Bicolano Literary Works and Linguistics

[Mond87]

Wikipedia just cited that Bikol is one of the most diverse language in the world. From town to town to a city, a different dialect is being spoken. If you have just stopped by at Matnog, Sorsogon, the dialect being spoken is mixed Sorsoganon - Waray. Travel north to Sorsogon city and you'll hear pure Sorsoganon. Travel further to reach Daraga, another dialect is spoken there. Just 5 kilometers to the east, in Legazpi city, you'd notice that there's a transition in the people's native tongue. Further north, in Tabaco, people sound somewhat different once again. In southern Camarines Sur, in Iriga city, they have this dialect they call as 'Rinconada.' Further north to Naga city, you'll actually hear the Bikol central dialect. 100 kilometers to the north, in Daet, Camarines Norte, you'd learn that some folks are now speaking in Tagalog. Exit yourself at Sta. Elena, pure Tagalog is now being used w/ some Bikol intonation. Travel back to Bikol, in Masbate, you'd discover that the dialect they use is very close to Bisaya with mixture of Ilonggo and Cebuano. Traverse around the coasts of Sorsogon, Albay and Camarines Sur while visitting Catanduanes would make you hear another Bikol dialect.

To point out the differences in Bikol Daraga and Bikol Legazpi, here is a list of their differences:

English = Bicol Daraga = Bicol Legazpi

one = usad = saro
two = duwa = duwa
three = tulo = tolo
four = upat = apat
five = lima = lima
six = unom = anom
seven = pito = pito
eight = walo = walo
nine = syam = syam
ten = sampolo = sampulo

morning = bwas = aga
noon = mudto = ugto
afternoon = apon = hapon
night = ga'bi = bang-gi
tomorrow = kidamlag = sa aga
later = dyan-dyan or adyan = taod-taod
yesterday morning = kahapon = kasu aga
yesterday afternoon = kahapon = kasu hapon
yesterday night = ka-ga'bi = kasu bang-gi
last week = kang usad na semana = kasu nakaaging semana
day = aldaw? = aldaw

This thread is intended for us Bikolanos to talk about our dialects... I think this will be really fun... heheh... How versed are we? What are the deep Bikolano terms you know of? Let's discuss it here!

[gen1]

kahit nga bicolano ng camalig kakaiba sa bicolano ng ligao.

that is also the reason why there are so many different NPA commands in Bicol. language thing.

[bitoy]

There are several sub-dialects including :

• Bikol Rinconada (Iriga-Buhi area),
  
• Bikol Albay (Albay Province)
  
• Bikol Sorsogon (Sorsogon)
  
• Bikol Catanduanes
  
• Bikol Partido (municipalities surrounding Lagonoy Gulf)

The common Bikol is Bikol Naga, and is generally understood by other Bikol speakers.




The Bisakol varieties, while spoken in Bicol, are not Bikol languages, but are instead Visayan languages spoken in Bikol.

The Bicol is also home to other languages. Tagalog, for example, is spoken in most of Camarines Norte and in the town of Del Gallego, Camarines Sur. Hiligaynon is spoken in the southwestern Masbate towns of Balud and Mandaon while Cebuano is spoken in the southeastern Masbate towns of Placer, Cataingan, Pio V. Corpuz, and Esperanza.

Sources:Wiki...

In the 70's and 80's, our little town in Minalabac, Camarines Sur are learning Tagalog in their public schools. That's why my friends who went on vacation with us, find it easy to communicate with the Bikolanos using Tagalog.


And Welcome to Uragon Country.

[Louman]

My mom was born in the Camarines Sur area. That probably explains why I've never heard her speak in Bikolano.

[Mond87]

Originally Posted by tsinoy

There are several sub-dialects including :

• Bikol Rinconada (Iriga-Buhi area),
  
• Bikol Albay (Albay Province)
  
• Bikol Sorsogon (Sorsogon)
  
• Bikol Catanduanes
  
• Bikol Partido (municipalities surrounding Lagonoy Gulf)

The common Bikol is Bikol Naga, and is generally understood by other Bikol speakers.




The Bisakol varieties, while spoken in Bicol, are not Bikol languages, but are instead Visayan languages spoken in Bikol.

The Bicol is also home to other languages. Tagalog, for example, is spoken in most of Camarines Norte and in the town of Del Gallego, Camarines Sur. Hiligaynon is spoken in the southwestern Masbate towns of Balud and Mandaon while Cebuano is spoken in the southeastern Masbate towns of Placer, Cataingan, Pio V. Corpuz, and Esperanza.

Sources:Wiki...

In the 70's and 80's, our little town in Minalabac, Camarines Sur are learning Tagalog in their public schools. That's why my friends who went on vacation with us, find it easy to communicate with the Bikolanos using Tagalog.


And Welcome to Uragon Country.

I think Bikol Albay has to be segregated. it is quite obvious that the western towns and the eastern ones are different to each other. this is probably the reason why Daraga and Legazpi have 2 distinct dialects from one another. while Daraga's is similar to the western towns, legazpi's is closer to the eastern ones.

[bitoy]

Maybe you mean Bikol Daraga can be differentiated from Bikol Albay, since they differ in term of pronunciation or it is close to Bikol Rinconada (Iriga-Buhi area).

[Mond87]

I can't understand Iriguenyos. On the other hand, Polangui-Oas-Ligao have different dialect. Our dialect we are using is same as in Guinobatan, Camalig, Donsol and Pilar (and perhaps Castilla).

[Mond87]

But I can understand Buhianons though...

[garzland]

I understand some Rinconada words like usad, baloy but generally not.. So I guess, Rinconada is really different from other Bikol dialects...

