Chapter M

Manók.—Chicken Matá.—Eye Matambók.—Fat May.—There is, etc. Maya.—A kind of bird

N

Nipá.—Nipá Nipis.—Thinness Nosuos.—To rub

O

Ogát.—Vein, nerve Olo.—Head Oo.—Yes Opa.—Payment Otag.—Debt Owák.—Raven Owáy.—Vine

P

Pakpak.—Applause with palms Pait.—Bitterness Palad.—Palm of the hand Patay.—Kill Pati.—Also, with Patog̃.—To place over Payog̃.—Umbrella Paypay.—Fan Pili.—A tree so called Pili.—To select Pingan.—Plate Pitó.—Seven Pokpok.—To beat Pola.—Red Posod.—Navel

S

Sa.—To, at, from, on, etc. Sabaw.—Broth Sakay.—To embark Sakit.—Sickness Sagig̃.—Banana Saló.—Receive Saway.—To correct Sawsaw.—To wash Siko.—Elbow Sig̃ba.—To adore Sili.—Pepper Siyá.—He, she Siyam.—Nine Soka.—To vomit Sog̃ay.—Horn Solog̃.—Forward Sonod.—Follow Sonog.—Fire

T

Táas.—Height Tabas.—To cut Tadtad.—To prick Tag̃is.—To weep Tahí.—To sew Timog.—South Tiyán.—Belly Tobâ.—A wine Tobig.—Water Tobó.—Sugar cane Tobò.—Profit, to grow Tohod.—Knee Tohog.—To string Tonóg.—Sound Twad.—To face dawnwards

W

Waló.—Eight

WORDS WITH SOME DIALECTAL DIFFERENCES

Differences in the vowels i, o.

BISAYAN TAGALOG ENGLISH

Akon Akin my, mine
Amon Amin our
Aslom Asim acidity
Aton Atin our
Atóp Atíp roof
Bitóon Bitúin star
Bokog Bikig fish-bone, bone
Bogás Bigas rice
Bog-at Bigat weight
Bolad Bilad to sun
Bog̃ol Big̃í deaf
Kan-on Kanin cooked rice
Kaon Kain to eat
Katol Katí to itch, itching
Dámò Dami amount, much
Datóg̃ Datig̃ to arrive
Dokót Dikit to adhere, adhered
Dolóm Dilim dark
Gorót Gilit slice
Hábol Habi to weave
Harok Halik kiss, to kiss
Hatod Hatid to accompany
Horám Hiram to borrow
Iuomon Inumin potable water
Itom Itim black
Liog Liig neck
Pawod Pawid weaved nipa
Salóg Sahig floor
Sandig Sandal to lean
Takóp Takíp cover
Tanom Tanim plantation
Taróm Talim edge of a sword, etc.
Tindok Tundok a kind of banana
Tindog Tindig to stand
Tonok Tiník thorn

Differences in k, h, l, r, d, t.

BISAYAN TAGALOG ENGLISH

Adlaw Araw Sun, day
Aram Alam Wisdom
Badò Barò Chemise
Balay Bahay House
Balo Bao Widow, widower
Balon Baon Provision
Barahibo Balahibo Feather, dawn
Bari Bali To break
Bolan Bwan Moon, month
Kagód Káyud To scrath
Kalot Kámot To scratch
Kamó Kayó You
Koló Kukú Nail
Dalan Daan Path, road
Daraga Dalaga Young girl
Digò Ligò To bath
Dirì Hindì Not
Hadì Harì King
Halabà Mahaba Long
Halarom Malalim Deep
Harayò Malayò Far
Higdà Higà To lay down
Iróg Ilog̃ Nose
Lakát Lakad To walk
Lawod Láot Ocean
Mahínis Malinis Clean
Namok Lamok Mosquito
Napolo Sampù Ten
Parabol Palaboy Favor, grace
Pirit Pilit To force
Poro Pulò Island
Roag̃ Lwag̃ Broad
Salod Sahod To receive
Sarapati Kalapati Pigeon
Sarowal Salawal Pants
Sira Sila They
Sirag̃ Silag To appear
Sirog̃ Silog̃ Beneath
Sodlay Suklay Comb
Sorat Sulat Letter
Sorok Sulok Corner
Talig̃a Taig̃a Ear
Tarog̃ Talog̃ A plant
Torò Tulò Drop
Torog Tulog To sleep
Toktok Togtog To sound, to play

Differences in the accent, and in the separation of the syllables.

