BY DR. JOSE PALU-AY DACUDAO
AUSTRONESIA languages are agglutinative. This means that in order to construct words that indicate verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, one starts with a stem or root word, and adds affixes to it, in a very extensive manner.
Affixes can be classified into mainly into prefix, suffix, and infix.
The most common prefixes in Hiligaynon and Karay-a are GIN-, GINA-, NAG-, NAGA-, MAG-, MA-. It’s the same in Cebuano except that GIN- becomes GI-, and MA- becomes MO-.
Let’s construct a simple sentence which in English is: “I ate the rice cake a while ago.”
Hiligaynon: (GIN-)kaon ko ang puto kaina. (NAG)kaon ako sing puto kaina.
Cebuano: (GI-)kaon ko ang puto ganina. (NAG)kaon ako’g puto ganina.
Tagalog: K(in)ain ko ang puto kanina. K(um)ain ako ng puto kanina.
What’s the main difference?
Tagalog grammatical rules dictate that you split the stem word kain by placing the infix (IN) or (UM) inside it. That’s because Tagalog does not have the prefix GIN- and GI-.
In Hiligaynon and Cebuano, you don’t have to split the stem word. You add a prefix (GIN or GI) before the stem word. The stem word remains intact.
That makes Tagalog more of a tongue twister than Hiligaynon and Cebuano.
(Note: Hiligaynon does use the infixes IN and UM, but it’s optional. Ilonggos can also use the prefixes GIN and GINA and NAG. This actually makes Hiligaynon probably the easiest Philippine language for Tagalogs to learn. But this is another topic.)
It’s even worse for present tense verbs.
English: “I am eating the rice cake now.”
Hiligaynon: (GINA-)kaon ko ang puto subong. (NAGA)kaon ako sing puto subong.
Cebuano: (GI-)kaon ko ang puto ‘ron. (NAG)kaon ako’g puto ‘ron.
Tagalog: Kinakain ko ang puto ngayon. Kumakain ako ng puto ngayon.
In Tagalog you are essentially not only placing infixes but also doubling syllables to denote present or progressive action.
For future tense, Tagalog conjugation would use ‘kakain’ or even ‘kakainin’.
Hiligaynon and Cebuano would just use the prefix (MAGA, MA, MO). Mag(a)kaon, makaon, mokaon (Cebuano).
Notice foreigners and those learning Tagalog as a second language find it much harder to keep track of the infixed split root words and to pronounce syllabic doublings that are intrinsic characteristics of Tagalog grammar.
Again, in order to denote present tense, Tagalog grammar conjugates by infixes, thus splitting apart root words. Tagalog requires the doubling of syllables to denote present and future tense because it lacks the Visayan prefixes ‘naga-’ and ‘gina-’ for present tense, and ‘maga-’ for future tense. Note that ‘naga-’, ‘gina-’, and ‘maga-’ preserves the form of the stem word, because they are prefixes, posted before an intact stem word.
That’s not all though. It’s strange at first sight that foreigners in Visayan areas often learn to speak the native language, much more quickly than immigrant Tagalogs. Why?
These foreigners often don’t have the bias inculcated in every Filipino citizen against non-Tagalog languages.
Thus, attitude is also important. If Hiligaynon for instance, is intrinsically easier to learn than Tagalog for the above linguistic reasons, why is it that what is being enforced as lingua franca in the Philippines Tagalog?
Why is it that Tagalogs that stay in Visayan areas often never learn to speak the indigenous languages even after years of residence, while Visayans are forced by social and institutional pressure to speak Tagalog even right in their own indigenous areas?
It’s like they have become foreigners or second-class citizens in their own native land. It’s because of the institutionalized discrimination against non-Tagalog languages in the Philippines social and government institutions.
This is another topic that requires extensive discussion though. (For comments and suggestions please email to mabuhibisaya2017@gmail.com)/PN
