Waray language
Waray is an Austronesian language and the fifth-most-spoken native regional language of the Philippines, native to Eastern Visayas. It is the native language of the Waray people and second language of the Abaknon people of Capul, Northern Samar and some Cebuano-speaking peoples of eastern and southern parts of Leyte island. It is the third most spoken language among the Bisayan languages, only behind Cebuano and Hiligaynon.
Waray | |
---|---|
Waray-Waray, Samar-Leyte Visayan | |
Winaray, Samareño, Lineyte-Samarnon, Binisayâ nga Winaray, Binisayâ nga Samar-Leyte, Binisayâ nga Waray | |
Native to | Philippines |
Region | Eastern Visayas, some parts of Masbate, and some parts of Sorsogon |
Ethnicity | Waray |
Native speakers | 2.6 million (2005 census)[1] |
Austronesian
| |
Dialects | Standard Waray (Tacloban dialect), Northern Samar dialect, Calbayog dialect, Culaba-Biliran dialect, Abuyog dialect and other 20 identified dialects and subdialects |
Latin; Historically Baybayin | |
Official status | |
Official language in | Regional language in the Philippines |
Regulated by | Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino Historically regulated by the Sanghiran san Binisaya ha Samar ug Leyte |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-2 | war |
ISO 639-3 | war |
Glottolog | wara1300 [2] |
Areas where Waray-Waray is spoken | |
Nomenclature
The term Waray comes from the word often heard by non-speakers meaning "none" or "nothing" in the language; similarly, Cebuanos are known in Leyte as "mga Kana" and their language as "Kana" (after the oft-heard word "kana," meaning "that" in the Cebuano language).
During the Spanish period, texts refer to the language as simply being a dialect of "Visayan." In contrast, most contemporary linguists consider many of these "Visayan dialects" (e.g., Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Karay-a, etc.) to be distinct languages, and the term Visayan is usually taken to refer to what is called Cebuano in contemporary linguistic literature. Domingo Ezguerra's 1663 (reprinted 1747) Arte de la lengua bisaya de la provincia de Leyte refers to the "Visayan tongue of the province of Leyte," Figueroa's Arte del idioma Visaya de Samar y Leyte refers to the "Visaya language of Samar and Leyte." Antonio Sanchez's 1914 "Diccionario español-bisaya" (Spanish-Visayan Dictionary) refers to the speech of "Sámar and Leyte."
Dialects
Linguist Jason Lobel (2009) considers there are 25 dialects and subdialects of Waray-Waray.[3]
- Tacloban: "standard" dialect: the dialect used in television and radio broadcasts and in education
- Abuyog, Leyte: heavy Cebuano influence
- Culaba, Biliran: heavy Cebuano influence
- Catbalogan: "original" dialect: Pure Waray, central part of Samar Island
- Calbayog: mixture of the Tacloban dialect and the dialect of Northern Samar
- Allen, Northern Samar: mostly Southern Sorsoganon mixed with Northern Samarenyo. Dialects in neighboring towns have also borrowed extensively from Southern Sorsoganon.
Waray is characterized by a unique sound change in which Proto-Bisayan *s becomes /h/ in a small number of common grammatical morphemes. This sound change occurs in all areas of Samar south of the municipalities of Santa Margarita, Matuginao, Las Navas, and Gamay (roughly corresponding to the provinces of Samar and Eastern Samar, but not Northern Samar), as well as in all of the Waray-speaking areas of Leyte, except the towns of Javier and Abuyog. However, this sound change is an areal feature rather than a strictly genetic one (Lobel 2009).[3]
Most Waray dialects in northeastern and eastern Samar have the close central unrounded vowel /ɨ/ as a reflex of Proto-Austronesian *e.[3]
Usage
Waray is one of the many regional languages found in the Philippines and used in local government. It is widely used in media particularly in television and radio broadcasts, however, not in print media because most regional newspapers are published in English.
The language is used in education from kindergarten to primary level as part of the Philippine government's K-12 program since 2012 in which pupils from Kindergarten to third grade are taught in their respective indigenous languages.