BISAYAN TAGALOG ENGLISH

Bálik Balík to come back
Kohà Kuha to take
Gaód Gáod oar
Hipág Hípag sister-in-law
Laón Láon old, ancient
Sábay Sabáy simultaneous
Tawá Táwa laugh
Kab-it Kabít connected
Kam-aw Kamao a dish
Kan-on Kanin cooked rice
Koan Kwán so and so
Gab-i Gabí evening, night
Sab-a Sabá a kind of banana
Sab-it Sabit to hook
Tan-aw Tanaw to look
Tig-a Tigás hardness
Tul-id Twid straight

Transformation from a to o, and viceversa.

Alapoop Alapaap cloud, fog
Kamót Kamay hand
Doha Dalawá two
Habobò Mababà low
Sokól Sukat measure
Toló Tatlo three
Onóm Anim six
Opat Apat four
Otok Utak brain

NOTES

[1] We write Bisayan, and not Visayan for the reason, among others, that there is no V or sound of V in our dialect, and that there seems to be no necessity for changing in English the B of the original Bisayâ into V.

[2] A commitee has been found lately in Manila for this purpose.

[3] According to the nature of the Bisayan dialect and according to what some Filipino philologists have written, Rizal among them, referring to the dialects in the Philippines, the letters of the Bisayan language must be the following:

a, b, d, e, g, g̃, h, i, k, l, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, u, y, w.

As it can be noticed, the letters c, f, j, ñ, q, v, x and z are omitted from the preceding list, and g̃ and w are introduced. The reason for this is as follows:

c, in its sound as in city, can be substituted by the letter s;
and, in its sound like c in cup, it can be substituted by k.
f is never used in Bisayan.
j, in its Spanish sound, can be substituted by h, which has an
aspirate pronunciation in Bisayan in all cases. In Bisayan, there
is no sound like that of the English j; however, in some places on
the western and southern coasts of Leyte, the y is pronounced like
the English j, as in maayo (pronounced mah-ah-joh) good.
The Spanish letter ñ, or a sound like it, can be written in Bisayan
more properly with the combination of these two letters ny, as in
minyo (pr. mean-yo) married.
q is not necessary, since the k can be used in all cases, where q
is needed. The phrase quiquilàon co (I shall see it) can be
perfectly written kikiláon ko.
v is never used in Bisayan.
x, in its Spanish sound, can be substituted by ks; and, in its
English sounds, it can be substituted by gs or ks, respectively.
z, in either its English or its Spanish sound, is never used in
Bisayan.
The g̃ is for the nasal sound that is very often used in Bisayan,
like the ng in song, longing. The g is preferable to the
combination ng̃, which would sometimes lead to confusion; because
this combination ng in Bisayan, is not pronounced as one letter, in
many instances, but each of these letters is pronounced; as, for
example, the word bug̃a (fruit), if written bunga, should sound
booong-ghah, which means to dart or to be darted.
w is needed in all cases of sounds like Spanish dipthongs; but it
must be used in Bisayan always as a consonant, never as a vowel.

Notwithstanding the preceding considerations, the orthography used in this book is the old one, but simplified to a certain extent, on account of the fact that this alphabet (if it can be properly called an alphabet, it having no f or sound of f) is not yet used, even known, but by very few persons among the Bisayan speaking people.

It would be very desirable for the people to adopt the new orthography proposed in this note, because it is evidently more simple and proper for the particular nature of the Bisayan dialect.

A study of the method of reducing the number of Bisayan vowels is also to be desired, as it seems that not more than three are needed, to wit: a, e or i, o or u.

The nature of the Bisayan tongue argues for such a simplicity. Dr. T.H. Pardo de Tavera, referring to the ancient Filipino alphabet, says: “The alphabet was composed of seventeen letters, three of which were vowels. A consonant standing alone was always pronounced with an a sound following; by the use of a dot or dash near and above the consonant stem, in much the same fashion as is used in certain systems of shorthand, instead of the sound of the a, the sound of the vowels e or i was produced: when the dot or dash was placed below the consonant stem the vowel sound given was equivalent to o or u.” (See Census of the Philippine Islands: 1903 Volume One, page 327).

[4] In most of the towns of the island of Sámar, such separation as well as that by apostrophe is frequently disregarded, this being one of the most noticeable differences between the Sámar and Leyte dialects.

[5] See the note on the first page of this book. This is one of the facts that urge the adoption of a more logical alphabet (?) for the Bisayan tongue.

[6] Except o and u when used as consonants, their function then being properly that of a w.

[7] The author believes that it is better to adopt these contractions than to invent others of Bisayan origin for the reason that they afford signs universally understood, and because every tongue has a tendency to assimilate such universal signs.

