The Negrito peoples of the Philippines speak various Philippine languages. They have more in common with neighboring languages than with each other, and are listed here merely as an aid to identification.
Classification The following languages are grouped according to their geographic location, and not genetic classification.
Lobel (2013) Lobel (2013) lists the following Black Filipino (i.e., Philippine Negrito) ethnolinguistic groups.
Northern Luzon Umiray Dumaget Remontado/Hatang-Kayi Alta, Northern Alta, Southern Arta Casiguran Agta Nagtipunan Agta Dinapigue Agta Central Cagayan Agta Pahanan Agta (distinct from Paranan, which is not spoken by a Negrito Filipino population) Dupaningan Agta Atta (3–4 languages)
(Lobel (2010) lists the following Negrito languages that are spoken on the eastern coast of Luzon Island, listed from north to south.)
Dupaningan Agta (Northern Luzon branch) Pahanan Agta Casiguran Agta Umiray Dumaget Remontado/Hatang-Kayi Inagta Alabat Manide Inagta Partido Inagta Rinconada
Furthermore, Robinson & Lobel (2013) argue that Dupaningan Agta, Pahanan Agta, Casiguran Agta, Nagtipunan Agta, Dinapigue Agta, and Paranan do not belong to the Northern Cordilleran branch, but rather a new branch that they call Northeastern Luzon, which they consider to be a primary branch of the Northern Luzon (Cordilleran) group.
Zambales Mountains Ayta Mag-indi Ayta Mag-anchi Ayta Abellen Ayta Ambala Ayta Bataan ( Ayta Magbukun)
Southern Luzon Inagta Rinconada Inagta Partido Manide Inagta Alabat (and Inagta Lopez)
Southern Philippines Inata (possibly 2 dialects) Inati (Inete) (2 dialects) Mamanwa Batak (5–8 dialects) Iraya (Mangyan) Ata/Tigwa/Matigsalug Manobo
Extinct varieties Mount Iraya Agta (a.k.a. East Lake Buhi Agta) Dicamay Agta: spoken on the Dicamay River on the western side of the Sierra Madre near Jones, Isabela; reportedly exterminated by Ilokano homesteaders sometime between 1957 and 1974 Villa Viciosa Agta
Ethnologue adds the extinct and unclassified Katabaga of Catanauan, Quezon, southern Luzon. The language was originally listed by Garvan. (Published posthumously from field notes taken by Garvan between 1903 and 1924.) Katabaga is in fact a misspelling of Katabangan, the name that the people use to refer to themselves. Some people in the Bikol Region also use the term Katabangan to refer to mixed-blood Agta in the region. Lobel reports from a 2006 visit that the Katabangan speak only Tagalog. According to Lobel (2013), based on their location, if the Katabangan did in fact once have their own language, it may have been related to Inagta Alabat-Lopez (see Inagta Alabat language) and Manide. Louward Allen Zubiri reports that there are 670 individuals in the Katabangan community, and that there are also families living in Mulanay, Gumaca, Lopez, and Alabat. He also reports on a handful of vocabulary items remembered by the Katabangan which offer evidence for a close relationship of their now-lost language with Manide and Inagta Alabat.
Reid (1994) Reid (1994) lists the following Negrito languages. North Agta Northern Cagayan Central Cagayan Eastern Cagayan Southern Cagayan Southern Isabela Aurora Arta 12 remaining speakers in Aglipay, Quirino, in 1990 Alta North Alta – spoken in Aurora Province South Alta (Kabuluen) – spoken in Nueva Ecija and Bulacan Provinces Central Agta – spoken in eastern Luzon; includes Umiray South Agta (> Manide) Camarines Norte (> Manide) Camarines Sur (> Inagta Rinconada, Inagta Partido) Sinauna (> Remontado/Hatang-Kayi) Ayta – 6 different languages spoken in the Zambales Mountains according to Wimbish (1986): Abelen Aberlen Magganchi Maggindi Ambala Magbeken Ayta
Other Philippine Negrito languages Ata Manobo – spoken in Mansalinao, Davao Batak – spoken in Palawan Inati Mamanwa – spoken in Agusan
Reid (2013) Reid (2013) considers the Philippine Negrito languages (highlighted in bold) to have split in the following fashion. Reid (2013) considers each Negrito language or group to be a first-order split in its respective branch, with Inati and Manide–Alabat as first-order subgroups of Malayo-Polynesian.
