illegal in Laos) as it believed to be a form of protection from tigers.

Katu (Co Tu):

Based in modern-day Laos and Vietnam.

Women traditionally tattooed their faces but can’t find any other info beyond this except photos

Laven (Lawae):

Based in modern-day Laos

They are related to a tribe of the Katu where the designs are parallel to the padil yaya tattoos worn by Katu men

Per the reference in the sources slide, the Laven women continue to have traditional facial tattoos

https://vanishingtattoo.com/indochina_tattoo_history_2.htm

Alak:

Based in modern-day Laos

It was a past custom for Alak women to tattoo their faces, but this has now faded

Khmer:

Tattoos in Khmer society are related to our traditonal tattoos called Sak Yantra. It’s common to see body tattoos, not facial but that is not to say that you won’t see some select facial tattoos.

PERSONALLY SINCE I HAVE ENCOUNTERED ELDERLY KHMER MEN WITH FACIAL TATS ON THEIR FOREHEAD, I am listing the Khmer people here.

The physical symbols that I’ve seen on elderly Khmer men are small forehead tats and the symbols relate to divination, specifically historical influences of Hinduism and Buddhism for Sak Yantra

SIDE NOTE:

Basing this on our religious upbringing, having it on the forehead can relate to the third eye if the elderly Khmer man does have a Sak Yantra there. But it could also relate to divination and navigating one’s inner wisdom and intuition. Good luck and so on.

There’s layers to it based on the symbol but I ain’t gonna get into all of that lol

QUICK KHMER HISTORY

Facial Tats as “punishment” in ancient Khmer society

The historical reference that is currently available about facial tats comes from a Chinese diplomat Zhou Daguan.

In The Customs of Cambodia, it states that facial tats were a form of punishment during the Khmer Empire.

So a recaptured slave would end up having their face tattooed.

And this would a blue mark tatted on their face.

Austronesian Linguistic Family

Indonesia & Philippines:

Mentawai, Dayak, and various Filipino Cordilleran - peoples

This includes Igorot, Bontoc, Ifugao, Kalinga, Ibaloy, Kankanaey, Tinguian, and Isneg who have also practiced this art of facial tattooing.

Visayan warriors also earned tattoos that could extend to the face for the most courageous acts

Sino-Tibetan Linguistic Family

Myanmar:

Women of various Chin groups in Myanmar’s Chin State were known for their elaborate, full-face geometric tattoos

And these tats were often intended to protect them from being taken by outsiders.

But does not apply to all ^^^

Some facial tats are for beauty and so on

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20161216-myanmars-tattooed-chin-women

Myanmar/India:

Among the Konyak Naga of Northeast India and Myanmar, facial tattoos were a mark of bravery, traditionally earned by men for taking an enemy's head like a medal of honor

Side note...that’s kind of badass but fun fact, in the 1960s, headhunting was banned in India

Myanmar/China:

Amongst the Dulong or Derung, facial tattoos were exclusively worn by women to prevent abduction

https://factsanddetails.com/china/cat5/sub87/entry-4388.html

References:

Brao (Brau):

https://www.dylangoldby.com/tattoos-of-asia/brao-attapeu-province-laos/

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/print/10960/LA

https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvz0h8kw

Katu (Co Tu):

https://volotour.com/distinctive-cultural-features-of-the-co-tu-people/

https://www.alamy.com/katu-woman-with-traditional-face-tattoos-bolaven-plateau-laos-image7793173.html

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/http://www.worldmap.org/uploads/9/3/4/4/9344303/laos_profile.pdf

Laven (Lawae);

https://vanishingtattoo.com/indochina_tattoo_history_2.htm

Alak:

https://wearelao.com/standard-page/attapeus-ethnic-diversity/

https://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Laos/sub5_3c/entry-2964.html#:~:text=Mon%2DKhmer%20minorities%20found%20in%20southern%20Laos%20include,Kaleing%2C%20Katang%2C%20Lavai%2C%20Laven%2C%20Nge%2C%20Nyaheun%2C%20Oung

Indonesia and Philippines:

https://ph.usembassy.gov/research-and-documentation-of-traditional-tattoos-of-the-philippine-cordilleras/

https://library.wwu.edu/tattoo-traditions-asia-ancient-and-contemporary-expressions-identity

https://inkedmag.com/original-news/igorot-headhunter-tattoos

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://fslmjournals.taylors.edu.my/wp-content/uploads/SEARCH/SEARCH-2016-8-2/SEARCH-2016-P1-8-2.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318663444_The_traditional_tattoos_of_the_Philippine_cordillera_region_A_study_on_their_differences_in_appearance_causes_and_discursive_strengths

Dulong:

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3330610/china-dulong-ethnic-women-tattoo-faces-prevent-abduction-drink-alcohol-instead-water

Filipino Tattoos: Ancient to Modern by Lane Wilcken

[arkipelagic]

“Austronesian is NOT a people. It is NOT one language. It is a label used by linguisticians to group related languages across Taiwan, Island Southeast Asia (and pockets of communities in Mainland Southeast Asia, including the Chams, the Mokens), Madagascar, and the Pacific. It has no single political body, no shared self awareness, no continuous historical agency. As a tool of classification, it was useful. As a civilizational subject, it is imagined.

When Austronesian is treated as the deep structure of tayo, a technical category turns into ancestral foundation. That move compresses difference, sidelines non-Austronesian populations (various Agta/Aeta groups who were once non-Austronesian speakers), and downplays long histories of exchange with South Asia, China, the Islamic world, and later Europe and the Americas. If we are serious about questioning perspective, then we must also question the civilizational assumptions embedded in our own frameworks.”

— Stephen Acabado, in response to Geronimo Cristobal