Philippine languages
Encyclopedia
The Philippine languages are a 1991 proposal by Robert Blust
that all the languages of the Philippines and northern Sulawesi
—except Sama–Bajaw (languages of the "Sea Gypsies") and a few languages of Palawan
—form a subfamily
of Austronesian languages
. Although the Philippines is near the center of Austronesian expansion from Formosa
, there is little linguistic diversity among the approximately 150 Philippine languages, suggesting that earlier diversity has been erased by the spread of the ancestor of the modern Philippine languages (Adelaar & Himmelmann 2005).
Robert Blust
Robert A. Blust is a prominent linguist in several areas, including historical linguistics, lexicography and ethnology. Blust specializes in the Austronesian languages and has made major contributions to the field of Austronesian linguistics....
that all the languages of the Philippines and northern Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
—except Sama–Bajaw (languages of the "Sea Gypsies") and a few languages of Palawan
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
—form a subfamily
Language family
A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ancestor, called the proto-language of that family. The term 'family' comes from the tree model of language origination in historical linguistics, which makes use of a metaphor comparing languages to people in a...
of Austronesian languages
Austronesian languages
The Austronesian languages are a language family widely dispersed throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a few members spoken on continental Asia that are spoken by about 386 million people. It is on par with Indo-European, Niger-Congo, Afroasiatic and Uralic as one of the...
. Although the Philippines is near the center of Austronesian expansion from Formosa
Formosa
Formosa or Ilha Formosa is a Portuguese historical name for Taiwan , literally meaning, "Beautiful Island". The term may also refer to:-Places:* Formosa Strait, another name for the Taiwan Strait...
, there is little linguistic diversity among the approximately 150 Philippine languages, suggesting that earlier diversity has been erased by the spread of the ancestor of the modern Philippine languages (Adelaar & Himmelmann 2005).
Adelaar and Himmelmann (2005)
From approximately north to south, Adelaar and Himmelmann (2005) divide the Philippine languages into the following groups:- Northern Philippine languagesNorthern Philippine languagesThe Northern Philippine languages are the languages of central and northern Luzon, and the small islands between Luzon and Formosa, including Ilokano, Pangasinan, Kapampangan, and the Yami language of Taiwan....
- Batanic languagesBatanic languagesThe Batanic languages are a dialect cluster which form a group of the Philippine branch of the Austronesian language family...
(4 languages between Luzon and FormosaTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
) - Northern Luzon languagesNorthern Luzon languagesThe Northern Luzon languages are one of the few established large groups of languages in the Philippines, with over forty closely languages in and around the Cordillera Central of northern Luzon.-Classification:...
(40 languages, including IlocanoIlokano languageIlokano or Ilocano is the third most-spoken language of the Republic of the Philippines....
) - Central Luzon languagesCentral Luzon languagesThe Central Luzon languages are a group of languages spoken in the Philippines. One of them, Kapampangan, is the major language of the Mount Pinatubo area...
(5 languages, including KapampanganKapampangan languageThe Pampangan language, or Kapampangan , is one of the major languages of the Philippines. It is the language spoken in the province of Pampanga, the southern half of the province of Tarlac and the northern portion of the province of Bataan. Kapampangan is also understood in some barangays of...
) - Northern Mindoro languagesNorthern Mindoro languagesThe Northern Mindoro languages are one of two small clusters of languages spoken by the Mangyan people of Mindoro Island in the Philippines.The languages are Alangan, Iraya, and Tadyawan....
(or North MangyanMangyanMangyan is the generic name for the eight indigenous groups found in the Philippine island of Mindoro, each with its own tribal name, language, and customs...
; 3 languages)
- Batanic languages
- Greater Central Philippine languages
- South Mangyan languagesSouth Mangyan languagesThe South Mangyan languages are one of two small clusters of languages spoken by the Mangyan people of Mindoro Island in the Philippines.The languages are Buhid, Tawbuid, and Hanuno'o....
(3 languages of MindoroMindoroMindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...
) - Central Philippine languagesCentral Philippine languagesThe Central Philippine languages are the most geographically widespread demonstrated group of languages in the Philippines, being spoken in southern Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and Sulu. They are also the most populous, including Tagalog , Bikol, and the major Visayan languages Cebuano, Hiligaynon,...
