Karay-a language: Difference between revisions

Karay-a
Harayan[1]
Kinaray-a, Hiniraya, Binisaya nga Karay-a
Native to	Philippines
Region	Antique, southern-inland Iloilo, southern part of Guimaras, southern Aklan, Occidental Mindoro particularly in Ilin Island, western Capiz, and a few parts of Soccsksargen
Ethnicity	Karay-a
Native speakers	433,000 (2005)[2]
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Philippine Central Philippine Bisayan Western Bisayan Karay-a
Writing system	Latin
Official status
Official language in	Regional language in the Philippines
Regulated by	Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino
Language codes
ISO 639-3	krj
Glottolog	kina1250
Area where Karay-a is spoken

The Karay-a language (Kinaray-a, Binisayâ nga Kinaray-a or Hinaraya; English: Harayan)^[1] is an Austronesian regional language spoken by the Karay-a people, mainly in Antique in the Philippines, Iloilo and other provinces on the island of Panay, as well as portions of the Soccsksargen region in Mindanao.

It is one of the Bisayan languages, mainly along with Aklanon/Malaynon, Capiznon and Hiligaynon.

Geographical distribution

Kinaray-a is spoken mainly in Antique. It is also spoken in Iloilo province mainly in the city of Passi, in the municipalities of Alimodian, San Joaquin, Lambunao, Calinog, Leon, Miag-ao, Pavia, Badiangan, San Miguel, Guimbal, San Enrique, Tigbauan, Igbaras, Leganes, Pototan, Bingawan, San Rafael, Mina, Zarraga, Oton, Santa Barbara, Cabatuan, Janiuay, Maasin, New Lucena, Dueñas, Dingle, and Tubungan, and certain villages in Mindanao – especially in the Soccsksargen region by citizens who trace their roots to Antique or to Karay-a-speaking areas of Panay island (particularly the province of Sultan Kudarat). Inhabitants of most towns across the latter areas speak Kinaray-a while Hiligaynon is predominant around coastal areas particularly in Iloilo. It is also spoken in Iloilo City by a minority and parts of Capiz and Aklan province, as well as Guimaras.

Dialects

There has not been much linguistic study on the dialects of Kinaray-a. Speakers both of Kinaray-a and Hiligaynon would however admit to hearing the differences in the ways by which Kinaray-a speakers from different towns speak.^[3] Differences in vocabulary can also observed between and among the dialects.

The differences and the degrees by which the dialects differ from each other depend largely on the area's proximity to another different language-speaking area. Thus, in Antique, there are, on the northern parts, varieties that are similar to Aklanon, the language of Aklan, its neighbor on the north. On the south, in Iloilo towns on the other hand, the dialects closely resemble that of the standard Kinaray-a spoken in San Jose de Buenavista, lowland Sibalom and Hamtic. A distinct dialect of Karay-a is spoken in central Iloilo where a lot of Hiligaynon loanwords are used and some Kinaray-a words are pronounced harder as in "rigya" or "ja" (here) of southern Iloilo and San José de Buenavista area as compared to "giya" of Janiuay, Santa Barbara, and nearby towns. Two highly accented dialects of Kinaray-a can be heard in Anini-y and Dao in Antique and San Joaquin, Leon, and Tubungan in Iloilo.

Some dialects differ only on consonant preference like y vs h. e.g. bayi/bahi (girl) or l vs r e.g. wala/wara. Some have distinct differences like sayëd/kadë (ugly) and rangga/gëba (defective).

Intelligibility with Hiligaynon

Due to geographic proximity and mass media Kinaray-a-speakers can understand Hiligaynon (also known as Ilonggo) speakers. However, only Hiligaynon speakers who reside in Kinaray-a-speaking areas can understand the language. Those who come from other areas, like Negros islanders, have difficulty in understanding the language, only if they can at all.

It is a misconception among some Hiligaynon speakers that Kinaray-a is a dialect of Hiligaynon; the reality is that the two belong to two different, but related, branches of the Bisayan languages.

However, some Karay-a also know Hiligaynon as their second language. To some extent, there is an intermediate dialect of Hiligaynon and Kinaray-a being spoken in Mindanao, mainly in Sultan Kudarat province.

Phonology

Vowels

The phonemes /e/ and /o/ are used mostly in non-Kinaray·a words and were even formerly allophonic with /i/ and /u/, respectively. The phonemes /i/ and /u/ may also be pronounced as [ɪ] and [ʊ].^[4] Among some speakers, /u/ may be pronounced as [ə], such as when subâ is uttered as [səˈbaʔ] instead of as /suˈbaʔ/.

Consonants

For example:

Orthography

There are two official orthographic conventions currently in use: a four-vowel-grapheme system released by the Komisyon sa Polong Kinaray·a [ceb] in 2016 in coordination with the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF),^[5] and a six-vowel-grapheme system recommended by the KWF in 2018.^[6] The latter builds on Brigadier General Vicente Pangantihon [es]’s introduction of a separate letter ⟨ə⟩ for /ɨ/ through the publication of Karay-a Rice Tradition Revisited,^[7] but using ⟨ë⟩ in ⟨ə⟩’s place. Karay·a writings predating Pangantihon’s innovation had not graphemically distinguished between /ɨ/ and /u~o/.^[8] In 2018, the KWF elaborated,^[6]

Harmonization is not compulsory for older users of the language or individual organizations; it is specifically aimed at helping the Department of Education and teachers to teach any of the native languages. Other organizations are free to adopt their own stylebook in their own publications.