Waray is also used in the Mass in the Roman Catholic Church and in the worship services of different Christian sects in the region. Bibles in Waray are also available. In 2019, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures was released in Waray-Waray.[4]
Phonology
Grammar
Writing system
Waray, like all Philippine languages today, is written using the Latin script. There is no officially-approved orthography for the language and different writers may use differing orthographic styles. In general, it has become common to write the language following the current orthographic conventions of Filipino.
Vocabulary
Numbers
Native numbers are used for numbers one through ten. From eleven onwards, Spanish numbers are exclusively used in Waray today, their native counterparts being almost unheard of by the majority of native speakers (except for gatos for hundred and yukot for thousand). Some, specially the old ones, are spoken alongside the Spanish counterparts.
English | Native Waray | Derived from Spanish | Spanish |
---|---|---|---|
one | usá | uno | un / uno (m) una (f) |
two | duhá | dos | dos |
three | tuló | tres | tres |
four | upat | kuwatro | cuatro |
five | limá | singko | cinco |
six | unom | sais/says | seis |
seven | pitó | syete | siete |
eight | waló | otso | ocho |
nine | siyám | nuebe/nuybe | nueve |
ten | napúlô | dies/dyis | diez |
eleven | napúlô kag-usá | onse | once |
twelve | napúlô kagduhá | dose | doce |
thirteen | napúlô kagtuló | trese | trece |
fourteen | napúlô kag-upat | katorse | catorce |
fifteen | napúlô kaglimá | kinse | quince |
sixteen | napúlô kag-unom | disisays/disisais | dieciséis |
seventeen | napúlô kagpitó | disisyete | diecisiete |
eighteen | napúlô kagwaló | disiotso | dieciocho |
nineteen | napúlô kagsiyám | disinuybe | diecinueve |
twenty | karuhaàn | baynte | veinte |
twenty one | karuhaàn kag-usà | baynte uno | veintiuno |
twenty two | karuhaàn kagduhà | baynte dos | veintidós |
thirty | katluàn | traynta | treinta |
forty | kap-atàn | kuwarenta | cuarenta |
fifty | kalim-àn | singkwenta | cincuenta |
sixty | kaunmàn | saysenta/sisenta | sesenta |
seventy | kapituàn | sitenta | setenta |
eighty | kawaluàn | otsenta/ochienta | ochenta |
ninety | kasiyamàn | nobenta | noventa |
one hundred | usa ka gatòs | syen | cien |
one thousand | usa ka yukòt | mil | mil |
one million | usa ka ribo[9] | milyon | un millón |
Some common words and phrases
Below are examples of the Waray spoken in Metropolitan Tacloban and the nearby areas:
- Can you understand Waray?: Nakakaintindi / Nasabut ka hin Winaray? (hin or hiton)
- Good morning (noon / afternoon / evening): Maupay nga aga (udto / kulop / gab-i)
- Thank you: Salamat
- I love you: Hinihigugma ko ikaw or Ginhihigugma ko ikaw or Pina-ura ta ikaw
- Where are you from? : Taga-diin ka? or Taga-nga-in ka?
- What is your name? : Ano it imo ngaran?
- Who are you?: Hin-o ka?
- How are you? : Kumusta ka na?
- I'm fine / In God's will: Kalu-oy sa Diyos
- How much is this? : Tagpira ini?
- I like this / that: Karuyag ko ini / iton.
- I can't understand: Diri ako nakakaintindi or Diri ako nakakasabut
- I don't know: Diri ako maaram or Ambot
- What: Ano
- Who: Hin-o
- Where: Hain or Di-in or "Ngain"
- When (future): San-o
- When (past): Kakan-o
- Why: Kay ano
- How: Gin-aano?/Patiunan-o?
- Yes: Oo
- No: Dire or Diri
- There: Adto or Didto or Ngadto
- Here: Didi or Nganhi or Dinhi
- Up: Igbaw
- Down: Ubos
- Top: Bawbaw
- Bottom: Ilarom or Sirong
- Right: Tu-o
- Left: Wala
- Far: Harayo
- Near: Hirani
- Front or in front: Atubang or Atubangan
- Night: Gab-i
- Day: Adlaw
- Nothing: Waray
- Good: Maupay
- Beautiful: Mahusay
- Handsome: Gwapo
- Boy: Lalaki
- Girl: Babayi
- Gay: Bayot
- Lesbian: Tomboy/Lesbyana
- I'm a friend of...: Sangkay ako ni...
