Botolan language

Infobox Language
name=Botolan
states=Philippines
region=Zambales, Olongapo, Metro Manila
speakers=32,867 [ [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=sbl Ethnologue report for language code:sbl ] ]
familycolor=Austronesian
fam2=Malayo-Polynesian
fam3=Borneo-Philippines
fam4=Central Luzon
fam5=Sambalic
agency=Commission on the Filipino Language
iso2=phi|iso3=xsb

Botolan is a Sambalic language spoken by 32,867 (SIL 2000) Sambal, primarily in the Zambaleño municipalities of Botolan and Cabangan in the Philippines.

Phonology

Botolan has 20 phonemes: 16 consonants and four vowels. Syllable structure is relatively simple. Each syllable contains at least a consonant and a vowel.

Vowels

Botolan has four vowels. They are:
*/a/ an open front unrounded vowel similar to English ‘father’
*/e/ an close-mid front unrounded vowel similar to German ‘Elefant’
*/i/ a close front unrounded vowel similar to English ‘machine’
*/u/ (written as ‘o’) a close back unrounded vowel similar to English ‘flute’

There are five main diphthongs: IPA|/aɪ/, IPA|/uɪ/, IPA|/aʊ/, /ij/, and IPA|/iʊ/.

Consonants

Below is a chart of Botolan consonants. All the stops are unaspirated. The velar nasal occurs in all positions including at the beginning of a word.

Note: Consonants [d] and [IPA|ɾ] can sometimes interchange as they were once allophones.

tress

Stress is phonemic in Botolan. Stress on words is very important, they differentiate words with the same spellings, but with different meanings, e.g. "hikó" (I) and "híko" (elbow).

Historical sound changes

Many words pronounced as /s/ and /g/ in Filipino are pronounced as /h/ and /j/, respectively, in their cognates in Botolan. Compare "hiko" and "bayo" with the Filipino "siko" and "bago".

ample texts

The Lord’s Prayer

Version from Matthew

Tatay nawen ya anti ha katatag-ayan,
Hay ngalan mo ay igalang dayi nin kaganawan.
Andawaten nawen ya tampol kayna dayin mag-arí.
Mangyari dayi ya kalabayan mo bayri ha babon lotá
Bilang ombayro ha katatag-ayan.
Hapa-eg ay biyan mo kayin pamamangan ya
angka-ilanganen nawen.
Patawaren mo kayi ha kawkasalanan
nawen bilang pamatawad nawen ha
nakapagkasalanan konnawen.
Agmo kayi biyan ma-irap ya pagsobok boy
ipakarayó mo kayi koni Satanas. [ [http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/JPN-sambal-botolan.html Botolan Sambal ] ]

Philippine national proverb

Below is a translation in Botolan of the Philippine national proverb [ [http://iloko.tripod.com/philproverb.html National Philippine Proverb in Various Philippine Languages ] ] “He who does not acknowledge his beginnings will not reach his destination,” followed by the original in Filipino.

*Botolan: “Hay ahe tanda nin nanlek ha pinangibatan, ay ahe makalateng ha lalakwen.”
*Filipino: “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makararating sa paroroonan.”

ee also

*Languages of the Philippines

References

External links

* [http://iloko.tripod.com/BotolanSambal.htm Grammar sketch of Botolan]
* [http://globalrecordings.net/program/C08310 Sample recordings from the GRN Network] , in Botolan
* [http://www.seghea.com/pat/bible/bsambal.html Hay Halita nin Diyos] , Bible verses in Botolan