PREFACE

This essay is purely linguistic in character and purpose.

In taking phonetic notes on Tagalog I noticed that the pronunciation of the speaker to whom I was listening, Mr. Alfredo Viola Santiago (at present a student of architectural engineering in the University of Illinois) presented certain features of accentuation not mentioned in the descriptions familiar to me. With the intention of briefly describing these features, I took down more extensive notes and asked Mr. Santiago to tell me in Tagalog the stories of “The Sun” and “The Northwind and the Sun,” used as models by the International Phonetic Association.

The data so obtained showed that the features of accentuation I had observed were in part distinctive (expressive of word-meaning), and, further, that certain other features, which were but imperfectly described in the treatises I knew (so especially the use of the “ligatures”), appeared in Mr. Santiago’s speech in a regular and intelligible manner. A more extensive study was thus indicated.

The results of this study were subject to two obvious limitations. The utterances I had transcribed were either translations or isolated sentences, and I could not determine to what extent the features of Mr. Santiago’s speech which I had observed were general in Tagalog.

The former of these limitations was fully overcome when I asked Mr. Santiago to tell me connected stories. In addition to fortunate endowments of a more general kind Mr. Santiago possesses, as I found, that vivacity of intellect and freedom from irrelevant prepossessions which we seek and so rarely find in people whose language we try to study. This latter quality may be due in part to the fact that, as Mr. Santiago’s education has been carried on entirely in Spanish and English, his speech-feeling for his mother-tongue has not been deflected by the linguistic, or rather pseudo-linguistic training of the schools, so familiar to us. However this may be, I cannot be grateful enough to Mr. Santiago (and I hope that the reader will join me in this feeling) for the intelligence, freshness, and imagination with which he has given us connected narratives in his native language,—stories he heard in childhood and experiences of his own and of his friends. It is to be hoped that some of these will be of interest to students of folk-lore (as, for

instance, Nos. 9, 10, 11, the old Hindu fable in No. 4, and the Midas [10]story, much changed, in No. 5); the texts are here given, however, only for their linguistic interest.

The second limitation could not be overcome. As there exists at present no adequate description of the dialectal differentiation of Tagalog, nor even an adequate description of any one form of the language, I can make no definite statement as to the relation of Mr. Santiago’s speech to other forms of Tagalog.

What is here presented is, then, a specimen of the speech of an educated speaker from Mr. Santiago’s home town, San Miguel na Matamés, Bulacán Province, Luzón. It would have been possible to include in the description the speech of at least one other educated Tagalog from a different region (uneducated speakers are unfortunately not within my reach), as well as such data as might be gathered from printed Tagalog books: I have refrained from this extension because, at the present state of our knowledge, a single clearly defined set of data is preferable to a necessarily incomplete attempt at describing the whole language in its local and literary variations. Comparison of literary Tagalog (chiefly the translation of José Rizal’s “Noli me Tangere” by Patricio Mariano, Manila, Morales, 19131) shows that Mr. Santiago’s speech is not far removed from it. In most cases where my results deviate from the statements of the Spanish grammars, the evidence of printed books (and not infrequently the internal evidence of the grammars themselves) shows that the divergence is due

not to dialectal differences but to the fact that the grammars are the product of linguistically untrained observers, who heard in terms of Spanish articulations and classified in those of Latin grammar.

This study presents, then, the first Tagalog texts in phonetic transcription and the first scientific analysis of the structure of the language2. Although the nature of the problem forbade the use of any material other than that obtained from Mr. Santiago, I have examined all the treatises on Tagalog accessible to me. No experience could show more clearly than the reading of these books the necessity of linguistic and especially phonetic training for anyone who wishes to describe a language. [11]Not one of the works in the following list3 contains an intelligible description of the pronunciation of Tagalog. The only general work of scientific value is the excellent second volume of P. Serrano Laktaw’s dictionary. Much as one may admire the pioneer courage of Totanes and the originality of Minguella, these venerable men were as little able to describe a language as one untrained in botany is to describe a plant. Among the authors of monographs are several good names and one or two of the greatest in our science: nearly all of

these authors mention the difficulty under which they labored for want of an adequate description of the language. [13]

1 An English translation by Charles Derbyshire was published in 1912 by the Philippine Education Company in Manila and the World Book Company in New York, under the title “The Social Cancer”. ↑

2 The entire syntax and much of the morphology, especially whatever relates to the accent-shifts in word-formation, will be found to be new. I have of course refrained from any and all historical surmises beyond the indication of unassimilated loan-words. The system of transcription used is, with a few deviations, that of the International Phonetic Association. ↑

3 They were accessible to me chiefly through the courtesy of the Newberry Library in Chicago. ↑

LIST OF BOOKS AND ARTICLES CONSULTED

Alter, F. C., Über die tagalische Sprache. Wien 1803.