- I'm lost here: Nawawara ak didi.
- Maybe: Bangin
- I wish...: Kunta
- Dirty: Malamiri
Other common words
Technical terms
- Gold - bulawan
- Steel - puthaw
- Car - awto / sarakyan/ kotse" / "sasakyan
- Airplane - edro / eroplano
- Airport - lupadan or landingan
Astronomical terms
- Earth - kalibutan
- Moon - bulan; Indonesian - bulan
- Sun - adlaw
- Star - bituon Indonesian - bintang
Natural terms
- Wind - hangin; Indonesian - angin
- Fire - kalayo
- Land - tuna; Indonesian - tanah
- Water - lawod/tubig
- Nature - libong
- Mountain - bukid; Indonesian - bukit
- Sea - dagat
- Ocean - kalawdan Indonesian = laut i.e. ka-laut-an
- Island - puro/isla Indonesian - pulau
- Archipelago - kapuruan; Indonesian - kepulauan
- River - salog
- Lake - danaw; Indonesian - danau
Parts of the house
- House - balay or payag
- Room - kwarto or sulod
- Bedroom - sulod-katurugan
- Kitchen - kusina
- Outdoor Kitchen - abuhan
- Dining Room - kaunan
- Bathroom - kubeta/kasilyas/karigu-an
- Floor - salug
- Roof - atop
Members of the family
- Father - amay/tatay/papa
- Mother - iroy/nanay/mama
- Son/Daughter - anak
- Brother - bugto nga lalaki
- Sister - bugto nga babayi
- Grandparent - apoy(male/female); lolo (male) / lola (female)
- Cousin - patod
- Nephew/Niece - umangkon
- Son-in-Law/Daughter-in-Law - umagad
- Brother-in-Law/Sister-in-Law - bayaw(male) / hipag (female)
- Father-in-Law/Mother-in-Law - ugangan
- Oldest Child - suhag
- Youngest Child - puto or pudo
Fashion words
- Trousers - saruwal
- Clothes - bado / duros
- Belt - paha
Food
- Bread - tinapay
- Rice - kan-on / luto
- Viand - sura
- Coffee - kape
- Vinegar - suoy
Animals
- Dog - ayam, iru/ido
- Cat - kuying/uding, misay
- Rat - yatot
- Crocodile - buwaya
- Bird - tamsi/tawsi
- Snake - halas
- Carabao - karabaw
- Crab - masag/kin-is
- Lobster - tapusok
- Shrimp - pasayan
Loanwords and Cognates
Waray has borrowed vocabulary extensively from other languages, especially from Spanish. These words are being adopted to fill lexical gaps of the recipient language. Spanish colonialization introduced new systems to the Philippine society.
Common Waray Waray words and its foreign and local origin
Indonesian/Malay Cognates
- Balay (English: house) - related to Malay balai
- Sarapati (English: pigeon) - related to Malay merpati
- Mata (English: eyes) - related to Malay mata
- Bulan (English: moon/month) - related to Malay bulan
- Ini (English: this/these) - related to Malay ini
- Kamo (English: you [plural]) - related to Malay kamu
Spanish
- Abandonada (Spanish: Abandonado/a) – abandoned
- Abaniko (Spanish: Abanico) – fan
- Abriha (Spanish: Abrir, Filipino: Abrihin) – to open
- Abrelata (Spanish: Abrelatas) – tin-opener/can opener
- Abril (Spanish: Abril) – April
- Abogado (Spanish: Abogado) – lawyer, attorney
- Aborido (Spanish: Aburrido) – bored (used in Tagalog as 'anxious, confused')
- Akasya (Spanish: Acacia) – acacia tree
- Aksidente (Spanish: Accidente) – accident
- Adurnuha (Spanish: Adornar, Filipino: Adurnuhan) – to decorate
- Agrabiyado (Spanish: Agraviado) – being aggrieved
- Aginaldo (Spanish: Aguinaldo) – Christmas gift
- Agosto (Spanish: Agosto) – August
- Ahensiya (Spanish: Agencia) – agency
- Ahente (Spanish: Agente) – agent
- Alahas (Spanish: Alhaja) – jewel
