Itawis language

Itawis is a Northern Philippine language spoken by the Itawis people, closely related to the Gaddang speech found in Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya. It also has many similarities to the neighboring Ibanag tongue, while remaining quite different from the prevalent Ilocano spoken in the region and the Tagalog-based Filipino national language.

Background

Itawis is spoken by the Itawis people of Northern Luzon who inhabit the provinces of Cagayan Valley. Their range is from the lower Chico and Matalag rivers. The language is said to have rooted in the town of Tuao. In many towns by these rivers, Itawis are found with the Ibanags, and speak Ibanag as well, as an example of linguistic adaptation. Speakers of Itawis and Ibanag can easily understand each other because of the close relationship of their languages. The Itawis are linguistically and culturally very closely related to the Ibanag.
The Itawis language is classified as a Malayo-Polynesian language, a subset of the Austronesian language superfamily. During the pre-colonial period of the Philippines, words were borrowed from Spanish to stand in place for words that did not exist in the Itawis language. One such word is lamesa, which means 'table', for the Itawis people did not eat on tables, which were later introduced by the Spanish.
In the town of Rizal, Cagayan, a language called Malaueg is spoken by a group of people of the same name. It is not yet clear whether Malaueg is a distinct language or not because its proximity to Itawis may possibly make it a dialect of the latter.

Linguistic notes

Unlike most other Philippine languages, Itawit and its relatives use the consonants,,, and . For example, fefeg, madyan, kazzing, and bavi.
The Itawit language has a fast, somewhat soft tone. Speakers usually shorten sentences by shortening words; however, shortening every word is not possible. For a non-fluent, non-native, or a beginner learner, all words in a sentence should be said fully and completely. In a gesture of respect, Itawits usually use the name or status of a person at the end of a sentence.
Example: 'Where is the bathroom?' : Dyanna yo banyu ko anti/manang?
Anti 'auntie' is used in Itawit for an elderly woman or a family friend); manang 'elder sister' is used in Itawit as a sign of respect.
The Itawit sentence structure is similar to English.
Example: 'Ifan went to get some water from the fridge.' : Y Ifan e numang nga nangalak kang danum kanne ref. :
Ifan went to get water from fridge.
The format is a noun, verb, adjective/place/noun sequence.
If the speaker is referring to a person, who they are referring to is unclear unless the specification word y is used. The Tagalog equivalent would be si, both meaning 'that person'. After y, the name of the person referred to is used, but in a gesture of respect, the status and name are given.

Interrogative words

When asking a question, Itawits usually start with a person's name or status and then the question itself.
If asking someone familiar, Itawits also usually end it with he, diba, or ko.

'What': anna
'When': sonu hanna
'Where': dyanna
'Who': i-hanna
'Why': kaam
'How': kunnasi

Classification

Dialects

Linguists classify Malaueg and Rizal as dialects of the Itawis language.

Phonology

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close
Mid
Open

Consonants

Itawis is also one of the Philippine languages which is excluded from - allophony.

Examples

Comparison to Ibanag

Itawit	Ibanag	English
isa	tadday	one
dua	dua	two
tallu	tallu	three
appat	appa'	four
lima	lima	five
annam	annam	six
pitu	pitu	seven
walu	walu	eight
siam	siam	nine
mafulu	mafulu	ten
Yo ngahan ku e Ben.	I ngagak ku ay Ben.	My name is Ben.
Janna yo nagafuanam mu?	Sitau y naggafuanam mu?	Where did you come from?
Hanna yo kinnam mu?	Anni y kinnam mu?	What did you eat?
Hanna yo kanakanam mu?	Anni y kanakanam mu?	What are you eating?
Nakakan kami zinan nu nallabbet iggina.	Nakakak kami nacuan nu limibbe yayya.	We would have eaten, had they arrived.
Hanna yo kanam mu sangaw?	Anni y kanam mu sangaw?	What are you going to eat?
Maddagun kami mangan kustu nallabbet iggina.	Maddaguk kami kuman kustu nallabbe yayya.	We were eating while he/she arrived home.