Hiligaynon language


Hiligaynon, also often referred to as Ilonggo or Binisayâ/Bisayâ nga Hiniligaynon/Inilonggo, is an Austronesian regional language spoken in the Philippines by about 9.1 million people, predominantly in Panay Island, Negros Occidental, and Soccsksargen, most of whom belong to the Hiligaynon people. It is the second-most widely spoken language in the Visayas and belongs to the Bisayan languages, and it is more distantly related to other Philippine languages.
It also has one of the largest native language-speaking populations of the Philippines, despite it not being taught and studied formally in schools and universities until 2012. Hiligaynon is given the ISO 639-2 three-letter code hil, but has no ISO 639-1 two-letter code.
Hiligaynon is mainly concentrated in the regions of Western Visayas, Negros Island Region, and Soccsksargen. It is spoken in other neighboring provinces, such as Antique and Aklan in Western Visayas, Negros Oriental in Negros Island Region, Masbate in Bicol Region, and southern parts of Mindoro, Romblon and Palawan in Mimaropa.
It is spoken as a second language by Kinaray-a speakers in Antique, Aklanon/Malaynon speakers in Aklan, Capiznon speakers in Capiz, Cebuano speakers in Negros Oriental, and spoken and understood by native speakers of Maguindanaon, Cebuano, Ilocano, Blaan, Tboli and other settler and indigenous languages in Soccsksargen in Mindanao. There are approximately 9,300,000 people in and out of the Philippines who are native speakers of Hiligaynon and an additional 5,000,000 capable of speaking it with a substantial degree of proficiency.

Nomenclature

Aside from Hiligaynon, the language is also referred to as Ilonggo, also spelled Ilongo, as it originated in Iloilo. Many speakers outside Iloilo argue, that this is an incorrect usage of the word Ilonggo. In precise usage, these people opine that Ilonggo should be used only in relation to the ethnolinguistic group of native inhabitants of Iloilo and the culture associated with native Hiligaynon speakers in that place, including their language. The disagreement over the usage of Ilonggo to refer to the language extends to Philippine language specialists and native laypeople.

History

Historical evidence from observations of early Spanish explorers in the Archipelago shows that the nomenclature used to refer to this language had its origin among the people of the coasts or people of the Ilawod in Iloilo, Panay, whom Spanish explorer Miguel de Loarca called Yligueynes.
The term Hiligaynon comes from the root word ilig, referring to a flowing river in Iloilo. In contrast, the Kinaray-a has been used by what the Spanish colonizers called Arayas, which may be a Spanish misconception of the Hiligaynon words Iraya or taga-Iraya, or the current and more popular version Karay-a.

Dialects

Similar to many languages in the Philippines, very little research on dialectology has been done on Hiligaynon. Standard Hiligaynon, is the dialect that is used in the province of Iloilo, primarily in the northern and eastern portions of the province. It has a more traditional and extensive vocabulary, whereas the Urban Hiligaynon dialect spoken in Metro Iloilo has a more simplified or modern vocabulary.
For example, the term for 'to wander', 'to walk', or 'to stroll' in Urban Hiligaynon is lágaw, which is also widely used by most of the Hiligaynon speakers. In contrast, Standard Hiligaynon more commonly uses dayán, a term that is rarely or never used by other dialects of the language anymore. Another example, amó iní, in Standard Hiligaynon can be simplified in Urban Hiligaynon and become 'mó'ní.
Some of the other widely recognized dialects of the language, aside from Standard Hiligaynon and Urban Hiligaynon, are Bacolodnon Hiligaynon, Negrense Hiligaynon, Guimaras Hiligaynon, and Mindanao Hiligaynon.
Some native speakers also consider Kinaray-a and Capiznon dialects of Hiligaynon. However, linguists have classified Kinaray-a as a Western Bisayan language, while Capiznon is a Central Bisayan language closely related to Hiligaynon.

Phonology

Consonants

Consonants and were once allophones but cannot interchange as in other Philippine languages: patawaron but not patawadon, and tagadiín but not tagariín.

Vowels

There are four main vowels:,,, and. and are allophones, with in the beginning and middle and sometimes final syllables and in final syllables. The vowels and are also allophones, with always being used when it is the beginning of a syllable, and always used when it ends a syllable.

Writing system

Hiligaynon is written using the Latin script. Until the second half of the 20th century, Hiligaynon was widely written largely following Spanish orthographic conventions. Nowadays there is no officially recognized standard orthography for the language and different writers may follow different conventions. It is common for the newer generation, however, to write the language based on the current orthographic rules of Filipino.
A noticeable feature of the Spanish-influenced orthography absent in those writing following Filipino's orthography is the use of "c" and "qu" in representing and the absence of the letter "w".
The core alphabet consists of 20 letters used for expressing consonants and vowels in Hiligaynon, each of which comes in an uppercase and lowercase variety.

