SafekipediaCentral Bikol
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
Central Bikol, also known as Bikol Naga or simply Bikol, is an Austronesian language spoken by the Bicolanos in the Bicol Region of southern Luzon in the Philippines. It is mainly spoken in parts of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, and Catanduanes. Many people who speak Central Bikol also live in places like Metro Manila, Mindoro, Palawan, and Mindanao.
This language has some special words that you won’t find in other Bikol languages or even in other Philippine languages like Tagalog and Cebuano. For example, the word matua means 'older', and bitis means 'foot' or 'feet'. Another interesting word is banggi, which means 'night'. These words share similarities with languages from nearby areas, such as Kapampangan and some older forms of Tagalog spoken in Rizal and Quezon.
Central Bikol is considered a very easy language to learn, ranking as a category 1 language. It is widely spoken in its homeland and also by many people living in other parts of the Philippines.
Central Bikol dialects
Central Bikol has six dialects because it covers a large area and is influenced by nearby languages. Even though there are different dialects, people can still understand each other.
The Canaman dialect is used in books, church services, and on TV and radio. The Naga City dialect is spoken in many parts of Camarines Sur and also in San Pascual, Masbate, and some areas of Catanduanes. The Partido dialect is used in the eastern part of Camarines Sur. The Tabaco-Legazpi-Sorsogon dialect is spoken along the eastern coast of Albay and part of Sorsogon. The Daet dialect is spoken in Camarines Norte, and the Virac dialect is used around Virac on Catanduanes island.
Like other Philippine languages, Central Bikol has many words borrowed from Spanish during Spanish rule, such as swerte meaning 'luck' and karne meaning 'meat'. It also has some words from Sanskrit, like bahala meaning 'responsibility' and karma.
Main article: Philippine languages Main article: Spanish rule Main article: Sanskrit
| Canaman dialect (Standard) | Naga City dialect | Partido dialect | Tabaco - Legazpi - Sorsogon (TLS) dialect | Virac dialect | Daet dialect | Rinconada Bikol language (Inland Bikol) | Sorsoganon language (Bisakol) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tàdaw ta dai luminayog an gamgam ni Pedro dawà na dai nin kandado an hawla? | Tâno daw ta dai naglayog an gamgam ni Pedro dawà na mayò nin kandado si hawla? | Hadáw ta ê naglayog an gamgam ni Pedro maski na mayò nin kandado su hawla? | Natà daw ta dai naglayog an bayong ni Pedro maski na warâ ki kandado su hawla? | Ngatà daw ta dài nagḽayog an gamgam ni Pedro maski na daing kandado su hawla? | Bakin daw kaya dai naglupad ang/a/ka ibon ni Pedro maski na mayong kandado si hawla? | Ta'onō/Ŋātâ raw ta diri naglayog adtoŋ bayoŋ ni Pedro dāwâ na ədâ ka kandado su awlā? | Nakay daw kay diri naglupad an tamsi ni Pedro maski na warâ san kandado su hawla? |
Phonology
Consonants
The Bikol language has 16 consonant sounds: /m, n, ŋ, p, t, k, ʔ, b, d, ɡ, s, h, l, wʋ, ɾ, jʝ/. Eight additional sounds come from words borrowed from other languages: /f, v, ɲ, tʃ, dʒ, ʃ, ʒ, ʎ/.
The way these sounds work was described by a researcher named Mintz in 1971.
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Central Bikol, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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