Malayo-Polynesian (MP) diverse MP branches outside of the Philippines Bashiic, Kalamianic and other MP branches on the Philippines not comprising Negrito languages Manide–Alabat Inati Northern Luzon languages Arta Umiray Dumaget (?) Northeastern Luzon languages Cagayan Valley languages Ilokano Meso-Cordilleran languages North Alta South Alta South Cordilleran languages Central Cordilleran languages Central Luzon languages Remontado Dumagat (Sinauna Tagalog) Kapampangan Sambalic languages Ayta languages Sambal languages Central Philippine languages Mamanwa Tagalog Bikol Bisayan Mansaka
Unique vocabulary Lobel (2010) lists the following percentage of unique vocabulary items out of 1,000 compared words in these Negrito languages, which Reid (1994) suggests are lexical remnants from the pre-Austronesian substrata that these Negrito languages may have. Manide and Umiray Dumaget have the most unique vocabulary items. Manide: 28.5% Umiray Dumaget: 23% Inate: 9% Mamanwa: 7% Batak: 1% Inagta Rinconada; Inagta Partido: 2%
Other Southeast Asian languages with high proportions of unique vocabulary of possible isolate origin include the Enggano language of Indonesia and the Kenaboi language of Malaysia.
Reid (1994) Reid (1994) lists the following reconstructed forms as possible non-Austronesian lexical elements in Philippine Negrito languages.
No. Gloss Reconstructed form Attested branches 1. rattan *lati North Agta, Alta 2. rat *kuyəŋ North Agta, Alta, Central Agta 3. ashamed *aməs North Agta, Alta, Central Agta 4. vein *litid North Agta, Alta, Central Agta 5. bury, inter *tapuR North Agta, Alta, Central Agta 6. pity, kindness *Rəbi North Agta, Arta, Alta 7. snake *babak Alta, Central Agta, Sinauna 8. thirst *pələk North Agta, Arta 9. hunt *purab North Agta, Arta 10. deer, buck *b[ia]dut North Agta, Arta 11. fingernail *[l]usip North Agta, Arta 12. penis *g[ia]ləŋ North Agta, Arta 13. wall *gəsəd North Agta, Arta 14. dog, puppy *lapul North Agta, Arta 15. fire *dukut North Agta, Arta 16. hair, feather *pulug North Agta, Arta 17. boil (v.) *ləbut North Agta, Alta 18. forget *liksap North Agta, Alta 19. summit *taltay/*taytay North Agta, Alta 20. forehead *[l]aŋas North Agta, South Agta 21. summit *kurut North Agta, South Agta 22. fragrant *səlub Arta, Alta 23. buttocks *sula Alta, Central Agta 24. fast *paripari Alta, Central Agta 25. know (s.o.) *abuyan Alta, Central Agta 26. leaf *agid Alta, Central Agta 27. man, male *patud Alta, Central Agta 28. see *lawi[g] Alta, Central Agta 29. wall *sagbuŋ Alta, Central Agta 30. shoulder *sugbuŋ/*subuŋ(-an) Alta, South Agta 31. run *kaldit Alta, South Agta 32. betel leaf *li[t]lit Alta, Ayta 33. waterfall *gərəy Central Agta, Sinauna 34. accompany *ilan North Alta, South Alta 35. know *ənul North Alta, South Alta 36. lazy *b[ia]kət North Alta, South Alta 37. pregnant *tuyud North Alta, South Alta 38. sleep *puləd North Alta, South Alta 39. heavy *dəgi North Agta 40. thick *bagəl North Agta 41. bitter *təkak North Agta 42. butterfly *lullu/*lilli North Agta 43. dry in sun *sarun North Agta 44. hear *tima[n, ŋ] North Agta 45. hunt *lagum North Agta 46. mountain *amugud North Agta 47. old (obj.) *ligid North Agta 48. sun *pamalak North Agta 49. termite *sarik North Agta 50. throw (away) *tugbak North Agta 51. fingernail *lu/*[l]udis North Agta 52. run *buyut North Agta 53. wing *kəpig North Agta 54. throw *b[ia]sag