Additional symbols

The apostrophe and hyphen also appear in Hiligaynon writing, and might be considered separate letters.
The hyphen, in particular, is used medially to indicate the glottal stop san-o 'when' gab-e 'evening; night'. It is also used in reduplicated words: adlaw-adlaw 'daily, every day', from adlaw 'day, sun'. This marking is not used in reduplicated words whose base is not also used independently, as in pispis 'bird'.
Hyphens are also used in words with successive sounds of and, to separate the letters with the digraph NG. Like in the word gin-gaan 'was given'; without the hyphen, it would be read as gingaan as opposed to.
In addition, some English letters may be used in borrowed words.

Grammar

Determiners

Hiligaynon has three types of case markers: absolutive, ergative, and oblique. These types in turn are divided into personal, that have to do with names of people, and impersonal, that deal with everything else, and further into singular and plural types, though the plural impersonal case markers are just the singular impersonal case markers + mga, a particle used to denote plurality in Hiligaynon.
AbsolutiveErgativeOblique
singular impersonalangsang, sing*sa
plural impersonalang mgasang mga, sing mga*sa mga
singular personalsinikay
plural personal**sandaynandaykanday

The articles sing and sing mga means the following noun is indefinite, while sang tells of a definite noun, like the use of a in English as opposed to the; however, it is not as common in modern speech, being replaced by sang. It appears in conservative translations of the Bible into Hiligaynon and in traditional or formal speech.
The plural personal case markers are not used very often and not even by all speakers. Again, this is an example of a case marker that has fallen largely into disuse, but is still occasionally used when speaking a more traditional form of Hiligaynon, using fewer Spanish loan words.
The case markers do not determine which noun is the subject and which is the object; rather, the affix of the verb determines this, though the ang-marked noun is always the topic.

Demonstrative pronouns

In addition to this, there are two verbal deictics, karí, meaning 'to come to the speaker', and kadto, meaning 'to go yonder'.

Copula

Hiligaynon lacks the marker of sentence inversion ay of Tagalog/Filipino or hay of Akeanon. Instead sentences in SV form are written without any marker or copula.
Examples:
Si Leni ay maganda
Si Leni matahum / Gwapa si Leni = 'Leni is beautiful.'
'Leni is beautiful'
There is no direct translation for the English copula to be in Hiligaynon. However, the prefixes mangin- and nangin- may be used to mean will be and became, respectively.
Example: Manamì mangín manggaránon.
'It is nice to become rich.'
The Spanish copula estar has also become a part of the Hiligaynon lexicon. Its meaning and pronunciation have changed compared to its Spanish meaning, however. In Hiligaynon it is pronounced as istar and means 'to live /location'.
Example: Nagaistar ako sa tabuk suba.
'I live in tabuk suba'. Tabuk suba translates to 'other side of the river' and is also a barangay in Jaro, Iloilo.

Existential

To indicate the existence of an object, the word may is used.
Example:

Hiligaynon linkers

When an adjective modifies a noun, the linker nga links the two.
Example:
Ido nga itom
'black dog'
Sometimes, if the linker is preceded by a word that ends in a vowel, glottal stop or the letter N, it becomes acceptable to contract it into -ng, as in Filipino. This is often used to make the words sound more poetic or to reduce the number of syllables. Sometimes the meaning may change as in maayo nga aga, ' good morning', and maayong aga, the greeting for 'good morning'.
The linker ka is used if a number modifies a noun.
Example:
Anum ka ido
'six dogs'

Interrogative pronouns

The interrogative pronouns of Hiligaynon are as follows: diin, san-o, sin-o, nga-a, kamusta, ano, and pila
Diin means 'where'.
Example: Diin ka na subong?
'Where are you now?'
A derivation of diin, tagadiin, is used to inquire about the birthplace or hometown of the listener.
Example: Tagadiin ka?
'Where are you from?'
San-o means 'when'
Example: San-o inâ?
'When is that?'
Sin-o means 'who'
Example: Sin-o imo abyan?
'Who is your friend?'
Nga-a means 'why'
Example: Nga-a indi ka magkadto?
'Why won't you go?'
Kamusta means 'how', as in "How are you?"
Example: Kamusta ang tindahan?
'How is the store?'
Ano means 'what'
Example: Ano ang imo ginabasa?
'What are you reading?'
A derivative of ano, paano, meaning 'how', as in "How do I do that?"
Example: Paano ko makapulî?
'How can I get home?'
A derivative of paano is paanoano, an archaic phrase which can be compared with kamusta.
Example: Paanoano ikaw?
'How art thou?'
Pila means 'how much/how many'
Example: Pila ang gaupod sa imo?
'How many are with you?'
A derivative of pila, ikapila, asks the numerical order of the person, as in, "What place were you born in your family?" This word is notoriously difficult to translate into English, as English has no equivalent.
Example: Ikapila ka sa inyo pamilya?
'What place were you born into your family?'
A derivative of pila, tagpila, asks the monetary value of something, as in, "How much is this beef?"
Example: Tagpila ini nga karne sang baka?
'How much is this beef?'