Blake, F. R., Contributions to comparative Philippine Grammar. (Journal of the American Oriental Society, vols. 27, 28, 29, 30).

Brandstetter, R., Tagalen und Madagassen, Luzern 1902. (= his Malayo-polynesiche Forschungen, ser. 2, no. 2).

Conant, C. E., The names of the Philippine languages. (Anthropos, vol. 4).

The pepet law in the Philippine languages. (Anthropos, vol. 7).

de Coria, J., Nueva gramática tagalog. Madrid 1872.

Cue-Malay, G., Frases usuales para la conversacion en español tagalo é ingles. Manila 1898.

Doherty, D. J., The Tagalog language. (Educational Review, vol. 24).

Durán, C. G., Manual de conversaciones en castellano tagalo é inglés. Manila 1900.

Fernandez, D. E., Nuevo vocabulario ó manual de conversaciones en español, tagalo y pampango. Binondo 1901.

Francisco [Blancas] de San Josef, Arte y Reglas de la lengua Tagala. Manila 1832.

Garcia, F., at Herrera, V., Manga onang turo sa uikang inglés. Maynila 1902.

Gaspar de San Agustin, Compendio de la Lengua Tagala. Manila 1879.

Hévia Campomanes, J., Lecciones de gramática Hispano-Tagala. Manila 1872. 3d ed. 1883. 4th ed. 1888.

von Humboldt, W., Die Kawi-Sprache, vol. 2, pp. 315 ff., 347 ff. (= Berlin Academy Transactions, 1832, vol. 3).

Kern, J. H. C., Over zoogenaamde verbindingsklanken in het Tagala. (Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde van Nederlandsch-Indië, ser. 3, vol. 11).

Sanskritsche woorden in het Tagala. (ib., ser. 4, vol. 4).

Kirk, May, The Baldwin primer. Tagalog edition. New York [1899 and 1902 copyright].

Lendoyro, C., The Tagalog language. Manila 1902.

MacKinlay, W. E. W., A handbook and grammar of the Tagalog language. Washington 1905.

Marre, A., Grammaire tagalog (Bijdragen, ser. 6, vol. 9).

Merrill, E. D., A dictionary of the plant names of the Philippine Islands. Manila 1903. (Publications of the Bureau of Government Laboratories, Department of the Interior, Philippine Islands, no. 8).

Miles, J., Método teórico-práctico y compendiado para aprender el lenguaje Tagálog. Barcelona 1887.

Minguella, T., Ensayo de gramática Hispano-Tagala. Manila 1878.

Método práctico para que los niños y niñas de las provincias tagalas aprendan á hablar Castellano. Manila 1886. [14]

Neilson, P. D., English-Tagalog Dictionary. Manila 1903.

Tagalog-English Dictionary. Manila 1903.

Nigg, C., Tagalog English and English Tagalog Dictionary. Manila 1904.

de Noceda, J., y de Sanlucar, P., Vocabulario de la lengua Tagala. Manila 1860.

Paglinawan, M., Balarilang Tagalog [on cover: Gramatikang Tagalog] Maynila 1910.

Pardo de Tavera, T. H., Consideraciones sobre el origen del nombre de los números en Tagalog (La España oriental 1889).

El Sánscrito en la lengua Tagalog. Paris 1887.

Rizal, José, Die Transcription des Tagalog. (Translated by F. Blumentritt, Bijdragen, vol. 42).

de los Santos, Domingo, Vocabulario de la lengua Tagala. Manila 1835 (reimpreso).

Serrano, R., Diccionario de terminos comunes Tagalo-Castellano. Ed. 3. Binondo 1869.

Nuevo diccionario manual Español-Tagalo. Manila 1872.

Serrano Laktaw, P., Diccionario Hispano-Tagalog. Primera parte. Manila 1889.

Diccionario Tagalog-Hispano. Segunda parte. Manila 1914.

de Totanes, S., Arte de la lengua Tagala. Manila 1745. Sampaloc 1796. Manila 1850. Binondo 1865 (reimpreso).

