Norberto Romuáldez

“ In case where the penult, of the verb root is necessarily long, as when its vowel is followed by more than one consonant, and when the last syllable of the root is pronounced independently from the consonant or consonants preceding it, then the original acute accent of the root is preserved on the penult of the verbal. ”

“ NOTE.—There are in Bisayan forms resembling and equivalent in many instances to the Latin infinitive future ending in rus, in active, and in dus, in passive, as amaturus and amandus. Such Bisayan forms are those formed by the particle um combined with the interfix r or its substitutes (See page 20) , as:
cumaráon (one who is to eat)
caraonón (a thing to be eaten) .
Indicative. Ordinary forms. The present corresponds to the same tense, in English, and also to the Spanish and Latin imperfect past. ”

“ When the noun is preceded by numeral adjectives, the singular keeps its form, as
usá ca táuo (one man) , napulò ca tauo (ten men) , usá ng̃a baláy (one house) , calim’an ng̃a baláy (fifty houses) .
Some adjectives do not admit the interfix g, for euphonical reason, as
of hubyà (lazy) , mg̃a hubya, not húgbyà, etc.
Case.
There is no inflection for Bisayan nouns to distinguish their different cases, as in Greek and Latin. ”

“ Future.—This tense is formed by doubling the first syllable of the root and appending to it the affix on. As
Imperative.—The single form of this mode, consists in the root appended by the affix “á.” It must be observed that this affix “á” in the imperative bears the idea that the order or command is always directed to the second person or first plural, If such order or command is directed to some other person, not to the second, or first (quitá) plural then the subjunctive is used. ”

“ The continuative is distinguished, in its conjugational root, by the interfix in and it expresses persistence of the action. As
The potential is determined, in its conjugational roots, by the prefix paca or pacag (absolute and relative) and it means ability on the part of the subject to execute the action expressed by the original root. As
The optative has, in its conjugational root the prefix i or ipag (absolute and relative) , and it represents the idea of desire. The absolute means a desire about to be executed; the relative signifies a mere intention ”

“ The ordinary superlative is formed with the particles capin ca or labí ca placed before the primitive, or with the particles caópay, ng̃a capin, or hin sogong̃ put after the primitive. As,
Some of the adjectives formed with particle ma, have another form for ordinary superlative, in doubling their root and disregarding the prefix ma, as from “masiróm” (dark) , “masiromsiróm”41 (very dark) .
The excessive superlative is formed with the particle [35] uraúra ca placed before the primitive, or the particle ng̃a uraúra located after the root. ”

“ The indirect passive is where the subject is an indirect object of the verb in its active voice, as:
suratí an imo amáy (write to your father; literally: let a letter be written by you to your father) ,
The instrumental passive is where the subject is the instrument or real object of the action, as:
igsurát iní ng̃a pluma (write with this pen; literally: let this pen be used by you in writing.) ”

“ The infinitives of the verbs, which are always preceded by the particle pag, are frequently employed as substantives. In such cases the particle pag is transformed in the plural, its g being then replaced by the letter ng̃ if the root begins with a vowel or a guttural consonant, except g, or by the consonant n when the root commences with a dental consonant, or by the m if it begins with a labial. ”

“ Those which do not admit any comparison, and which we call absolute or supreme superlatives, as
those which are not so absolute, and which we call ordinary superlative, as,
and those which convey the idea of excess, and which we call excessive superlatives, as [34]
As is seen from the preceding examples, the supreme supertive is formed by adding to the beginning of the primitive the prefix gui and by appending to said primitive the affíx i. The first syllable of the primitive may be doubled as use permits. ”

“ When the primitive commences with n, the m of tagum is suppressed. When the primitive begins with a consonant not labial, the said m is replaced by n. It is sometimes combined with the affix an, As: from “matá” (eye) “baba” (mouth) , “lipong” (confusion) , we have “tagumatá” (peculiar disease of the eye) , “tagumbabáan” (person whose words have a peculiar power or virtue) , “tagunlipóng̃an” (one who has the power to make himself invisible) .
Hi is also combined with the interfix r and the affix an, as from “polós” (profit) , “himorólsan” (profitable) . ”