- Alambre (Spanish: Alambre) – wire
- Alkansiya (Spanish: Alcancía) – piggy bank
- Alpilir (Spanish: Alfiler) – pin
- Alsaha (Spanish: Alzar, Filipino: Alsahin) – Ambisyoso (Spanish: Ambicioso) – ambitious
- Ambisyon (Spanish: Ambición) – ambitionArbularyo (Spanish: Herbolario) - Medicine man (from "Herbo" -herb)
- Arina (Spanish: Harina) – flour
- Arkitekto (Spanish: Arquitecto) – architect
- Armado (Spanish: Armado) – armed
- Armibal (Spanish: Almíbar) – syrup
- Artista (Spanish: Artista) – artist (used in Waray Waray as 'actor/actress')
- Ariyos (Spanish: Arreos) – tack (used in Waray Waray as 'earrings')
- Asintado (Spanish: Asentado) – settled
- Asero (Spanish: Acero) – steel
- Asno (Spanish: Asno) – donkey
- Asoge (Spanish: Azogue) – mercury
- Asosasyon (Spanish: Asociación) – association
- Asukal (Spanish: Azúcar) – sugar
- Asul (Spanish: Azul) – blue
- Asyatiko (Spanish: Asiatico) – Asian
- Intyendeha (Spanish: Atender) – to attend to
- Atrasado (Spanish: Atrasado) – overdue, slow (clock), backward (used in Waray Waray as 'late')
- Ayudaha (Spanish: Ayudar, Filipino: Ayudahan) – to help
- Banyo/Kasilyas (Spanish: Baño) – bathroom, toilet
- Baraha (Spanish: Baraja) – deck of playing cards
- Baratilyo (Spanish: Baratillo) – flea market (used in Waray Waray as 'bargain sale')
- Barato (Spanish: Barato) – cheap
- Barbero (Spanish: Barbero) – barber
- Barbula (Spanish: Válvula) – valve
- Bareta (Spanish Bareta) – bar
- Bagahe (Spanish: Bagaje) – baggage
- Bintana (Spanish: Ventana) – window
- Bintilador (Spanish: Ventilador) – electric fan
- Birhen (Spanish: Virgen) – virgin
- Bisagra (Spanish: Bisagra) – hinge
- Bisikleta (Spanish: Bicicleta) – bicycle
- Bisitaha (Spanish: Visitar) – to visit
- Botika/Botica/Parmasya/Farmacia - drugstore, pharmacy
- Conbensido (Spanish: Convencido) - convinced
- Demanda (Spanish: Demanda) – demand
- Demokrasiya (Spanish: Democracia) – democracy
- Demonyo (Spanish:Demonio) – demon, evil spirit
- Dentista (Spanish: Dentista) – dentist
- Departamento (Spanish: Departamento) – department, bureau
- Depensa (Spanish: Defensa) – defense
- Deposito (Spanish: Depósito) – depot (fuel), deposit (money)
- Desisyon (Spanish: Decisión) – decision
- Diyos/a (Spanish: Dios/a) – god/goddess
- Doble (Spanish: Doble) – double
- Doktor/a (Spanish: Doctor/a) – doctor
- Don (Spanish: Don) – Mr. (used in Waray Waray to address a rich man)
- Donya (Spanish: Doña) – Mrs. (used in Waray Waray to address a rich woman)
- Dos (Spanish: Dos) – two
- Dose (Spanish: Doce) – twelve
- Dosena (Spanish: Docena) – dozen
- Drama (Spanish: Drama) – drama
- Droga (Spanish: Droga) – drugs
- Huygo (Spanish: Juego) – game (used in Waray Waray as 'gambling')
- Hugador (Spanish: Jugador) – game (used in Waray Waray as 'gambler')
- Karsonsilyo/Carsoncillo (Spanish: Carsoncillo) – boxer shorts (used in Waray Waray as 'shorts')
- Lider (Spanish: Líder) – leader
- Marigoso (Spanish: Amargoso) – bittermelon
- Padre (Spanish: Padre) – father (used in Waray Waray as a title for a Roman Catholic priest)
Portuguese
- Porta (Portuguese: Porta) – door
- Multo (Portuguese: Morto) – ghost
Nahuatl
- Achuete (Nahuatl: Achiotl; Mexican Spanish: Achiote) – annatto seeds used to give food a reddish color
- Kakao/Kakaw (Cacao) (Nahuatl: Cacahuatl) – cacao or cocoa