(40 languages, including TagalogTagalog languageTagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
and CebuanoCebuano languageCebuano, referred to by most of its speakers as Bisaya , is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 20 million people mostly in the Central Visayas. It is the most widely spoken of the languages within the so-named Bisayan subgroup and is closely related to other Filipino...
) - Palawan languagesPalawan languagesThe Palawan languages are the languages of the island of Palawan and nearby islets in the Philippines.They are Palawano , Aborlan Tagbanwa , Palawan Batak and Cuyonon, originating in the nearby island of Cuyo.A 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database found moderate...
(6 languages) - Mindanao languagesMindanao languagesThe Mindanao or Southern Philippine languages are one of the few established large groups of languages in the Philippines, with two dozen closely languages of Mindanao....
(20 languages) - Gorontalo–Mongondow languages (9 languages of Gorontalo (province)GorontaloGorontalo is a province in the north of Sulawesi, Indonesia.Other geographical meanings of Gorontalo are:* Gorontalo Regency* Gorontalo , the provincial capital....
and North SulawesiNorth SulawesiNorth Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia. It is on the island of Sulawesi, and borders the province of Gorontalo to the west . The islands of Sangihe and Talaud form the northern part of the province, which border Davao del Sur in the Philippines.The capital and largest city in North Sulawesi is...
)
- South Mangyan languages
- Kalamian languagesKalamian languagesThe Kalamian languages are a small cluster of languages spoken in the Philippines, grouping together Kalamian Tagbanwa and Agutaynen. These are among the few languages of the Philippines which continue to be written in indigenous scripts, though mostly for poetry.-Classification:Adelaar and...
(2 languages of northern PalawanPalawanPalawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
) - South Mindanao languagesSouth Mindanao languagesThe South Mindanao languages are a group of languages spoken by the Bagobo, B'laan, T'boli, and Tiruray peoples of the southern coast of Mindanao Island in the Philippines. The languages are,*Bagobo *Bilic: Blaan, Tboli*Tiruray...
(5 languages) - Sangiric languagesSangiric languagesThe Sangiric languages are a group of languages spoken in northern Sulawesi and several small islands to the north which belong to the Philippines.The languages are Sangir and a southern group of Bantik, Ratahan, Talaud....
(4 languages of SangirSangihe IslandsThe Sangihe Islands – – are a group of islands constitute 2 regencies in northern Indonesia, the Sangihe Islands Regency & Sitaro Islands Regency...
and Talaud IslandsTalaud IslandsTalaud Islands is a group of islands located north of Sulawesi island in Indonesia, northeast of the Sangihe Islands...
) - Minahasan languagesMinahasan languagesThe Minahasan languages are a group of languages spoken by the Minahasa people in northern Sulawesi.-Classification:The languages are :*Tonsawang*North Minahasan**Tontemboan...
(5 languages of North SulawesiNorth SulawesiNorth Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia. It is on the island of Sulawesi, and borders the province of Gorontalo to the west . The islands of Sangihe and Talaud form the northern part of the province, which border Davao del Sur in the Philippines.The capital and largest city in North Sulawesi is...
)
Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database (2008)
A 2008 lexicostatistical analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database, while confirming the unity of the Philippine languages (excluding the Sangiric and Minahasan languages), found substantial differences in internal structure:- Philippine–Gorontalo
- Gorontalo–Mongondow languages
- Philippine proper
- Northern PhilippineNorthern Philippine languagesThe Northern Philippine languages are the languages of central and northern Luzon, and the small islands between Luzon and Formosa, including Ilokano, Pangasinan, Kapampangan, and the Yami language of Taiwan....
- Batanic languagesBatanic languagesThe Batanic languages are a dialect cluster which form a group of the Philippine branch of the Austronesian language family...
- Central Luzon languagesCentral Luzon languagesThe Central Luzon languages are a group of languages spoken in the Philippines. One of them, Kapampangan, is the major language of the Mount Pinatubo area...
- Northern Luzon languagesNorthern Luzon languagesThe Northern Luzon languages are one of the few established large groups of languages in the Philippines, with over forty closely languages in and around the Cordillera Central of northern Luzon.-Classification:...
- Batanic languages
- Central–Southern Philippine
- Central–Palawanic
- Central PhilippineCentral Philippine languagesThe Central Philippine languages are the most geographically widespread demonstrated group of languages in the Philippines, being spoken in southern Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and Sulu. They are also the most populous, including Tagalog , Bikol, and the major Visayan languages Cebuano, Hiligaynon,...
