Colors in Siargaonon
13 words and phrases, recorded by a native speaker of Siargaonon (Surigaonon), the language of Siargao Island in the Philippines. Part of Everyday Life.
| Siargaonon | English | Notes on usage |
|---|---|---|
| Pula | Red | Still widely recognized |
| Asul | Blue | Still widely recognized |
| Berde | Green | Still widely recognized |
| Puti | White | Still widely used |
| Itum | Black | Still widely used |
| Dilaw | Yellow | Still widely recognized |
| Darangpan | Orange | Native word; younger speakers often just say 'orange' |
| Lila / Morado | Purple | Lila = native; Morado = Spanish; 'purple' also used |
| Rosas | Pink | From Spanish 'rosas'; 'pink' also commonly used |
| Abuhon | Gray | From 'abo' (ash); younger speakers often say 'gray' |
| Kayumanggi | Brown / Tan | Also means 'morena' skin tone; 'brown' more common now |
| Bulawan | Gold | Also means the metal gold; well-known word |
| Pilak | Silver | Also means the metal silver |
Hearing it spoken
Written Siargaonon can only take you so far — the sounds are what give a speaker away. Two rules matter more than any other: the letter J is always hard, as in the English "jump" (never softened to a "y"), and many words that use an L in neighbouring languages use a Y here — ulo becomes uyo, balay becomes bayay. The pronunciation guide covers both in detail.
Every phrase on this page can be heard aloud, drilled with flashcards and quizzes, and scheduled for review in the free app.
You Can Watch the Language Changing Here
Read the notes beside these words and something uncomfortable shows up. Against Darangpan, the native word for orange, sits the observation that younger speakers often just say orange. Against Kayumanggi: brown is more common now. Against Abuhon: younger speakers often say gray.
This is language shift caught in the act. Not a theory about endangerment — three specific words being replaced, noted by a speaker who can hear it happening. In a generation these may be words that only older people use.
That is precisely why they are written down here.
Words That Came From Spanish, and Words That Held
Asul, Berde, Rosas and Morado all arrived from Spanish and are now simply the words. Puti and Itum — white and black — did not budge.
Purple shows both at once: Lila / Morado gives you the native word and the Spanish one side by side, with English purple now heard too. Three layers of history in one colour.
Colours That Are Also Things
Bulawan is gold and Pilak is silver — each of them the colour and the metal, one word doing both jobs.
Abuhon is built from abo, ash. Grey is named for the thing that is grey, which is how most colour words in most languages begin before the connection wears away.
Kayumanggi carries more than a colour: it also describes a brown skin tone. Using it about a person is not the same as using it about a shirt.
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Is a word missing, or is something here wrong? This record is incomplete by definition — a living language is bigger than any one speaker. Tell us and it will be reviewed and added.