North Agta 55. waterfall *sənad North Agta 56. shoulder *dapi North Agta 57. call *dulaw North Agta 58. sweat *asub North Agta 59. butterfly *lumlum/*limlim North Agta 60. sit *tugkuk North Agta 61. thirst *g[ia]mtaŋ North Agta 62. urine *sitəb North Agta 63. walk *sugut North Agta 64. hear *sanig North Agta 65. rattan *karat North Agta 66. run *gutuk North Agta 67. salt *b[ia]gəl North Agta 68. afternoon (ma-)*lutəp Arta 69. arrive *digdig Arta 70. bone *sagnit Arta 71. butterfly *pippun Arta 72. drink *tim Arta 73. ear *ibəŋ Arta 74. lime *ŋusu Arta 75. man, male *gilaŋ(-an) Arta 76. mosquito *buŋur Arta 77. old (man) *dupu Arta 78. one *sipaŋ Arta 79. rain *punəd Arta 80. run *gurugud Arta 81. say, tell *bud Arta 82. sleep *idəm Arta 83. two *təlip Arta 84. burn *təmuk North Alta 85. call *ŋuk North Alta 86. collapse *bəwəl North Alta 87. depart *əg[ʔk]aŋ North Alta 88. fruit *ian North Alta 89. hear *tibəŋ North Alta 90. hit, strike *pu[ʔk]na North Alta 91. lie down *ədsaŋ North Alta 92. locust *pəsal North Alta 93. long *lə[ʔk]aw North Alta 94. penis *gəyət North Alta 95. put, place *dətun North Alta 96. red *silit North Alta 97. seek *alyuk North Alta 98. stand *payuŋ North Alta 99. wait *tanud North Alta 100. ant *il[əu]m South Alta 101. black *lit[əu]b South Alta 102. blow (v.) *uswa South Alta 103. burn *tiduk South Alta 104. bury, inter *laba South Alta 105. butterfly (ma-)*lawak South Alta 106. buttocks *timuy South Alta 107. call *gawi South Alta 108. carabao *uduŋ(-an) South Alta 109. cry *kəbi South Alta 110. deep *tanaw South Alta 111. fall (v.) *pagpag South Alta 112. fight/quarrel *itaw South Alta 113. fingernail *lunu South Alta 114. loincloth *g[ia]nat South Alta 115. long (time) *təwali South Alta 116. other (diff.) *kalad South Alta 117. put, place *bənu South Alta 118. rain *dəsu South Alta 119. sit *laŋad South Alta 120. stand *piad South Alta 121. tail *lambuŋ South Alta 122. three *saŋay South Alta 123. tree, wood *lab[ia]t South Alta 124. true *kuduR South Alta 125. vagina (i-)*plaŋ South Alta 126. widow, widower (na-)*dit South Alta 127. wind *kabu(-an) South Alta 128. bone *kaks(-an) Central Agta 129. call *ulaŋ Central Agta 130. climb *dawit Central Agta 131. crocodile (maŋ-)*atu Central Agta 132. feather *putput Central Agta 133. hair *sapuk Central Agta 134. hunt *ikag Central Agta 135. ladle *lukuy Central Agta 136. long (time) *luy Central Agta 137. no, not *eyen Central Agta 138. pound *buntul Central Agta 139. rain *tapuk Central Agta 140. run *g[ia]kan Central Agta 141. sand *laŋas Central Agta 142. sit *lipa Central Agta 143. sleep *pida Central Agta 144. stand *[uə]di Central Agta 145. sweat *aldut/*ald[ia]t Central Agta 146. vagina *kin(-an) Central Agta 147. water, river *urat Central Agta 148. white *lapsay Central Agta 149. fire *adiŋ South Agta 150. mosquito *kubuŋ South Agta 151. shoulder *mugmug(-an) South Agta 152. sleep *lubat South Agta 153. child *ubun Sinauna 154. leaf *hayin Sinauna 155. sit *səna Sinauna 156. stone *igaŋ Sinauna 157. wind *rugus Sinauna 158. see *ələw Ayta
Reid considers the endonym *ʔa(R)ta, meaning 'person', to have been a native Negrito word that was later borrowed into Austronesian with the meaning 'dark-skinned person'.
References
Further reading
External links Comparative vocabularies of Philippine and other Austronesian languages Cognate sets for Austronesian languages