Verbs

Focus

As it is essential for sentence structure and meaning, focus is a key concept in Hiligaynon and other Philippine languages. In English, in order to emphasize a part of a sentence, variation in intonation is usually employed – the voice is stronger or louder on the part emphasized. For example:
  1. The man is stealing rice from the market for his sister.
  2. The man is stealing rice from the market for his sister.
  3. The man is stealing rice from the market for his sister.
  4. The man is stealing rice from the market for his sister.
Furthermore, active and passive grammatical constructions can be used in English to place focus on the actor or object as the subject:
In contrast, sentence focus in Philippine languages is built into the construction by grammatical elements. Focus is marked by verbal affixes and a special particle prior to the noun in focus. Consider the following Hiligaynon translations of the above sentences:
  1. Nagakawat ang lalaki sang bugas sa tinda para sa iya utod.
  2. Ginakawat sang lalaki ang bugas sa tinda para sa iya utod.
  3. Ginakawatan sang lalaki sang bugas ang tinda para sa iya utod.
  4. Ginakawatan sang lalaki sang bugas sa tinda para sa iya utod.

Reduplication

Hiligaynon, like other Philippine languages, employs reduplication, the repetition of a root or stem of a word or part of a word for grammatical or semantic purposes. Reduplication in Hiligaynon tends to be limited to roots instead of affixes, as the only inflectional or derivational morpheme that seems to reduplicate is -pa-. Root reduplication suggests 'non-perfectiveness' or 'non-telicity'. Used with nouns, reduplication of roots indicate particulars which are not fully actualized members of their class. Note the following examples.
Reduplication of verbal roots suggests a process lacking a focus or decisive goal. The following examples describe events which have no apparent end, in the sense of lacking purpose or completion. A lack of seriousness may also be implied. Similarly, reduplication can suggest a background process in the midst of a foreground activity, as shown in.
When used with adjectival roots, non-telicity may suggest a gradualness of the quality, such as the comparison in. In comparative constructions the final syllables of each occurrence of the reduplicated root are accented. If the stress of the second occurrence is shifted to the first syllable, then the reduplicated root suggests a superlative degree, as in. Superlatives can also be created through prefixation of pinaka- to the root, as in pinaka-dakô.
While non-telicity can suggest augmentation, as shown in, it can also indicate diminishment as in shown in, in contrast with . In, maàyoáyo, accented in the superlative pattern, suggests a trajectory of improvement that has not been fully achieved. In, maàyoayó suggests a trajectory of decline when accented in the comparative pattern. The reduplicated áyo implies sub-optimal situations in both cases; full goodness/wellness is not achieved.

Vocabulary

Derived from Spanish

Hiligaynon has a large number of words derived from Spanish including nouns, adjectives, prepositions, and conjunctions.
Nouns denoting material items and abstract concepts invented or introduced during History of the [Philippines (1521–1898)|the early modern era] include barko, sapatos, kutsilyo, kutsara, tenedor, plato, kamiseta, and kambiyo. Spanish verbs are incorporated into Hiligaynon in their infinitive forms: edukar, kantar, mandar, pasar. The same holds true for other languages such as Cebuano. In contrast, incorporations of Spanish verbs into Tagalog for the most part resemble, though are not necessarily derived from, the vos forms in the imperative: eduká, kantá, mandá, pasá. Notable exceptions include andar, pasyal and sugal.

Examples

Numbers

Just like other Philippine languages that are influenced by Spanish, Hiligaynon uses 2 systems of numbers, one from its Austronesian roots and one derived from Spanish.
NumberHiligaynon-NativeHiligaynon-Spanish
1isáuno
2duhádos
3tátlotres
4ápatkuwatro
5limásingku
6ánumsais
7pitósyete
8walóotso
9siyámnwebe/nuybi
10pulò/napulòdyis
100gatóssiyen/syento
1,000líbomil
10,000laksâ/isáng libodyis mil
1,000,000hámbad/ramákmilyon
Firsttig-una/pangunáprimera
Secondikaduhásegunda
Thirdikatlo/ikatátlotersera
Fourthikap-at/ikaápat-
Fifthikalimá-
Sixthikán-um/ikaánum-
Seventhikapitó-
Eighthikawaló-
Ninthikasiyám-
Tenthikapulò-