Vowels

The 2018 Pangantihon–KWF orthography provides for six vowel letters: ⟨a⟩, ⟨e⟩, ⟨ë⟩ (previously ⟨ə⟩), ⟨i⟩, ⟨o⟩ and ⟨u⟩.^[a] They do not form diphthongs with each other and always indicate a separate syllable: there are as many vowels as there are syllables. Informal writing, however, contravenes this orthographic rule such as, for example, when words such as balunggay, kambiyo, lanaw, puwede, ruweda and tuáw are written as *balunggai, *kambio, *lanao, *puede, *rueda and *tuao.

⟨Ë⟩, referred to as malëm·ëk nga ⟨i⟩ and which Pangantihon had originally written as ⟨ə⟩, represents ɨ, a phoneme that occurs natively in Karay·a and in some other languages spoken in the Philippines such as Ivadoy, Maranao and Pangasinan. ⟨Ë⟩ is also used for integrated words of relatively recent foreign origin.

Separate glyphs for /e/ and /u/ were introduced with the arrival of the Castilians; namely ⟨e⟩ and ⟨u⟩.

Consonants

In line with the KWF's 2018 recommendation,^[5] the alphabet has 23 consonant letters: ⟨b⟩, ⟨c⟩, ⟨d⟩, ⟨f⟩, ⟨g⟩, ⟨h⟩, ⟨j⟩, ⟨k⟩, ⟨l⟩, ⟨m⟩, ⟨n⟩, ⟨ñ⟩, ⟨ng⟩, ⟨p⟩, ⟨q⟩, ⟨r⟩, ⟨s⟩, ⟨t⟩, ⟨v⟩, ⟨w⟩, ⟨x⟩, ⟨y⟩ and ⟨z⟩. Of the above, ⟨c⟩, ⟨ñ⟩, ⟨q⟩ and ⟨x⟩ are used only in names and unintegrated loan words.^[5]

The digraph ⟨ng⟩ constitutes a single letter and represents the phoneme /ŋ/. In the old orthography, which followed the Castilian norms set forth by the Real Academia Española, this phoneme was represented by ⟨n͠g⟩, the tilde stretching over both letters in order to distinguish it from ⟨ng⟩ and ⟨ñ⟩, which represented the Castilian /ŋɡ/ and ɲ, respectively.

In contrast to ⟨ng⟩, the digraph ⟨ts⟩, which represents /t͡ʃ/, is not counted as a distinct letter.

Grammar

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2018)

Nouns

Pronouns

Numbers

Common expressions

Saying "Diin kaw maagto?" (Literally, Where are you going?) is common way to greet people. You don't need to answer the question directly. The usual answer is an action like "Maninda." (Literally, To buy something on the market.) instead of "Sa tinda." (Literally, To the market.)

• Are you eating well? - Mayad man pangaën mo?
• Good. - Mayad.
• How are you feeling? - Musta bay pamatyagan mo? or: Ano bay pamatyag mo? (What do you feel?)
• I don't know. - Wara takën kamaan./ Waay takën kamaan (Or simply: Maan a./ Ambay a./ Ilam a. - informal, usually an annoyed expression)
• Let's go! - Panaw/Halin ta rën!/Dali rën! (usually for hurrying up companions)
• Come together. - Iririmaw kita./ imaw kita./ Iribhanay kita./ Iririmaw tatən
• Why? - Manhaw/Wanhaw? (or: Andët haw/aw?)/ Insa haw?/ Insaw?(informal)
• I love you. - Ginagugma ta (i)kaw./ palangga ta (i)kaw.
• My love/sweetheart. - Palangga ko.
• What is your name? - Ano ngaran mo?
• Good morning! - Mayad nga aga!
• Good afternoon! - Mayad nga hapon!
• Good evening! - Mayad nga gabiʔi!
• That one. - Amo kara. (Or simply: Ra/Ra ay.)(or: Amo ran)/ Amo ka di-a.
• How much? - Tag pira?
• Yes. - hə-əd.(Ho-ud)/ (h)ə-əd
• No. - Bukut./Bëkët.(Bëkën)/Indi
• Because. - Bangëd.
• Because of you. - Bangëd kanimo or Tëngëd kanimo.
• About you. - Nahanungëd kanimo or Parti kanimo.
• You know. - Man-an mo. (or: Man-an mo man.)
• Hurry! - Dasiga! (lit. Fast!) or Dali-a! (lit. Hurry!)
• Again. - Liwan/Liwat/Riwan/Liwan. (or: Uman (Again) / Umana (Command to repeat).)
• Do you speak English? - Kamaan kaw maghambal kang Inglis? or Kama-an kaw mag-Inglis?
• It is fun to live. - Sadya mabuhi/Sadya ang mabuhi.
• Happy - Sadya
• Thank you - Salamat

See also

• Language shift
• Hiligaynon
• Language revitalization

Notes

References

External links

Karay-a language test of Wikipedia at Wikimedia Incubator

Wikivoyage has a phrasebook for Kinaray-a.

• Taramdan sa Lantipulong Kinaray·a, guide to grammar (Antiqueño dialect)
• Marayum Dictionary
• Bansa.org Kinaray-a Dictionary