Wolfensohn, L. B., The infixes la, li, lo in Tagalog. (Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 27). [16]

I. TEXTS IN PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION

Translation

1. Aŋ ulòl na uŋgòʾ at aŋ marúnoŋ na pagòŋ.

1. The foolish monkey and the clever turtle.

Mínsan aŋ pagòŋ hábaŋ nalìlígo sa ílog, ay nakàkíta syà naŋ isa ŋ púno-ŋ-ságiŋ na lumùlútaŋ at tinátaŋày naŋ ágos. Hiníla niya sa pasígan, dátapwat hindí nya madalà sa lúpaʾ. Dáhil díto 5tináwag nya aŋ kaybígan niya ŋ uŋgòʾ at iniyálay nyà aŋ kapútol naŋ púno-ŋ-ságiŋ kuŋ itátanim nyà aŋ kanyà ŋ kapartè. Tumaŋòʾ aŋ uŋgòʾ at hináte nilà sa gitnàʾ mulá sa magkábila ŋ dúlo aŋ púno naŋ ságiŋ. Inaŋkìn naŋ uŋgò aŋ kapútol na máy maŋa dáhon, dáhil sa panukálà nya na iyòn ay tùtúbo na mabúti káy sa 10kapútol na wala ŋ dáhon.

Once upon a time, when the turtle was swimming in the river, he saw a banana-tree adrift and being carried along by the current. He dragged it to the beach, but was not able to carry it up to the solid ground. Therefore he called his friend, the monkey, and offered him a half of the banana-tree, if he would plant his part for him. The monkey agreed, and they divided the banana-tree at the middle, half-way from either end. The monkey took the half which had leaves, because he thought it would grow better than the half which had none.

Naŋ makaraàn aŋ ila ŋ áraw, aŋ púno naŋ uŋgòʾ ay namatày, yámaŋ aŋ sa pagòŋ ay tumúbo haŋgàŋ sa magbúŋa. Aŋ maŋa ságiŋ ay nahinòg, dátapwat hindí maakyàt naŋ pagòŋ. Dahil díto tináwag nyà aŋ kanya ŋ kaybíga ŋ uŋgòʾ at inyálay nya aŋ ila ŋ 15búŋa naŋ ságiŋ kuŋ àakyatin nyà aŋ púnoʾ. Aŋ uŋgòʾ ay umakyàt at kumáin naŋ makàkáya.

When a few days had passed, the monkey’s tree died, while that of the turtle grew until it bore fruit. The bananas grew ripe, but the turtle could not climb for them. Therefore he called his friend, the monkey, and offered him some of the fruits of the banana, if he would climb the tree. The monkey climbed up and ate for all he was worth.

Sinábi naŋ pagòŋ: “Hulúgan mo akò.”

Said the turtle: “Throw me some.”

Dátapuwat isinagòt naŋ uŋgòʾ: “Balat màn at malinamnàm ay hindí kita hùhulúgan.”

But the monkey answered: “Though sweet the skins, I’d throw you none.”

20Aŋ pagòŋ ay nagálit at nagsábug sya naŋ tinìk sa palígid naŋ púnoʾ. Naŋ lumuksò aŋ uŋgò ay nátinik syà. Pinagbintaŋan nyà aŋ pagòŋ at kanya ŋ hinánap úpaŋ parusáhan niyà. Nàhúli nya aŋ pagòŋ sa kabilà naŋ isa ŋ toòd.

The turtle got angry and scattered spines round the foot of the tree. When the monkey jumped down, he landed on the spines. He suspected the turtle and looked for him, in order to punish him. He found the turtle behind a stump.

Sinábi nya sa pagòŋ: “Kità ay áki ŋ parùrusáhan. Mamíli 25ka sa dalawà. Dikdikìn kità sa lusòŋ o lunúrin kità sa ílog?”

Said he to the turtle: “I am going to punish you. Choose between the two: shall I bray you in a mortar or drown you in the river?”

Aŋ marúnoŋ na pagòŋ ay nagumpisà naŋ pagsisigàw at hinilìŋ nya sa uŋgòʾ na, kuŋ maàáreʾ, ay dikdikìn siya sa lusòŋ.

The clever turtle began to shout and begged the monkey, if it were possible, to bray him in a mortar.

Dátapwat isinagòt naŋ uŋgòʾ: “Ibíbigay kò sa iyò aŋ parúsa na hindí mo gustò.”

But the monkey answered: “I shall give you the punishment you don’t want.”