[8] We do not write “Dios”, because it would be pronounced Di-os.—See “Vowels”, supra.

[9] The use of s instead of the h, in these articles, depends upon the place where Bisayan is spoken. In the towns of Burawen, Dúlag and Abúyog, of the island of Leyte, and in some places in Sámar, the h is never used, but the s instead for these articles. Generally, it is considered more solemn to use the s instead of the h, in speeches, letters and poetry. But many times it is considered as a ridiculous affectation, in places where the h is used.

It will be noted that, in some instances, the Bisayan people show a tendency to change the aspirate sound of the h, or soft sound of the Spanish j, into s. So in olden times, the name Juan was pronounced Suan; Jueves was pronounced Suebes; and from the Spanish jugar, they made the Bisayan word sugal, which is still in use.

[10] See “Contractions”, supra. As it is seen, the m is for ma. This contraction shows exactly the way in which the Bisayan original letters were used. It is simply the ancient way of writing preserved after the adoption of the Spanish letters.

[11] This diminutive as well as the preceding does not need to be accented with grave and angular accent, as originally, first, because such accents are onlv used at the ending of the words (see the rule, page 3), and second, because the suspended guttural suund of the last vowel of its primitive is in some way preserved by means of the separation with which the vowels oa are pronounced (see “Vowel”, page 5)

[12] But if the primitive is mapulá, the diminutive will be mapulapula, as will be noted later.

[13] In some places in Leyte and Samar, this particle is hi, not ha, where it is said hibobò, hilipot, hilabà, hitáas. But, in my opinion, it is simply a result of confounding the particle ma which is more proper for adjectives as it bears the idea of abundance, with the personal article hi with which it is thus intended to personify the abstract ideas of bobò, lipat, labà, táas.

[14] It has also the regular form “halabáay”.

[15] This is a metathesis of “dacoalay”, by the transposition of the liquid consonant l; and this l in “dacoalay” has been substituted, for phonetical reason, for the y of “dacoayay”, which is the diminutive of “dacoay” not used.

[16] It seems that this diminutive is the contraction of “gutiay nya durò”; it is not strictly a diminutve, it is a superlative.

[17] Transformed from bobonbòbon.

[18] We do not write can-on, because it is a contraction of caran’on, which is also contracted from caraonón.

[19] See “Comparative” and “Collective”, infra.

[20] The last u is not a vowel properly; it should be the consonant w. See notes on pages 1 and 5 of this book.

[21] It also means anxiety for dancing. So from isóg (to enrage), it is said: “daco it ac isogón” (contracted from irisogón), my rage is great.

[22] The second syllable of the combined prefix is sometimes doubled to make the sentence more emphatic.

[23] Interfix is there used to designate the particle placed within a word.

[24] Such is the name of the present capital of the province of Leyte. According to a tradition, this name originated from the fact that before the town was formed, a point of the eastern coast of its present site was known as a place where fishes were taken from the sea by a bamboo instrument, like a cover called taclob.

[25] It is the name of one of the most important towns in Leyte, located on the eastern coast of said island. Also according to a tradition, in the southwestern part of the present site of that town, before the town was built, there was a large tall tree, from whose prominent branches the people used to watch (tan-ao) the Moros from Sulu, when invading the coasts of Leyte.—The last o of this tan-ao is properly the consonat w.

[26] From lolodhanan from lolohodanan, where the ó is suppressed, and the h and d, transposed, for phonetical reasons.

[27] As when we say: “macaoncaón iní ng̃a bayábas” (this guava is inviting). The idea of fondness sometimes takes the same form, as “macaoncaón ini ng̃a sorogóon” (this servant is fond of eating surreptitiously). This form is also used for impersonal verbs, as will be seen later, as: “macaoncáon na” (I have appetite already).

[28] I say “is”, because this combination ng̃ is properly one letter in Bisayan, which should be called ng̃a, as anciently.

[29] This is also a verbal of sapód (to gather).

[30] The particle hi sometimes with the verbs and especially among the derivative nouns conveys the idea of “payment for”, as when from the verbs budlay (to tire one’s self), salacáy, (to embark), and the nouns apóy (grandfather or grandmother), púsod (navel), it is said: himudlay (any thing given as in payment of any work);—hinálacay (payment for passage);—hingapóy (a present given to a grandfather or grandmother upon the the marriage of his or her grand daughter under the consideration of the former’s being the grandfather or grandmother of the latter);—himósod (present given to the midwife for cutting and attending to the navel of a new-born child).

