Aklanon language

Aklanon
Akeanon
Native to	Philippines
Region	Aklan and some parts of northwestern Capiz
Ethnicity	Aklanon people
Native speakers	460,000 (2000 census, Aklan proper) (Malaynon unknown: 8,500 cited 1973)
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Philippine Central Philippine Visayan Western Visayan Aklanon
Dialects	Aklanon, Malaynon
Writing system	Latin; Historically Baybayin
Official status
Official language in	Regional language in the Philippines
Regulated by	Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Either: akl – Aklanon proper mlz – Malaynon
Glottolog	akla1240
Area where Aklanon is spoken

Aklanon (Akeanon) is spoken in the province of Aklan on the island of Panay in the Philippines. Its unique feature among other Visayan languages is the close-mid back unrounded vowel [ɤ] occurring as part of diphthongs and traditionally written with the letter E such as in the name Akeanon (Aklanon). However, this phoneme is also present in sister Philippine languages, namely Itbayat, Isneg, Manobo, Samal and Sagada.

The Malaynon dialect is 93% lexically similar to Aklanon and retained the "l" sounds, which elsewhere are often pronounced as "r".

Ibayjanon (Ibajaynon) dialect has shortened versions of Aklanon words.

Phonology

Aklanon has 21 phonemes. There are 16 consonants: p, t, k, b, d, g, m, n, ng, s, h, l, r, w, y and the glottal stop ʔ. There are six vowels: i, e, ɤ, a, o and u.

Vowels

Table of vowel phonemes of Aklanon

	Front	Back
	unrounded	unrounded	rounded
Close	i		u
Close-mid		ɤ	o
Open-mid	ɛ
Open	a

Consonants

	Bilabial		Dental		Palatal		Velar		Glottal
Nasal		m		n				ŋ
Stop	p	b	t	d			k	g	ʔ
Fricative			s						h
Approximant (Lateral)						j		w
				l
Flap				ɾ

Common phrases

Akeanon	Malaynon	English
Hay	Kamusta	Hello
Mayad-ayad nga agahon	Mayad nga agahon	Good morning
Mayad-ayad nga hapon	Mayad nga hapon	Good afternoon
Mayad-ayad nga gabi-i	Mayad nga gab-i	Good night
Mayad-ayad nga adlaw	Mayad nga adlaw	Good day
Saeamat	Salamat	Thanks
Mayad man	Mayad man	I am fine
Pangabay	Pangabay	Please
Huo	Huo	Yes
Bukon/Ayaw/Indi	Bukon/Indi	No
Owa	Owa	Not/None/Unable
Paalin?	Paano?	How?
Hin-uno?	San-o?	When?
Alin?/Ano?	Alin?/Ano?	What?
Kamusta ka eon?	Musta ron?	How are you?
Ano pangaean mo?	Ano imo pangalan?	What is your name?
Siin ka gaadto?	Siin ka maadto?	Where are you going?
Siin kita gaadto?	Siin kita maadto?	Where are we going?
Anong oras eon?	Anong orasa ron?	What time is it?
Tig-pila ra?	Tig-pila ra?	How much is this?
Kagwapa ka gid-ing	Gwapa ka gid timo	You are beautiful
Kagwapo ka gid-ing	Gwapo ka gid timo	You are manly
Kabuot ka gid-ing	Buot ka gid timo	You are kind
Musyon	Dali ron	Let's go
Balik eon kita	Mabalik 'ta ron	Let's go back
Owa ako naka eobot	Wa ko ka lubot	I do not understand
Owa ako naka sayod	Wa ko kasayud	I do not know
Gusto ko ro maeamig nga beer	Ila ta kon it malamig nga beer	I'd like a cold beer
Gusto ko ro maeamig nga tubi	Ila ta ko't malamig nga tubi	I'd like cold water
Gutom nga gutom eon gid ako	Gutom-gutom ron gid ta 'kon	I am really hungry
Owa ako't kwarta	Wa ta ko't kuarta	I have no money
Ikaw kaumangon	Umang ka gid timo	You are crazy
Magamit ko it cr	Pagamit ko it cr	I need the toilet
Mapanaw/Maamat eon kita	Panaw ta ron	We are going
Mag dahan ka	Pagdahan ka	Take care

Philippine National Proverb:

"Ang Hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay Hindi makakarating sa paroroonan." (Filipino)

"Ro uwa' gatan-aw sa anang ginhalinan hay indi makaabut sa anang ginapaeangpan" (Akeanon)

" Ang di kausoy magbalikid sa anang ginhalinan hay indi makaabut sa anang ginaayanan" (Malaynon)

"He who does not look back from where he came from, will never reach his destination." (English)

Numbers

Number	Akeanon/Malaynon	Filipino	English
1	Isaea	Isa	One
2	Daywa	Dalawa	Two
3	Tatlo	Tatlo	Three
4	Ap-at	Apat	Four
5	Li-má	Lima	Five
6	An-om	Anim	Six
7	Pitó	Pito	Seven
8	Waeo/Walo	Walo	Eight
9	Siyám	Siyam	Nine
10	Púeo/Pulo	Sampu	Ten

Literature

Note: All these poems were written by Melchor F. Cichon, an Aklanon poet.

• Ambeth. Philippine Panorama, August 14, 1994.
• Emergency Room. The Aklan Reporter, December 7, 1994, p. 10
• Eva, Si Adan! (Finalist Sa Unang Premyo Openiano A. Italia Competition, January 1993, Duenas, Iloilo)
• Ham-at Madueom Ro Gabii Inay? Philippine Panorama, March 27, 1994, p. 29. (First Aklanon poem published in the Phil. Pan.) Also in The Aklan Reporter, April 6, 1994, p. 8.
• Hin-uno Pa. The Aklan Reporter, February 23, 1994, p. 8. Also in Ani December 1993, p. 44
• Inay. Philippine Collegian, October 4, 1973, p. 3 (First Aklanon poem in the Philippine Collegian)
• Limog sa Idaeom. Ani December 1993, p. 48
• Mamunit Ako Inay. The Aklan Reporter, December 28, 1994, p. 10
• Manog-Uling. The Aklan Reporter July 29, 1992, p. 9. Also in Ani December 1993, p. 50
• Owa't Kaso, Saeamat. Mantala 3:97 2000
• Ro Bantay. The Aklan Reporter, September 6, 1995, p. 7
• Competition, March 13, 1998, UPV Auditorium, Iloilo City
• Sa Pilapil It Tangke. Ani December 1994, p. 46
• Toto, Pumailaya Ka. Pagbutlak (First Aklanon in Pagbutlak)
• Welga. Mantala 3:99 2000

Learning resources

• "Five-language Dictionary (Panay Island)" ISBN 971-9023-25-2, 2003 Roman dela Cruz Kalibo, Aklan
• "A study of the Aklanon dialect" / Authors: Beato A. de la Cruz, R. David Paul Zorc, Vicente Salas Reyes, & Nicolas L. Prado; Public Domain 1968-1969; Kalibo, Aklan
  • "Vol.I Grammar" Smithsonian Institution Libraries call# 39088000201871 (Full text on ERIC)
  • 'Vol.II A Dictionary (of root words and derivations) Aklanon to English" Smithsonian Institution Libraries call# 39088000201889 (Full text on ERIC)
• "The functions of ‘hay’ in Aklanon narrative discourse". 1990. Brainard, Sherri and Poul Jensen.
• "A preliminary study of demonstratives in Aklanon narratives". 1992. Jensen, Kristine and Rodolfo R. Barlaan.

External links

• Learning Aklanon
• Aklanon Wordlist at the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database
• Aklanon proverbs