Kinaray-a language

Kinaray-a is an Austronesian language spoken mainly in Antique Province in the Philippines. It is also spoken in Iloilo province and certain villages in Mindanao that trace their roots to Antique Province or Kinaray-a speaking areas of Iloilo Province. Kinaray-a came from the word "iraya" equivalent to "ilaya" in Tagalog, which refers to a group of people residing in the mountain areas of the province. While groups of people residing near the river delta are referred to as "ilawod" from the Hiligaynon word "lawod", which refers to a large body of water (sea, ocean, lake, or strait). However, Kinaray-a does not necessarily refers to the way or language spoken by the highlanders of Panay Island. Speakers of this language are called, "Karay-a."

Kinaray-a is also spoken in most parts of Iloilo together with Hiligaynon. Most towns of Iloilo speak Kinaray-a while Hiligaynon is mostly spoken in the city area. Due to regional proximity, media and television stations, Kinaray-a speakers can understand Hiligaynon speakers. However, only Hiligaynon speakers who reside in Kinaray-a speaking areas can understand the language. Those who come from other areas, like Negros, have difficulty in understanding the language, 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, language subgroups.

It belongs to the Visayan language family.

Dialects

There has not been any actual 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. 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 in the other hand, the dialects closely resemble that of the standard Kinaray-a spoken in San Jose de Buenavista, lowland Sibalom and Hamtic.

Differences

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 sayəd/kadə (ugly) and rangga/gəba (defective).

Phonology

Vowels

A
E (uncommon - mostly "I" below)
I
O (uncommon - mostly "U" below)
U
Ə

The vowels E and O are used mostly in non-Kinaray-a words. The "E" and "O" sounds from the same words in other (mostly non-Visayan) Filipino languages are often pronounced as "I" and "U" respectively. "U" is sometimes interchanged with "Ə" (like the Kinaray-a word for river - some say "suBA", others say "səBA".

For example:

Consonants

Grammar

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 panga-ən mo?

• Good. - Mayad.

• How are you feeling? - Ano bay pamatyag mo?

• I don't know. - Wara takən kamaan. (Or simply: Maan a.)

• Let's go! - Panaw/Halin ta rən!/Dali rən!

• Come together. - Iririmaw kita.

• Why? - Manhaw/Wanhaw? (or: Andət haw/aw?)

• I love you. -Gihugma takaw.

• My love/sweetheart. -Palangga ko.

• What is your name? - Ano ngaran mo?

• Good morning! - Mayad nga aga!/Manami nga-aga!

• Good afternoon! - Mayad nga hapon!/Manami nga hapun!

• Good evening! - Mayad nga gab-i!/Manami nga gabi-i!

• That one. - Amo kara. (Or simply: Ra.)

• How much? - Tag pira?

• Yes. - U-əd.

• No. - Bukut./Bəkət.

• Because. - Bangəd.

• Because of you. - Bangəd kanimo.

• About you. - Tungəd kanimo.

• You know. - Man-an mo. (or: Man-an mo man.)

• Hurry! - Dasig!

• Again. - Liwan/Liwat.

• Do you speak English? - Kama-an kaw maghambal kang Inglis?

• It is fun to live. - Sadya mabuhi/Sadya ang mabuhi.

Children's books

Ang Bukid Nga Nagpalangga Kang Pispis

Ang Bukid Nga Nagpalangga Kang Pispis is a fully illustrated, colored children's picture book. The original story is The Mountain That Loved A Bird by Alice McLerran. Originally published in the United States with illustrations by Eric Carle, the story has been translated to Iloko by [[Genevieve L. Asenjo] and illustrated with new art by Beaulah Pedregosa Taguiwalo drawn from the landscapes of the Philippines.

The publisher is Mother Tongue Publishing Inc., a new publishing company based in Manila, Philippines formed in November 2006 by Mario and Beaulah Taguiwalo. Their mission is to publish books in as many languages as possible. They are inspired by the words of science fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin: “Literature takes shape and life in the body, in the wombs of the mother tongue.” They also agree with neuro-scientist Elkhonon Goldberg who refers to mother tongues as “an extremely adaptive and powerful device for modeling not only what is, but also what will be, what could be, and what we want and do not want to be.”

See also

• Language shift
• Languages of the Philippines
• Filipino
• Cebuano
• Kapampangan
• Chabacano
• Pangasinan
• Visayan languages
• Bikol
• Ilokano
• Hiligaynon
• Waray-Waray

External links

• Bansa.org Kinaray-a Dictionary
• Kinaray-a

Languages of the Philippines and Philippine languages National language Filipino Official languages Filipino • English Recognized regional languages Bikol • Cebuano • Chavacano (Spanish-based creole) • Hiligaynon • Ilokano • Kapampangan • Kinaray-a • Maguindanao • Maranao • Pangasinan • Tagalog • Tausug • Waray-Waray Recognized auxiliary languages Arabic • Spanish Language groups Borneo-Philippines • Northern Philippine {Northern Luzon (Batanic) • Central Luzon (Sambalic)} • Central Philippine {Bikol (Coastal • Inland • Pandan) • Visayan (Aklan • Bisakol)} • Southern Philippine (South Mindanao)