[31] We use a hyphen in this word on account of the angular accent of the last o of the first verb.

[32] When the brothers or sisters referred to are more than two, then the interfix r is used, as magburugtò.

[33] The second u must be the consonant w.

[34] This is the modern way of pronouncing this word. The old way consisted in making two syllables out of this word, and according to that pronounciation, it is written Diyos (prouounced Di-yos), not Dyos.

[35] See “Hi”, under the heading “Verbal” supra.

[36] See note 2 on page 20.

[37] So we say dolúo-ha-Sulúg, which means a medicinal plant (duláo) from (ha) Sulu (Sulúg).

[38] See “an, on” under the heading of “Verbal”, page 15 supra.

[39] From paladan, the d having been solved into r.

[40] It is believed that the name of one of the towns of Leyte, called by the Spaniards “Burauen” and, by the natives, “Burauón”, has been originated from burabáron (Contracted and made Burauón), on account of the fact that there are many fountains in that place. There is no reason why the native name “Burauón” used by the natives until the present time should not be employed for all uses, the u of said word being replaced by the w, if the letters proposed in the note of the first page of this book are adopted.

[41] This word does not follow the rule. For phonetical reasons, in its formation an h is used and it is made maasinhanon contracted maasinhon instead of maasinánon which is the regular form.

[42] The natives, especially the low people pronounce Mericá instead of America; mericano instead of the Spanish “americano” for American.

[43] The name Calyarâ (native name of the town of Carigara, Leyte) has been probably originated from Cangara (placed of one called Garâ). A similar explanation might be given for the formation of the names Calbigà and Calbáyog (towns of Sámar).

Besides the particle can the pronoun hira was probably used for
similar cases. We think that the word Hiraite (Bisayan name of the
word Leyte, applied to a town of the island of the same name) is
formed by the said pronoun hirá and Ite. probably the name of the
ancient owners of that place.

[44] Mano and mana are probably a corruption of the Spanish “hermano,” “hermana.”

[45] See page 12 et seq. of this book.

[46] The word capin sogóng, uraura, in some localities are replaced by the Spanish word duro (hard). So they say “duro ca maopay”, maópay ng̃a duro, or maopay hin duro (very good). It is proper to adopt foreign words when there are not words coresponding in Bisayan, but we do not see why the pure Bisayan words should be forgotten when they are expressive, pure and original. The preposition cundí (but) is suffering the same fate, by the introduction of the Spanish pero.

[47] Instead of uraura, the word masiado, a corruption of the Spanish demasiado, is much in use. Read the preceeding note.

[48] It must be noted that the accent in the superlative is on the last syllable, masiromstróm, while in the dimunitive (which has exactly the same form, except the accent) the accent is upon the pennit, masiromsírom. The meaning is different in the phrases masiromsírom pa, and masiromsiróm pa; the first means “it is a dark yet”; the second “it is very dark yet”.

[49] The Bisayan cardinal show that the original system of Bisayan people in counting was the decimal. So napulo is a compound word from na (made) and pulò (pile, island). Napulo means “one pile made”, wherefrom the decimal system clearly shows.

[50] This word cag (and) is used in the island of Panay, but not in Sámar or Leyte where ngan, ug are employed for the said conjunction.

In the southern part of Leyte it is said: napala ug osá.

[51] A collective noun formed by the prefix ca and the primitive duha whose d is transformed into r, and by the affix an. It means the reunion of two piles.

[52] There seems to be no doubt that this word ribo has the same origin as the Tagalog “libo”; but each one has a different meaning: while the Bisayan libo means ten thousand, the Tagalog libo means only one thousand. To express ten thousand, the Tagalogs have the word lacsá.

[53] This word may have been derived from lagtuc which means the swelling of a thing due to dampness, humidity, or water.

[54] An onomatopoetic word bearing the idea of littleness.

[55] An onomatopoetic word meaning a thing that makes noise (caradul).

[56] As it will be seen later there are despective verbs, as; of lacat (to walk) laag; of yacán (to talk), yaquimbot.

[57] See page 31 of this book.

[58] These nouns are originated, in our opinion, from Spanish. See the note on pape 31. supra.

[59] We also believe that these nouns are Spanish.

[60] See “Collective,” supra.

[61] This is the origin of “Borong̃an” a town on the eastern coast of the island of Samar, on account of the fact that during certain epoch of the year, that place is more or less covered with fog.

[62] See “Vowels”, page 5 of this book.

[63] See “Rule”, page 3 of this book.

