Ownership & Identity in Siargaonon

8 words and phrases, recorded by a native speaker of Siargaonon (Surigaonon), the language of Siargao Island in the Philippines. Part of Grammar & Mastery.

SiargaononEnglishNotes on usage
Kanin-o ini baro?Who owns this dress?Asking ownership
Simay tag-ija ini na baro?Who owns this shirt?Alternative form
Umay imo ngayan?What is your name?
Pila may imo edad?How old are you?
Sin-oWhoInterrogative pronoun
Siman jaon sija?Who is that guy?
Tag-unoHowInterrogative — manner
UnoWhatInterrogative pronoun

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.

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