- PalawanicPalawanic languagesThe Palawanic languages are the languages spoken on the islands of Mindoro, Palawan, and nearby islets in the Philippines.The languages are,*South Mangyan*Kalamian–Palawan**Kalamian**Palawan...
- Palawan languagesPalawan languagesThe Palawan languages are the languages of the island of Palawan and nearby islets in the Philippines.They are Palawano , Aborlan Tagbanwa , Palawan Batak and Cuyonon, originating in the nearby island of Cuyo.A 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database found moderate...
- Kalamian languagesKalamian languagesThe Kalamian languages are a small cluster of languages spoken in the Philippines, grouping together Kalamian Tagbanwa and Agutaynen. These are among the few languages of the Philippines which continue to be written in indigenous scripts, though mostly for poetry.-Classification:Adelaar and...
- South Mangyan languagesSouth Mangyan languagesThe South Mangyan languages are one of two small clusters of languages spoken by the Mangyan people of Mindoro Island in the Philippines.The languages are Buhid, Tawbuid, and Hanuno'o....
- Palawan languages
- Central Philippine
- Mindanao languagesMindanao languagesThe Mindanao or Southern Philippine languages are one of the few established large groups of languages in the Philippines, with two dozen closely languages of Mindanao....
(including South MindanaoSouth Mindanao languagesThe South Mindanao languages are a group of languages spoken by the Bagobo, B'laan, T'boli, and Tiruray peoples of the southern coast of Mindanao Island in the Philippines. The languages are,*Bagobo *Bilic: Blaan, Tboli*Tiruray...
)
- Central–Palawanic
- Northern Philippine
Philippine comparison chart
| English | one | two | three | four | person | house | dog | coconut | day | new | we | what | fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tagalog Tagalog language Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila... |
isa | dalawa | tatlo | apat | tao | bahay | aso | niyog | araw | bago | tayo | ano | apoy |
| Bikol Bikol language Central Bicolano , is one of the individual languages of the Bikol languages. It belongs to Coastal Bikol. It is spoken in Bicol Region of the Philippines .-Bikol-Naga:... |
saro | duwa | tulo | apat | tawo | harong | ayam | niyog | aldaw | ba-go | kita | ano | kalayo |
| Cebuano Cebuano language Cebuano, referred to by most of its speakers as Bisaya , is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 20 million people mostly in the Central Visayas. It is the most widely spoken of the languages within the so-named Bisayan subgroup and is closely related to other Filipino... |
usa | duha | tulo | upat | tawo | balay | iro | lubi | adlaw | bag-o | kita | unsa | kalayo |
| Waray Waray-Waray language Wáray-Wáray or Samarnon is a language spoken in the provinces of Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and in some parts of the Leyte and Biliran in the Philippines... |
usa | duha | tulo | upat | tawo | balay | ayam | lubi | adlaw | bag-o | kita | ano | kalayo |
| Hiligaynon Hiligaynon language Hiligaynon, often referred to as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian language spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.Hiligaynon is concentrated in the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Capiz but is also spoken in the other provinces of the Panay Island group, including Antique,... |
isa | duwa | tatlo | apat | tawo | balay | ido | lubi | adlaw | bag-o | kita | ano | kalayo |
| Tausug Tausug language Tausūg is a language spoken in the province of Sulu in the Philippines, in Malaysia, and in Indonesia by the Tausūg people.... |
hambuuk | duwa | tu | upat | tau | bay | iru' | niyug | adlaw | ba-gu | kitaniyu | unu | kayu |
| Kinaray-a Kinaray-a language Kinaray-a is an Austronesian language spoken mainly in Antique Province in the Philippines. It is also spoken in Iloilo province, the south of Capiz Province, and certain villages in Mindanao that trace their roots to Antique Province or Kinaray-a speaking areas of Iloilo and Capiz Provinces... |
sara | darwa | tatlo | apat | taho | balay | ayam | niyog | adlaw | bag-o | kita, taten | ano | kalayo |
| Akeanon | isa | daywa | tatlo | apat | tawo | baeay | ayam | niyog | adlaw | bag-o | kita | ano | kaeayo |
