Botolan language
Botolan is a Sambalic language spoken by 32,867 Sambal, primarily in the Zambal municipalities of Botolan and Cabangan in the Philippines. Language status is 5.
Varieties
The Ayta people of sitio Villar, Botolan, and sitio Kakilingan, Santa Fe, Cabangan also speak a Botolan dialect with some unique lexical items.Ethnologue reports Ayta Hambali, Sambali Botolan as dialects of Sambal Botolan. Among themselves, Ayta Hambali reportedly use some words that are similar to Ayta, Mag-Anchi.
Phonology
Botolan has 20 phonemes: 16 consonants and four vowels. Syllable structure is relatively simple. Each syllable contains at least a consonant and a vowel.Vowels
Botolan has four vowels. They are:- /a/ an open central unrounded vowel similar to English father
- /e/ a close-mid front unrounded vowel similar to German Elefant
- /i/ a close front unrounded vowel similar to English machine
- /u/ a close back unrounded vowel similar to English flute
Consonants
Below is a chart of Botolan consonants. All the stops are unaspirated. The velar nasal occurs in all positions including at the beginning of a word.Note: Consonants and can sometimes interchange as they were once allophones.
Stress
Stress is phonemic in Botolan. Word stress is very important; it differentiates homonyms, e.g. hikó and híko.Historical sound changes
Many words pronounced with and in Tagalog have and, respectively, in their cognates in Botolan. Compare hiko and bayo with the Tagalog siko and bago.Sample texts
The Lord's Prayer
Version from Matthew
Philippine national proverb
Below is a translation in Botolan of the Philippine national proverb "He who does not acknowledge his beginnings will not reach his destination," followed by the original in Tagalog.- Botolan: Hay ahe tanda nin nanlek ha pinangibatan, ay ahe makalateng ha lalakwen.
- Tagalog: Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makararating sa paroroonan.