- Sayote (Nahuatl: Chayotli; Mexican Spanish: Chayote) – a Mexican squash
- Tiyangge (Nahuatl: Tianquiztli; Mexican Spanish: Tianguis) – seasonal markets
- Tsokolate (Nahuatl: Xocolatl) – chocolate
Chinese
- Bakya (Fukien Chinese) – native wooden sandals
- Bihon – Vermicelli (made of rice flour)
- Bitsin (Fukien Chinese: Bi chhin) – monosodium glutamate
- Jueteng (Fukien Chinese) – illegal numbers game
- Lumpia (Fukien Chinese) – spring rolls
English
- Basket/Batulang – basket
- Basketbol – basketball
- Basketbulan - basketball court
- Bilib - believe
- Bilyar - billiard
- Bilyaran - billiard hall
- Chiki - check
- Dyip – jeep
- Elementari – elementary
- Ekonomiks - economics
- Eksport – export
- Ekpres - express
- Erkon - air con
- Greyd – grade
- Groseri – grocery
- Hai Skul – High School
- Iskor – score
- Iskrin – screen
- Ispiker - speaker
- Keyk – cake
- Kostomer/Kustomer – customer
- Kompyuter – computer
- Kondisyoner - conditioner
- Kontrol - control
- Krim - cream
- Kukis - cookies
- Lider – leader
- Losyon - lotion
- Manedyer – manager
- Masel – muscle
- Makroekonomiks - macroeconomics
- Maikroekonomiks - microeconomics
- Isparkol - sparkle
Cebuano
- Bana (Cebuano: Bana) - husband
References
- Waray at Ethnologue (19th ed., 2016)
- Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Waray (Philippines)". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
- Lobel, Jason (2009). "Samar-Leyte". Concise Encyclopedia of Languages of the World. Oxford: Elsevier. pp. 914–917.
- "Iginrelis an Bag-o nga Kalibotan nga Hubad ha Lima nga Yinaknan". Jw.org.
- Oyzon, Voltaire Q. (2014). An Winaray.
- Rubino, (2001:797-800)
- "Waray: a Major Language in Philippines | English Language | Grammatical Number". Scribd. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
- Zorc, David Paul (1977). The Bisayan Dialects of the Philippines: Subgrouping and Reconstruction. Canberra, Australia: Dept. of Linguistics, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University. doi:10.15144/PL-C44. ISBN 0858831570. P. 47
- Makabenta, Eduardo (2004). Pagpurulungan nga Binisaya (Waray) ha Leyte ug Samar (Binisaya-English English-Binisaya Dictionary) (2nd edition). Quezon City: Adbox Book Distributors and Eduardo A. Makabenta Sr. Foundation. p. 121.
Further reading
- Dictionary English Waray-Waray/Tagalog (2005) by Tomas A. Abuyen, National Book Store, 494 pp., ISBN 971-08-6529-3.
- Rubino, Carl. Waray-Waray. In Garry, Jane and Carl Rubino (eds.), Facts About the World's Languages, An Encyclopedia of the World's Languages: Past and Present (2001), pp. 797-800.
External links
Waray edition of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Wikivoyage has a phrasebook for Waray-Waray. |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Waray language. |
- Radyo Waraynon – Waraynon Internet Radio Station
- Waray Museum Blog featuring Waray literature
- Waray lessons
- Bansa.org Waray Dictionary
- Waray dictionary, literary database & teaching resource
- Waray-Waray Dictionary by Andras Rajki – with Bicol, Cebuano, Hiligaynon &c. cognates and some Proto-Malayo-Polynesian etymologies
- SEAlang Library Waray Resources
- A large collection of bible study material in Waray language (free audio books, videos, publications) - Jehovah's Witnesses