[Louman]

With replies mostly in English, I'm assuming no one here is from the Bikol area and speaks the language (or the only one from Bikol who does speak it is too lazy to post anything). heheheh.

[bitoy]

Originally Posted by Louman

With replies mostly in English, I'm assuming no one here is from the Bikol area and speaks the language (or the only one from Bikol who does speak it is too lazy to post anything). heheheh.

Hahaha, I have to spend sometime in Bikol to get my dialect straighten up. During summer vacations when I was still in high school are the days when I can speak Bikol(Naga) fluently, but most of the time, meron mix Tagalog, minsan, Ingles pag hindi makuha sa Tagalog.
Kasi when the relatives from Bikol come visit us in Manila, puro Tagalog ang salita, except when my great-grandparents were still alive, they speak Castilaloy mixed in with Bikol(or the other way around), especially when it was time to say some prayers. My Lolo is not fluent in Tagalog but when he sings Tagalog songs he was good at it.

[echeverriavy]

relatives from my paternal grandfather's side come from Albay and Camarines Sur. What languages do they speak.

relatives from my paternal grandmother's side come from masbate and ticao island. what languages do they speak?

[kevinb]

Your paternal grandfather's side could speak a variety of Bicolano sub-languages, actually. The ones from CamSur could speak Bicol-Naga or Bicol-Central (the most understood and the standard Bicol sub-language; spoken in and around Naga City), Bicol-Rinconada (spoken in and around Iriga City and in the CamSur-Albay boundary) and Bicol-Partido (spoken in the Partido Area, particulary the municipalities surrounding the Lagonoy Gulf or the municipalities in the Caramoan peninsula). The ones from Albay could speak Bicol-Coastal (spoken in and around Legazpi City but still a great variety is prevalent especially if you go into Daraga town, which is just adjacent the city).

Your paternal grandmother's side speaks Bisakol, the langauge spoken in Masbate, Ticao, Burias and other outlying Bicolano islands just south of the peninsula. The language is actually a mix of Bisaya and Bikol; thus, the name Bisakol.

Originally Posted by Louman

My mom was born in the Camarines Sur area. That probably explains why I've never heard her speak in Bikolano.

Where was your mom born in? It's quite surprising that, though your mom was born in CamSur, she can't/doesn't speak in the language. Was she raised outside Bicol? Or even CamSur?

BTW, we speak in English or Tagalog for everyone to understand us. Otherwise, only Bicolano speakers can exchange ideas, not giving the chance for non-Bicolano speakers to mix in and understand how diverse really our language is.

-----

BTW, Bicol in Sorsogon is somewhat a mixture of Bicolano, Bisaya and Castillian languages.

[kiretoce]

Is Bikolano a totally different language? Because there are words are are very similar to Visayan, and some of the Bicolanos I know can speak Visayan (Cebuano) fluently.

[smb]

It is different. There are words that are similar in pronounciation and meaning but there are also words with similar pronounciation but opposite/different meaning.

When I hear other Bicol dialects, I have difficulty understanding it. My brain just can't cope...

[Louman]

Originally Posted by kevinb

Where was your mom born in? It's quite surprising that, though your mom was born in CamSur, she can't/doesn't speak in the language. Was she raised outside Bicol? Or even CamSur?

-----

BTW, Bicol in Sorsogon is somewhat a mixture of Bicolano, Bisaya and Castillian languages.

Oh wait.. my mom's from Camarines Norte, not Sur. haha.. I got the two confused. Well anyway, she was born around the Jose Panganiban area. Eventually her family moved to Bataan as most of my mom's family is from that area.

[bitoy]

Jose Panganiban area has a lot of Tagalog speakers, mainly it is so close to Quezon. Just like some of my relatives in Gumaca, Quezon Province. Tagalog na may punto but they speak some Bikol(Naga) also, since most of the time, they spend their summers in Naga.

In Sorsogon or Masbate, if the Bikol(Naga) fails in communication with the locals, just use Tagalog. Yung mga burgis lang dun ang pa-ingles ingles o pa-cachi-cachila pa, they know who they are.

[kevinb]

Originally Posted by Louman

Oh wait.. my mom's from Camarines Norte, not Sur. haha.. I got the two confused. Well anyway, she was born around the Jose Panganiban area. Eventually her family moved to Bataan as most of my mom's family is from that area.

There you have it. Hehe Most of CamNorte speak Tagalog since it is very close to Tagalog-speaking province Quezon. But, as smb said, a few still manages to speak Bicol-Naga because of the proximity of the place to their area.

Originally Posted by tsinoy

In Sorsogon or Masbate, if the Bikol(Naga) fails in communication with the locals, just use Tagalog. Yung mga burgis lang dun ang pa-ingles ingles o pa-cachi-cachila pa, they know who they are.

Originally Posted by kiretoce

Is Bikolano a totally different language? Because there are words are are very similar to Visayan, and some of the Bicolanos I know can speak Visayan (Cebuano) fluently.

There are a few similarities, but still the two are different languages. Probably those people who you were referring to are of Bicolano and Cebuano descent.

[gen1]

Originally Posted by kiretoce

Is Bikolano a totally different language? Because there are words are are very similar to Visayan, and some of the Bicolanos I know can speak Visayan (Cebuano) fluently.

bicolanos in the sorsogon area (specially in matnog) can speak waray because of the proximity.

actually it's fascinating how the language evolves from cebuano in cebu to cebuano in ormoc to waray in tacloban to waray in catarman to bikolano in sorsogon to bikolano in naga.

the minor dialect changes from the adjacent locales never ceases to amaze me.

there is a constant though, the use of words derived from spanish.

[bukid]

the waray in northern samar is very different from the waray in tacloban and different from the waray in eastern samar. i can't understand people when they speak in northern samarnon waray.