| Maranao Maranao language Maranao is an Austronesian language spoken by the Maranao people in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur in the Philippines.-External links:*, Maranao Dictionary... |
isa | dowa | t'lo | phat | taw | walay | aso | neyog | gawi'e | bago | tano | tonaa | apoy |
| Pangasinan Pangasinan language The Pangasinan language or Pangasinense is one of the twelve major languages in the Philippines.... |
sakey | dua, duara | talo, talora | apat, apatira | too | abong | aso | niyog | ageo | balo | sikatayo | anto | pool |
| Ilokano Ilokano language Ilokano or Ilocano is the third most-spoken language of the Republic of the Philippines.... |
maysa | dua | tallo | uppat | tao | balay | aso | niog | aldaw | baro | sitayo | ania | apoy |
| Ivatan Ivatan language The Ivatan language, also known as Ibatan or Chirin nu Ibatan , is an Austronesian language spoken exclusively in the Batanes Islands... |
asa | dadowa | tatdo | apat | tao | vahay | chito | niyoy | araw | va-yo | yaten | ango | apoy |
| Tao Tao language Yami , also known as Tao , is a variety of the Ivatan dialect cluster spoken by the Tao people of Taiwan. It is spoken on Orchid Island, 46 kilometers southeast of the main island of Taiwan. Yami is known as ciriciring no Tao, or "human speech," by its native speakers... |
ása | dóa (raroa) | tílo (tatlo) | apat (ápat) | tao | vahay | chito | niyoy | araw | vayo | yaten | ango | apoy |
| Kapampangan Kapampangan language The Pampangan language, or Kapampangan , is one of the major languages of the Philippines. It is the language spoken in the province of Pampanga, the southern half of the province of Tarlac and the northern portion of the province of Bataan. Kapampangan is also understood in some barangays of... |
métung | adwâ | atlû | ápat | táu | balé | ásu | ngúngut | aldô | báyu | íkatamu | nánu | api |
| Ibanag Ibanag language The Ibanag language is spoken by up to 500,000 speakers in the Philippines, in the northeastern provinces of Isabela and Cagayan, especially in Tuguegarao City, Solana, Cabagan, and Ilagan and with overseas immigrants in countries located in the Middle East, UK and the U.S.A.... |
tadday | dua | tallu | appa' | tolay | balay | kitu | niuk | aggaw | bagu | sittam | anni | afi |
| Gaddang Gaddang Language The Gaddang language is spoken by up to 30,000 speakers in the Philippines, in the northeastern provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Isabela and by overseas immigrants in countries located Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, in the Middle East, UK and the U.S.A.. Most of the speakers can also speak... |
antet | addwa | tallo | appat | tolay | balay | atu | ayog | aw | bawu | ikkanetam | sanenay | afuy |
| Tboli | sotu | lewu | tlu | fat | tau | gunu | ohu | lefo | kdaw | lomi | tekuy | tedu | ofih |
| Gorontalo Gorontalo language The Gorontalo language is a Philippine language spoken in Gorontalo Province by the Gorontalo people. There is no ISO 639-1 code for Gorontalo. Dialects of Gorontalo are East Gorontalo, Gorontalo Kota, Tilamuta, Suwawa, and West Gorontalo... |
tuwewu | duluwo | totolu | wopato | tawu | bele | 'apula | sekat | dulahu | bohu | 'ito | wolo | tulu |
| Bolaang Mongondow Bolaang Mongondow language The Bolaang Mongondow language is a Philippine language spoken in the district of Bolaang Mongondow in North Sulawesi , Indonesia.... |
inta' | dua | tolu | opat | intau | baloi | ungku' | cekut | singgai | mo-bagu | kita | onda | tulu' |
| Chavacano Chavacano language Chavacano or Chabacano, sometimes referred to by linguists as Philippine Creole Spanish, is a Spanish-based creole language spoken in the Philippines... |
uno | dos | tres | quatro | gente | cassa | pero' | coco | dia | nuevo | kita | cosa | fuego |
| Malay Malay language Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore... |
satu | dua | tiga | empat | orang | rumah | anjing | kelapa | hari | baru | kita | apa | api |
See also
- Filipino orthography
- Commission on the Filipino Language
- Philippine Literature in FilipinoPhilippine Literature in Filipino-Notable Literary Works in Philippine languages:Florante at Laura, by Francisco Balagtas.-Availability of literature in Filipino outside of the Philippines:...