30At inihágis nya sa ílog aŋ pagòŋ.

And he threw the turtle into the river.

Naŋ dumápo aŋ pagòŋ sa túbig ay nagsisigàw sya at sinábi nyà sa uŋgòʾ: “Salámat, kaybígan. Itò aŋ áki ŋ tìráhan!” [18]

When the turtle arrived in the water, he set up a shout and said to the monkey: “Thank you, friend! This is my home.”

Note. p. 16, l. 2 aŋ pagòŋ hábaŋ nalìlígoʾ is unusual and no doubt traditional for hábaŋ aŋ pagòŋ ay nalìlígoʾ. Similarly, p. 16, l. 18 Balat màn at malinamnàm ... is traditional (proverbial) for modern Káhit na malinamnàm aŋ maŋa balàt. [19]

2. Aŋ pagtatakbúhan naŋ usà at naŋ susòʾ.

2. The race of the deer and the snail.

Isà ŋ usà ŋ naŋìŋináin sa gúbat ay nakátagpò naŋ isa ŋ susòʾ na gumàgápaŋ sa dáhon naŋ búhoʾ. Aŋ usà ay naghintò naŋ paŋiŋináin at pinagmasdàn nyà aŋ mabágal na paggápaŋ naŋ 5susòʾ.

A deer, grazing in the jungle, came upon a snail that was creeping over the leaf of a bamboo-plant. The deer ceased from his grazing and watched the slow creeping of the snail.

Makaraàn aŋ ila ŋ sandalìʾ ay sinábi nyà sa susòʾ: “Ano ŋ hína mo ŋ lumákad! Bákit hindí ka magáral na lumákad naŋ matúlin? Gáya ko, akù y paráti ŋ nàhàhábul naŋ maŋa áso, dátapwat aŋ matúlin ko ŋ pagtakbò ay sya ŋ naglíligtàs sa ákin 10naŋ áki ŋ búhay. Dátapwat gáya mò, kuŋ ikàw ay habúlin naŋ káhit anò ŋ kaáway, papáno aŋ maŋyàyári sa iyo ŋ búhay? Pího ŋ ikàw ay màpàpatày.”

When a few moments had passed, he said to the snail: “How slowly you walk! Why don’t you learn to walk faster? Look at me,—I am often pursued by dogs, but my swift running is what saves my life. But look at you,—if you should be pursued by any foe, what will ever save your life? Surely you will get killed.”

Pagkárinig naŋ susòʾ sa maŋa salità ŋ itò ay tiniŋnàn nya aŋ usà at kanya ŋ pinagarálan aŋ maínam nya ŋ paŋaŋatawàn, 15aŋ kanya ŋ mahahába ŋ paà, at aŋ malalakàs nya ŋ lamàn. Iníbig nya na siya màn ay gaya rìn naŋ usà úpaŋ siyà ay makatakbò naŋ matúlin. Dátapwat kanyà ŋ inakálàʾ na, kuŋ pilítin nya na sya y tumakbò, ay hindí sya màhùhulè naŋ malakì sa usà.

When the snail had heard these words, he looked at the deer and scanned his fine physique, his long legs, and his strong muscles. He wished that he too might be like the deer, so that he could run fast. However, he thought that if he forced himself to run, he should not remain far behind the deer.

Sa gayòn ay isinagot nyà sa usà: “Ikàw ay mapaŋmatà. 20Hindí mo hinìhinálàʾ kuŋ anò aŋ magágawa naŋ isa ŋ may matíbay na paggustò. Hinàhámon kità na makipagtakbúhan sa ákin mula ríto haŋgàŋ sa ílog na nása bandà ŋ kalunúran mulà ríto.”

Accordingly he answered the deer: “You are overweening. You do not suspect what can be done by one who has a strong will. I challenge you to race with me from here to the river that lies west of here.”

Aŋ usà ay tumáwa naŋ malakàs at isinagòt sa susòʾ: “Bákit mo inakála ŋ tàtalúnin mo akò? Sigúro ŋ ikàw ay magdàdáyaʾ!”

The deer laughed loudly and answered the snail: “How can you think you will defeat me? I suppose you are going to cheat.”

25Isinagòt naŋ susòʾ, na hindí siya magdàdáyaʾ, at, úpaŋ máy-roo ŋ tumiŋìn sa kanilà at magìŋ hukòm sa kanila ŋ pagtatakbúhan, ay sinábi nyà na tumáwag silà naŋ isà sa maŋa kayibígan nilà, na sya ŋ magígiŋ hukòm.