“ NOTE.—When the pronoun “adton” and its inflections are equivalent to “deceased”, “late”, the particle ng̃a is not employed. As
The article also modifies the noun and its equivalents, in that it limits them. The articles always precede the word or words to which they refer. As is seen before (page 9) the personal article is always employed before the proper nouns, except in the vocative case. As
The definite article is sometimes used before proper nouns, and frequently before the demonstrative and possessive pronouns. ”

“ This special idea conveyed by the word ng̃a seems to show in other instances in the Bisayan tongue, as when it is said depreciatively:
¡Ca damò hin im ng̃ang̃a!
How many things you ask or talk!
where the doubled ng̃a means request or talking.
Anó.
This pronoun has the same use as the English what, except when the latter is used as an objective relative, in which case the said English pronoun is translated by the article an. As when it is said:
“What you need is patience, not science,” which is translated:
An guinquiquinahang̃lan mo an pag-ílob, dirì hibaró. [54]
Bisan anó. ”

“ Waray-waray is one of several languages called Visayan or Bisayan, and is spoken in the eastern part of the Visayas region of the Philippines, that is, the islands of Leyte and Samar, by, currently, about 2 to 3 million speakers. ”

“ Cacan-o san-o
“Cacan-o” is placed before the past indicative; “san-o” is used before the future, indicative. They are the only two tenses of this kind of conjugation. As to the inflections in the primitive form, the past is simply the root, and the future is the root, whose first two letters are doubled. As
In the progressive form the root takes the prefixes pag for the singular and pa, pan, pang in plural. ”

“ The ordinal of usa has also simple forms, as siyahan, siyapá, and frequently admits the particle icag instead of ica, as icag usá.
The partitives have exactly the same form, as the ordinals, except in that the ordinals cag usa, siyahan and siyapá are never used as partitives; and that there is the form tung̃â and its variants catung̃â, tung̃â or catung̃â hin or ng̃a (half) , employed instead of icaduhà.
The phrase ca bahín (part) is frequently used in the partitives to avoid confusion. Thus [38]
The particle ica is sometimes contracted into caas “catung̃a” (half) , “cauróg” (most) . ”

“ After a careful study of the many examples under the different rules, coupled with a continuous practice, the user will be surprised—if he is a stranger—at the ease with which he acquires an Asiatic dialect, and—if he is a Filipino—how clear and logical is one of the most spoken dialects in his Mother-land. ”

“ The variations to which the Bisayan names are subject, are: gender, number, and cases. [40]
Gender.
The gender is scarcely regarded. We have however for few nouns the natural and grammatical genders.
Examples of natural gender:
Examples of gramatical gender:
Number
The plural is determined by the particle mga or by those for collectives as formerly seen53, or by the interfix g among the adjectives. Examples:
of táuo (man) “mg̃a táuo,” or “catauóhan” (men) , of dacò (large) , dagcò (large, plural) . ”

“ The word “usa” is frequently contracted, especially in familiar language, by the supression of the last vowel. Thus:
[37]
In reading the numbers, the English way is followed, the particles “uga may” being sometimes employed especially in cases of large amounts. Thus, to read this number
987654321,
we would say:
“Casiyamán cag ualó cayocót, pitó cagatós caúnman cag limá caribo, ng̃a may upát ca yocót, tuló ca gatós caruhaán cag usá.”
NOTE—In Bisayan, there is no word corresponding to the English zero (0) . However, its figure is used in Bisayan. ”

“ Gratitude: ¡salamat!, ¡Dyos mag báyad!, ¡Dyos mag sugá!, etc.
1 We do not write “Dios”, because it would be pronounced Di-os.—See “Vowels”, supra. ↑
2 The use of s instead of the h, in these articles, depends upon the place where Bisayan is spoken. In the towns of Burawen, Dúlag and Abúyog, of the island of Leyte, and in some places in Sámar, the h is never used, but the s instead for these articles. Generally, it is considered more solemn to use the s instead of the h, in speeches, letters and poetry. ”

“ We have to repeat that our work is far from being perfect, even complete, on account of lack of sufficient time. Owing to the same circumstance, many errors in printing have crept into this book, which we have tried to correct at the end under the heading Errata. ”

