Central Bikol

Because of its broad geographic coverage as compared to other Bikol languages separated by islands and mountains, Central Bikol diverged into six dialects, which are still mutually comprehensible. The division of the language into different dialects is mainly because of the influence of other Bikol and non-Bikol languages surrounding the region.

The Canaman dialect, despite being used only by a small portion of the population in Camarines Sur, is the standard form of Central Bikol used in literature, Catholic religious rites and mass media. Naga City dialect is spoken in the first, second, third districts (except in Del Gallego, where residents are mostly Tagalog speakers), and in the western and eastern portions of the fourth district (Caramoan, Garchitorena, Presentacion, Siruma and Tinambac) of Camarines Sur. It is also spoken in San Pascual, Masbate (Burias Island) and the southwestern part of Catanduanes. The Partido dialect is spoken in the eastern part of Camarines Sur centered in the southern portion of the fourth districts (Goa, Lagonoy, Sagñay, San Jose, and Tigaon). The Tabaco-Legazpi-Sorsogon (TLS) dialect is spoken in the eastern coast of Albay and the northeastern part of Sorsogon. TLS is the dialect that has been most influenced by the Inland Bikol languages. The Daet dialect, on the other hand, is spoken in the second district of the province of Camarines Norte. The Virac dialect (or Viracnon language) is spoken around Virac, Catanduanes and surrounding towns on the southeastern part of the island of Catanduanes.

Dialectal comparison of Central Bikol

Like other Philippine languages, Bikol has a number of loanwords, largely Spanish ones as a result of Spanish rule in the Philippines. These include swerte (suerte, 'luck'), karne (carne, 'meat'), imbestigador (investigador, 'investigator'), litro ('liter'), pero ('but'), and krimen (crimen, 'crime'). Another source of loanwords in Bikol is Sanskrit, with examples including words like bahala ('responsibility') and karma.

Consonants

There are 16 consonants in the Bikol language: /m, n, ŋ, p, t, k, ʔ, b, d, ɡ, s, h, l, w~ʋ, ɾ, j~ʝ/. Eight sounds are borrowed from loanwords: /f, v, ɲ, tʃ, dʒ, ʃ, ʒ, ʎ/.

The sound system of the language according to Mintz in 1971^[4] is as follows.

Notes

1. ʃ – written as ⟨sy⟩, this is only found only in loan words from English, as in shirt.
2. tʃ – written as ⟨ty⟩, this is found in loan words from Spanish and English and is pronounced like the ch in check.
3. dʒ – written as ⟨dy⟩, this is found basically in loan words from English and is pronounced like the j sound in jeep.
4. ɲ – written as ⟨ny⟩, this is found in loan words from Spanish and is pronounced like the ñ in baños.
5. ʎ – written as ⟨ly⟩, this is found in loan words from Spanish and is pronounced like the ll in llave and sencillo (in Spanish dialects without yeísmo).
6. h – Due to contact with the nearby Albay Bikol languages, words that start with h in Bikol Naga, start with ʔ in Bikol Legazpi.
   • Ex: hiling ('look', Bikol Naga) becomes iling ('look', Bikol Legazpi)

Vowels

Native words exhibit a three-vowel system whose vowels can be noted as /a, i, u/, with /u/ realized as [o] in the final syllable. Due to contact with Spanish, modern Central Bikol also has two marginal phonemes /e, o/ distinct from /i, u/.

Particles

Like many other Philippine languages, Bikol has a rich set of discourse particles.

• bagá – (Tagalog: diba/nga) used for emphasis determined by context
• bayâ – giving a chance to someone; polite insisting
• daa – (Tagalog: daw) quoting information from a secondary source
• pati - emphasizing the condition that intensifies the difficulties. (Mauranon pati)
• daw – (Tagalog: ba/kaya) interrogative particle
• dawà/maski - (Tagalog: kahit) although
• dángan - (Tagalog: tapos) then
• garó – (Tagalog: mukhang, parang) likeness or similitude. English: 'It looks like, it's as if'.
• gáyo – 'exactly'
• daing gáyo – 'not exactly, not really'
• gayód – (Tagalog: bakâ) 'maybe, could be'
• giráray/liwát – (Tagalog: [m]uli) 'again'
• kutâ (na) – 'I hope (something did / did not happen' ; 'If only ...' (conditionality of past events)
• lámang, lang/saná – (Tagalog: lang) 'only, just'
• lugód – hoping that something will happen, or expressing surrender/assent
• man – (Tagalog: din, rin) 'also' or 'ever' (such as ano man 'whatever' and si isay man 'whoever')
• malà - 1. relenting or agreeing (Mala, dumanan mo siya kun iyan an gusto mo) 2. one is yielding (Mala ta nagpahunod na siya.) 3. stating what actually happened (Mala iyan, inabotan mi sindang huruba.)
• mûna/ngûna – (Tagalog: muna) 'first' or 'yet'
• na – (Tagalog: na) 'now' or 'already'
• naman – (Tagalog: naman) 'again'
• nanggád – (Tagalog: talaga, nga) 'really, truly, absolutely' (adds a sense of certainty)
• niyako – 'I said'
• nganì – expresses fate ("This is helpless") or a plea for others not to insist
• ngántig – indicates to a person what they should say to another (Ini ngantig an dapat gibohon niya.)
• ngápit – 'in the future', 'later' (span of time)
• ngayá – expresses a hypothetical event/situation (Ini man ngaya an taguan ninda.)
• pa – (Tagalog: pa) 'still'
• palán – (Tagalog: pala) expresses surprise or sudden realization
• tabì – (Tagalog: po) politeness marker; po in some Bikol dialects due to the influence of Tagalog.
• harambili – 'lest' (Akuon ko na sana an ayuda kan barangay, harambiling makamati nin gutom. I'll just accept the help of the barangay, lest I will get hungry).
• túlos – (Tagalog: agad) 'immediately, right away'
• talagá – (Tagalog: talaga) 'really', 'truly'

Numerals

There exist two types of numerals in Bikol: native Bikol and Spanish numerals. Generally, Bicolanos use the Spanish terms when referring to time, as in the phrase a las singko ('5 o'clock'). However, the native terms can be read in literary books. The Spanish numerals are often encountered in pricing.

The angry register of Bikol, also known natively as tamanggot or rapsak, is used when angry, shouting, or speaking in a high-pitched voice at someone. Some examples of the register include:

Note:

• Bikol languages

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