Family in Siargaonon
22 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ama / Papa | Father | |
| Ina / Mama | Mother | |
| Manghod | Sibling | Native Siargaonon word for sibling |
| Manghod na layaki | Brother | Layaki = boy/male |
| Manghod na babaji | Sister | Babaji = girl/female |
| Layaki | Boy / Male | Native Siargaonon word |
| Babaji | Girl / Female | Native Siargaonon word |
| Lumon | Relative | Native word for family relative |
| Apohan | Grandparent | |
| Lolo | Grandfather | |
| Lola | Grandmother | |
| Anak | Child / Son / Daughter | |
| Anak na layaki | Son | |
| Anak na babaji | Daughter | |
| Tiyo | Uncle | |
| Tiya | Aunt | |
| Ig-agaw | Cousin | |
| Umangkon | Nephew / Niece | |
| Bana | Husband | |
| Asawa | Wife / Spouse | |
| Pamilya | Family | |
| Pila kamo mag-igsoon / mag manghod-maguyang | How many siblings do you have? | Both forms are correct |
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.
Siargaonon Has No Word for Brother
Look carefully at the list. Manghod is sibling. To say brother you say Manghod na layaki — sibling, linked, male. Sister is Manghod na babaji.
The same happens with children: Anak is child, and Anak na layaki and Anak na babaji give you son and daughter. Gender is added when it matters rather than baked into separate words.
English speakers often read this as the language lacking something. It is the opposite — the relationship is what gets named, and the sex of the person is extra information you supply only when it is relevant.
The Native Core and the Borrowed Edges
Manghod, Layaki, Babaji, Lumon, Anak, Apohan, Ig-agaw, Umangkon — these are Siargaonon words, and they cover sibling, child, relative, grandparent, cousin and nephew.
Now look at what came from Spanish: Lolo, Lola, Tiyo, Tiya, Pamilya, and the Papa and Mama that sit beside the native Ama and Ina.
The pattern is the same one the calendar and the market show: borrowing lands on the outer edges while the core holds. And where both exist, both are used — Apohan and Lolo live side by side.
Asking About Someone's Family
Pila kamo mag-igsoon / mag manghod-maguyang asks how many siblings someone has, and both forms are correct. It opens with pila, the same word for how many that you would use for a price or an age.
Bana is husband and Asawa is wife — though asawa also covers spouse generally, so it does duty for both.
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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.