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Ipalakpak an alima1
AL 114—Applied Linguistics
Abstract
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Let’s all clap hands together
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This paper takes a closer look on the intelligibility of the Surigaonon and the Kamayo languages
of the Surigao Provinces in Mindanao with that of the Cebuano Visayan. Oftentimes confused as
the waya-waya or the jaun-jaun language, Surigaonon finds its speech community among the
Surigao del Norte inhabitants as well as a few number of municipalities in Surigao del Sur.
Kamayo, on the other hand, is common among the Surigao del Sur inhabitants. From a select
number of children’s songs common in the Surigao islands, the paper, seeks to discover the
language of Surigao del Norte, Cantilangnon Surigaonon, and Bisliganon Kamayo to establish
Ipalakpak an alima
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INTRODUCTION
Slouching on the window seat inside the bus, one could hear the
drowning horns and calls from everywhere around the bus terminal. There
were porters selling their services, bus inspectors checking for their
schedules, passengers getting agitated for the yet again late ride, and
families sending off relatives. But most of all, there were peddlers all over
the bus terminal that it would be unusual not to bump at any one of them.
Then, there was that sunglass vendor who could not seem to help but stare
following her trail as she sat by the window—to peddle his glossy, black,
plastic goods.
The sunglass vendor kept his gaze, one who seemed to be in search for
an effective pre-sales opener. And he walked towards the window to ask the
waya waya imung sinultihan? (So you’re from Mangagoy? Then you must
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have spoken Waya-waya?) He gave his widest grin; one would think he would
miss that quick, annoyed glance she had thrown down at him. Luckily, the
sunglass vendor left for another waya-waya passenger, getting the cue not
thought, the incident was not really a new one. Nothing could bring a good
laugh than being mistaken for something or someone you are not. And there
have been too many similar instances—way too comforting that she thought
she had found herself explaining about her family or so. But to be mistaken
quite a few times of virtually the same thing is different. The author realized
that whenever people hear her say she is from Mangagoy, or even just see
would always be associated. And if not waya-waya, these people would call it
“pospoyo.” These misnomers have added to the lists and even confusion of
Located in Region 13, CARAGA, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur
make up the provinces of Surigao. It was in the 1960 that the province was
divided into the Surigao geography knows today. Thus, it is unsurprising that
for the people in and outside the Surigao provinces, Surigaonon becomes a
general term for identity or the term given to the people of Surigao.
want to agree with the term, the waya-waya or Surigaonon language will
always be attributed to and spoken by the people living in the Surigao del
Norte region. Even one of the interviewee for this paper added that
Surigaonon language is not the same as Visayan and Kamayo. Albeit the
Cebuano Visayan—after all, the languages are also being used among the
only for the Surigao del Norte speakers, there are still municipalities in
Surigaonon of Surigao del Norte language (wikipedia and Lewis ed., 2009).
in Surigao del Sur. With Kamayo as a widely spoken dialect in the province,
living in Bislig city presupposes that one also speaks Kamayo. However, the
Mangagoy and the other 22 barangays, has brought along language change
center and Tabon as the home of PICOP, Kamayo is spoken alongside other
among the other municipalities in Surigao del Sur namely, Barobo, Hinatuan,
Lingig, and Tagbina. But then again, of the Kamayo speech communities,
the existence of the paper company, PICOP, and the cityhood of Bislig, the
Bislig roads and highways were not as developed as they are now. Because
of this, transportation was not viable if not altogether possible. Hence, there
migrate. This resulted to a near isolated status of Bislig, and the further
communication).
Though the author has lived among the Bisliganons ever since, she still
finds herself being from the outside looking in at the kind of language used
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by the people of Bislig in much the same way as she is trying to understand
Kamayo and the Cantilangnon Surigaonon with that of the Cebuano Visayan.
The author used children’s songs in Surigaonon and Bisliganon Kamayo texts
Cebuano Visayan words translated into the said languages to illustrate and
Cantilangnon and Bisliganon Kamayo to the former. The songs were limited
Hymn—much of the songs they have known are in their original texts as
or “translated” indications beside their titles. The former signifies that the
speech community really has their version of the song; the latter signifies
that the text would have been translated from the original English or
naturalis.
Much as this paper would try to encompass the languages widely used
since they are the genetic language in the Caraga Region. Also, the
writing of this paper. Another thing to take note of is that with the migration
ANALYSIS
become the toasts among social circles of the two languages. The joke goes:
Later in the evening, the Cebuano was still waiting for the
ship with the name Inday Uno.
For anyone who is used to travelling to Cebu, Inday uno is a valid name
for the motor vessel heading Visayas. But for a Surigaonon, Inday uno could
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Bai, what’s the name of the ship heading for Cebu?
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I don’t know.
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understood. So does a Cantilangnon from Surigao del Sur. But then again,
Inday uno would have been said differently. A Kamayo would say Inday,
In the pre-1960s, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur was only
somehow exists between Surigaonon and Kamayo with the influences of the
former from the Cebuano Visayan, Leyteño and Boholano languages (Wolff,
1982). And with the migration of people, language change has also reached
naturalis and the Bisliganon Kamayo with that of the Cebuano Visayan, this
paper has used songs to help identify features inherent in the morphological
Kamayo and the Cebuano Visayan. The songs have been translated in
English for better understanding of some words. But for the purposes of this