The snail answered that he was not going to cheat, and, so that there might be someone to watch them and be judge over their race, he suggested that they call one of their friends to be judge.

Aŋ usà ay pumáyag, at tináwag nilà aŋ isa ŋ kálaw, úpaŋ 30siya ŋ magìŋ hukòm.

The deer agreed, and they called an owl to be judge.

Naŋ magumpisà silà naŋ pagtakbò ay malakì aŋ nagìŋ pagkáhuli naŋ susòʾ. Sa kanyà ŋ pagtakbò aŋ usà ay nakáraàn naŋ isa ŋ mayábuŋ na damúhan. Naghintú sya úpaŋ maŋináin, yámaŋ malakì aŋ pagkáuna nya sa susòʾ. Binálak nyà na pagkátanaw 35nya na dumáratiŋ aŋ susòʾ ay tátakbo syà ŋ mulìʾ. Dátapuwat, naŋ sya y makapaŋináin, ay sinumpòŋ sya naŋ katàmáran. Natúlug sya sa panukálà na màgìgisiŋ syà bágo dumatìŋ aŋ susòʾ.

When they began to run, the snail was soon left far behind. On his course the deer came upon a flourishing grass-field. He stopped to graze, since his start over the snail was so great. He planned that when he saw the snail coming, he would start running again. However, when he had done feeding, he was attacked by laziness. He went to sleep, with the thought that he would wake up before the snail arrived.

Dátapwat, hábaŋ sya y natùtúlog, ay nakaraàn aŋ susòʾ. Naŋ mágisiŋ syà ay malálim nà sa hápon. Tumakbo syà naŋ úbus-lakàs 40patúŋu sa ílog, at doòn ay sinalúboŋ sya naŋ susòʾ at naŋ kanila ŋ hukòm na kálaw.

However, while he was asleep, the snail passed by. When he awoke, it was already late in the afternoon. He ran with all his might to the river, and there he was met by the snail and their judge, the owl.

“Ikàw ay talúnan,” winíka pagdáka naŋ kanila ŋ hukòm. [20]

“You are defeated,” said their judge at once. [21]

3. Isà ŋ Biyàrnes-Sànto.

3. A Good Friday.

Si Hwàn at aŋ kanyà ŋ kaybíga ŋ si Pédro ay namámaŋká sa ílug patúŋo sa báya-ŋ-Balíwag. Sa baŋkàʾ ay máy-roon silà ŋ isà ŋ laráwan naŋ Krísto na kanila ŋ iniháhatid sa páreʾ, úpaŋ 5magámit sa pagdadáus naŋ isa ŋ Pitù ŋ Wíkaʾ. Si Hwàn ay sinìsiglàn naŋ tákot.

Juan and his friend Pedro were canoeing on the river toward the town Baliwag. In their canoe they had an image of Christ which they were conveying to a priest to be used in the celebration of a Good Friday Mass. Juan was filled with terror.

Sinábi nya kay Pédro: “Aŋ táwu nátin sa baŋkàʾ ay tadtàd naŋ súgat at hindí humíhiŋà. Sa akálà ko y patày aŋ táo ŋ iyàn. Baká táyu aŋ pagbintaŋàn naŋ pári ŋ áti ŋ paghàhatdàn 10sa kanyà.”

Said he to Pedro: “This man of ours in the canoe is all chopped up with wounds and no longer breathing. I think this man is a corpse. I am afraid we shall be suspected by the priest to whom we are delivering him.”

Isinagòt ni Pédro: “Sàsabíhin nátin sa kanyà na, naŋ màlúlan sa áti ŋ baŋkàʾ aŋ táo ŋ itò y ganyan nà aŋ kanya ŋ anyòʾ. Táyu y marámi ŋ tagapagpatotoò, kanyá hwag kà ŋ matákot.”

Pedro answered: “We shall tell him that when this man was loaded into our canoe, he was already in this condition. We have many witnesses, so don’t be afraid.”

Naŋ dumatìŋ sila sa páreʾ, ay ibinigày nila aŋ laráwan. 15Pinagsabíhan silà naŋ páreʾ na pumaroòn sila sa simbáhan kinàbukásan naŋ hápon, úpaŋ makinìg naŋ sèrmon.

When they reached the priest they gave him the image. The priest told them to come to church the next day in the afternoon to hear the sermon.