[64] However, the correct and proper form is the first, Panalaron, a verbal derived from panalad a plural infinitive of the verb pagsálad which means “to sound”. The said suburb of Tacloban, it is believed took this name from the fact that, anciently, the people used to sound (panálad) in such place which was then covered by the sea.

[65] Quita means “we”, the listener included; camí means “we”, the listener excluded.

[66] Only used after the verb.

[67] Hiyá and siyá are the same. See the note 2 on page 7 of this book. The same may be said about hirá and sirá.

[68] Contracted from ni (of) and ácon (mine).

[69] Contracted from da and ácon. This particle da is used in some places as equivalent to the preposition ha or the contraction han. So in Carigata, Leyte, they say dahani (at old times), instead of hanhaní used in Tacloban and other towns of Leyte. The forms damon, daton, dimo, diyo, diya, dira have the same explanation.

[70] Quita is frequently used for “acó”, as when we say tagui quitá hin salapî, (give me money), instead of tagui aco hin salapî.

[71] See “Personal pronouns” page 47.

[72] See the note 2 on page 7. We use apostrophe and not hyphen, because hin’o, sin’o are contracted from hi ano and si ano.

[73] However in this form in which the substantive precedes the adjective the suppression of ng̃a is permissible in poetry.

[74] This is another irregularity of the pronoun quita. Here it is equivalent to nimo; but this last form is inadmissible in such phrase, naton being the special pronoun for the same.

[75] In Dulag and other places of Leyte, this word is pronounced didínhi.

[76] See “Other classes of verbs”, infra.

[77] See “Potential Form”, infra.

[78] In Basay, Sámar the m is frequently suppressed, the first vowel becoming long on account of said suppression. So they say there: sínurat, ínabot.

[79] This form is taken from the subjunctive, as in the Spanish language.

[80] In the towns of Dúlag, Burauen, and Abúyog, of the island of Leyte, these forms are always contracted, the first syllable of the verb so formed becoming long on account of the said contraction. Thus it is said in the mentioned places: nágsurat instead of nagsúsurat.

[81] See the note on page 65.

[82] See the note on page 63.

[83] See page 65 et. seq.

[84] It is not doubled some places, See note on page 65.

[85] See page 64 et seq.

[86] It is not doubled some localities. See note on page 65.

[87] See page 61.

[88] See page 65.

[89] See page 68.

[90] See page 62 et seq.

[91] See page 68.

[92] See page 69.

[93] The translation made in those conjugations is literal. We try to express in English the exact idea contained in these forms.

[94] See note on page 65.

[95] See page 70 et seq.

[96] See page 71.

[97] Page 61 of this book.

[98] The future of this form is the same as in the regular Tagalog form, where it is said susulat aco (I shall write), bucas aco susulat (tomorrow I shall write).

[99] See page 61.

[100] In Dúlag and other places of Leyte, the accent is transposed to the penult. So it is said: dididâ, etc.

[101] See the page 10.

[102] This conjunction is seldom used, at present, for the disjunctive or. The English or and the Spanish o are difficult to translate into Bisayan with cun. For this reason the Spanish o is frequently employed in Bisayan, as well as in Tagalog for the English or.

[103] It also conveys the idea of “Saying”, as in the example: nasiring an catsila, ngalaong: “págame”, abi tapa: “bayari acó”.

[104] There is another, viz: susmaryosep or susmarosèp the corrupted Spanish “Jesús, María y José”.

[105] The fact that there are three classes of passive voice in Bisayan show the great importance of the said voice in this tongue. Thus if we wish to say “I love you”, it is more expressive to say: hinihigugma co icao (literally: you are loved by me) than to say: nahigugma aco ha imo.

[106] In Bisayan, there is no construction similiar to that of the English tongue, consisting in putting the subject in the objective case, and its verb in the infinitive: which is an exact Latin syntax, as

he wishes me to come
Ille vult me venire

Such sentence is expressed in Bisayan with the aid of the conjunction ng̃a, the subject in nominative case, and the verb in subjunctive mood, thus

caruyag niya ng̃a acó camánhi.

[107] See “Foreign words necessarily adopted in Bisayan”, infra.

[108] We do not refer to those Chinese words imported to Philippines with Chinese objects. Such words are to be kept necessarily in Bisayan, because their equivalent vernacular expressions, either are lost, or never existed.

[109] Derived from the Spanish “cantar” (to sing)

[110] A: We use in these lists the orthography proposed in the first page of this book, as an orthography practically the same is now being much used in Tagalog. But we employ only three vowels: a, i, o.