Bikol languages

Bikol
Geographic distribution:	Bicol Region
Linguistic classification:	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Philippine Central Philippine Bikol
Subdivisions:	Coastal Bikol Inland Bikol Pandan Bikol
Ethnologue code:	17-2528
ISO 639-2 / 5:	bik
Geographic extent of Bikol languages according to Ethnologue maps. Red represents Bikol Proper languages while green represents Bisakol languages.

Geographic distribution of Bikol languages across Bicol region

The Bikol languages are a group of Central Philippine languages spoken mostly on the Bicol Peninsula of the island of Luzon and also parts of Catanduanes and Burias Islands and Masbate Province. There is a dialect continuum between the Visayan languages and the Bikol languages; the two together are called the Bisakol languages.

Internal classification

Ethnologue

The eight languages of Bikol grouped according to Ethnologue are:

• Coastal Bikol (Northern)
  • Naga
    • Isarog Agta
    • Mount Iraya Agta
    • Central Bikol
  • Southern Catanduanes Bicol
• Inland Bikol (Southern)
  • Mount Iriga Agta
  • Albay Bikol
  • Buhinon
  • Libon
  • West Albay
  • Miraya
  • Rinconada Bikol
• Northern Catanduanes Bikol (Pandan Bikol)

McFarland (1974)

Curtis McFarland gives the following classification for the Bikol languages.^[1]

Lobel (2000)

While McFarland (1974) splits Bikol into 11 dialects, Lobel (2000) splits Bikol into 12 different dialects (including Partido Bikol, which McFarland does not differentiate) and 4 main branches.^[2]

• Northern Coastal Bikol

1. Central Standard – Spoken primarily in Naga City. Also recognized (and sometimes understood) in Daet, Camarines Norte and many other areas of Camarines Sur; San Pascual, Masbate on Burias Island; Legazpi City and other cities along the eastern coast of Albay and northeastern Sorsogon.
   1. Daet area variant
   2. Naga City area variant
   3. Eastern Standard Bikol – Spoken in and around Legazpi City and North Sorsogon
2. Partido – Spoken in the Camarines Sur municipalities of Ocampo, Goa, Tigaon, Lagonoy, Sagñay, and San Jose. This dialect has a mellow intonation and is heavily influenced by Riŋkonāda.
3. South Catanduanes – Spoken in the southern half of Catanduanes.
   1. Virac area variant
   2. San Miguel variant (transitional to North Catanduanes)

• Southern Coastal and Inland Bikol

1. Riŋkonāda – Spoken primarily in Iriga City, Baao; Bula; Balatan; Baao; and Nabua, Camarines Sur. Also in Ocampo, Buhi and Pili in Camarines Sur and in Polangui, Albay.
   1. Lowland Riŋkonāda dialect (lacks /ə/ vowel)
   2. Highland Riŋkonāda dialect (with /ə/ vowel)
2. Buhinon – Spoken in Buhi, Camarines Sur. Contains features from both Bikol of Polangui and Bikol of Iriga.
3. Libon – Spoken in Libon, Albay.
4. West Miraya – Spoken in Ligao City, Polangui, Oas, and Pio Duran, Albay.
5. East Miraya – Spoken in Guinobatan; Camalig; Daraga; Jovellar, Albay; Donsol and Pilar, Sorsogon.
   1. Central (Guinobatan)
   2. Far East (Camalig, Daraga)
   3. Southeast (Jovellar, Albay, Donsol, Pilar)

• Northern Catanduanes (Pandan) – Spoken by about 80,000 people in the Northern Catanduanes towns of Caramoran; Pandan; Bagamanoc; Panganiban, and Viga.

• Bisakol

1. Central Sorsogon – Spoken in Sorsogon City; Castilla; Casiguran; and Juban, Sorsogon.
   1. Castilla Sorsogon (mixed with Legazpi Bikol)
   2. Casiguran-Juban variant
2. Southern Sorsogon – Spoken in Gubat; Barcelona; Bulusan; Santa Magdalena; Matnog; Irosin; and Bulan, Sorsogon.
3. Masbatenyo – Spoken in Masbate City; Mobo; Uson; Dimasalang; Palanas; Masbate; Aroroy on the island of Masbate, all of Ticao Island, and Claveria on the southern half of Burias Island.
   1. Standard Masbatenyo
   2. Ticao Island variant

See also

• Languages of Bicol

References

Notes

General references

• Lobel, Jason William; Tria, Wilmer Joseph S. and Carpio, Jose Maria Z. 2000. An satuyang tataramon / A Study of the Bikol Language. Naga City, Philippines: Lobel & Tria Partnership, Co.: Holy Rosary Minor Seminary.

External links

• Translate Bikol, an online English-Bikol and Bisakol languages translator.

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