“ So napulo is a compound word from na (made) and pulò (pile, island) . Napulo means “one pile made”, wherefrom the decimal system clearly shows. ↑
43 This word cag (and) is used in the island of Panay, but not in Sámar or Leyte where ngan, ug are employed for the said conjunction.
In the southern part of Leyte it is said: napala ug osá. ↑
44 A collective noun formed by the prefix ca and the primitive duha whose d is transformed into r, and by the affix an. ”

“ There are few figuratives among the adjectives; of these, those having the form of figuratives are really comparatives.12
VERBAL
These are formed from the verb-root transformed by particles referring to the agents or the objects of the roots.
Examples:
from
sáyau (to dance) parasayáu (dancer) , tigsayáu (person who sometimes dances) , magsarayáu (person appointed to dance) sarayauán13 (place designed for dancing) . [14] sarayauón (dance or musical piece to be danced) 14 ”

“ Its point is equivalent to that of the English “slow, but sure.” “Guinhulat” (was awaited for) “uaráy” (was not) , “naghínay” (went slow) and “nagdágmit” (hastened) are contrasted. [119]
Metonymy. It is also found in Bisayan.
Example:
An patay palang̃it, an buhi pacauít.
Literally: let the dead go to heaven; let the living go to the “cauít” (a bamboo where the tubâ wine is ordinarily placed) . The figure consists in this word “cauít,” container, for “tuba wine,” the thing contained.
Synecdoche.
Example:
Pag árog hin damò nga bugás cay damo camí ng̃a babà. ”

“ Vut humana parum cavit natura.
[VII]
Acknowledgement is hereby made for the help rendered by Messrs. W. W. Marquardt, Div. Superintendent of Schools of Leyte, P.I., Fred Shoemaker, and H. W. Halbourg, in correcting part of the proof, and for the collaboration of Mr. Henry E. Neibert, Former American Teacher of Jaro, Leyte, P.I. whose knowledge of both tongues, English and Bisayan, added much material to the work. ”

“ CAPIN, LABIS, LAPÁS (more) ,—ORÓG (most) ,—URAÚRA (excessively) ,—TUMAN (a little scarcely) .
ABVERBS OF MANNER
AMO, ASYA (so, thus) ,—ONAN-O (how) ,—MAN (also) ,—COLAÓNG, COLASÓT, COLANTOY (for example, for instance) . ”

“ This particle da is used in some places as equivalent to the preposition ha or the contraction han. So in Carigata, Leyte, they say dahani (at old times) , instead of hanhaní used in Tacloban and other towns of Leyte. The forms damon, daton, dimo, diyo, diya, dira have the same explanation. ↑
63 Quita is frequently used for “acó”, as when we say tagui quitá hin salapî, (give me money) , instead of tagui aco hin salapî. ↑
64 See “Personal pronouns” page 47. ↑
65 See the note 2 on page 7. ”

“ We try to express in English the exact idea contained in these forms. ↑
87 See note on page 65. ↑
88 See page 70 et seq. ↑
89 See page 71. ↑
90 Page 61 of this book. ↑
91 The future of this form is the same as in the regular Tagalog form, where it is said susulat aco (I shall write) , bucas aco susulat (tomorrow I shall write) . ↑
92 See page 61. ↑
93 In Dúlag and other places of Leyte, the accent is transposed to the penult. So it is said: dididâ, etc. ↑
94 See the page 10. ”

“ Example:
¡Pastilán bidíday,—bididay ca man la
ng̃a nacacalucmay—sinin hunahuna! ...
¡ayáo pag saquita!—¡ayáo pagbidóa,
cay mag titinangis—canugon san luha! ...
(A popular song)
Interrogation.
Example:
Mg̃a langit, mg̃a langit;
¿háin dao dapit an sáquit? ...
[120]
sa calibutan uaráy man:
sabali sa panomdoman.
(A popular song)
Hyperbole. It is frequent in Bisayan.
Examples:
1. Macapánas hin buquid. (Man able to level a mountain) 2. Macasagpo bin bahá. (Man able to suspend a flood)
2. ”