Days of the week

The names of the days of the week are derived from their Spanish equivalents.
DayNative NamesMeaningCastilian Derived
SundayTigburukadroot word: bukad, 'open'; 'Starting Day'Domingo
MondayDumasaonroot word: dason 'next'; 'Next Day'Lunes
TuesdayDukot-dukotliteral meaning 'Busy Day'; 'Busiest Day'Martes
WednesdayBaylo-bayloroot word: baylo, 'exchange'; 'Barter' or 'Market Day'Miyerkoles
ThursdayDanghosliteral meaning: 'rush'; 'Rushing of the Work Day'Huwebes
FridayHingot-hingotliteral meaning: 'Completing of the Work Day'Biyernes
SaturdayLigid-ligidroot word: ligid, 'lay-down to rest'; 'Rest Day'Sábado

Months of the year

MonthNative NameCastilian Derived
JanuaryUlalongEnero
FebruaryDagang KahoyPebrero
MarchDagang BulanMarso
AprilKilingAbril
MayHimabuyanMayo
JuneKabayHunyo
JulyHidapdapanHulyo
AugustLubad-lubadAgosto
SeptemberKangurulsolSetiyembre
OctoberBagyo-bagyoOktubre
NovemberPanglot DiyutayNobiyembre
DecemberPanglot DakoDisiyembre

Quick phrases

EnglishHiligaynon
Yes.Húo.
No.Indî.
Thank you.Salamat.
Thank you very much!Salamat gid. / Madamò gid nga salamat!
I'm sorry.Patawaron mo ako. / Pasayloha 'ko. / Pasensyahon mo ako. / Pasensya na.
Help me!Buligi ko! / Tabangi ko!
Delicious!Namit!
Take care Halong.
Are you angry/scared?Akig/hadlok ka?
Do you feel happy/sad?Nalipay/Nasubo-an ka?
I don't know/I didn't knowAmbot / Wala ko kabalo / Wala ko nabal-an
I don't careWa-ay ko labot!
That's wonderful/marvelous!Námì-námì ba! / Nami ah!
I like this/that!Nanámìan ko sini/sina!
I love you.Palangga ta ka. / Ginahigugma ko ikaw.

Greetings

EnglishHiligaynon
Hello!Kumusta/Maayong adlaw
Good morning.Maayong aga.
Good noon.Maayong ugto/Maayong udto
Good afternoon.Maayong hapon.
Good evening.Maayong gab-i.
How are you?Kamusta ka?/Kamusta ikaw?/Musta na?
I'm fine.Maayo man.
I am fine, how about you?Maayo man, ikaw ya?
How old are you?Pila na ang edad mo? / Ano ang edad mo? / Pila ka tuig ka na?
I am 24 years old.Beinte kwatro anyos na ko./ Duha ka pulo kag apat ka tuig na ko.
My name is...Ang ngalan ko...
I am Erman.Ako si Erman. / Si Erman ako.
What is your name?Ano imo ngalan? / Ano ngalan mo?
Until next time.Asta sa liwat.

This/that/what

EnglishHiligaynon
What is this/that?Ano ni/nâ?
This is a sheet of paper.Isa ni ka panid sang papel. / Isa ka panid ka papel ini.
That is a book.Libro nâ.
What will you do?/What are you going to do?Ano ang himu-on mo? / Ano ang buhaton mo? / Maano ka?
What are you doing?Ano ang ginahimo mo? / Gaano ka?
My female friendAng akon babaye nga abyan/miga
My male friendAng akon lalake nga abyan/migo
My girlfriend/boyfriendAng akon nubya/nubyo

Space and time

EnglishHiligaynon
Where are you now?Diin ka subong?
Where shall we go?Diin ta makadto?
Where are we going?Diin ta pakadto?
Where are you going? diin ka makadto?
We shall go to Iloilo.Makadto ta sa Iloilo.
We're going to Bacolod.Makadto kami sa Bacolod.
I am going home.Mapa-uli na ko. / puli na ko.
Where do you live?Diin ka naga-istar? / Diin ka naga-puyô?
Where did you come from? Diin ka -halin?
Have you been here long?Dugay ka na di?
left. wala.
right. tuo.
What time is it?Ano takna na? / Ano oras na?
It's ten o'clock.Alas diyes na.
What time is it now?Ano ang oras subong? / Ano oras na?

When buying

EnglishHiligaynon
May/Can I buy?Pwede ko ma-bakal?
How much is this/that?Tag-pilá iní/inâ?
I'll buy the...Baklon ko ang...
Is this expensive?Mahal bala ni?
Is that cheap?Barato bala na?

The Ten Commandments

Literal translation as per photo:
  1. Believe in God and worship only him
  2. Do not use the name of God without purpose
  3. Honor the day of the Lord
  4. Honor your father and mother
  5. Do not kill
  6. Do not pretend to be married against virginity
  7. Do not steal
  8. Do not lie
  9. Do not have desire for the wife of your fellow man
  10. Do not covet the riches of your fellow man

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Notable Hiligaynon writers