KINARAY-A LANGUAGE

By: Gian Jane B. Quiñones

I. Introduction

FACTS:

Alternate Names: Antiqueño, Ati, Hamtiknon, Hinaray-a, Karay-a, Kiniray-a, Panayano, Sulud
Location: Western Visayas region: scattered in Aklan, most of Antique, west Iloilo, and west
Capiz provinces
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Philippine, Greater Central Philippine,
Central Philippine, Bisayan, West, Kinarayan

“Kinaray-a,” “Hiniray-a,” or “Karay-a” is derived from “iraya” meaning “upstream,” “ka”

meaning “companion,” with infixation “in” meaning “to have undergone something.”.

 It refers to the language of Antique (from "Hamtik," or large, red ant or wasp) and the
upland parts of Iloilo and Capiz.
 Kinaray-a has long been identified as “the language of the sacada and the muchacho”
(Ani 19:12).
 Despite having a disparate vocabulary, with usage differing slightly from town to town
(for example, the English “here” could be rigya, rugya, digya, di-a, depending on the
location), Kinaray-a speakers understand one another whether they come from Antique,
Capiz, or Iloilo.
 Kinaray-a speakers can understand Hiligaynon and Illonggo, however speakers of those
languages can only understand Kinaray-a if they live in Kinaray-a-speaking areas.

II. Phonology
The Kinaray-a have 21 phonemes: 20 segmental at 1 suprasegmental. The 20 phonemes are
made up of 16 consonants and 4 vowels.

Phonemes

Consonants

bilabial interdental Alveolar palatal velar glottal

stop p, b t, d k, g Ɂ
nasal m n ŋ
fricatives s h
lateral l
retroflex r
glides w j

p [pʌ’ɪt] pait = bitter m [mʌ’nʊk] manok = chicken

b [bʊ’hɪ] buhi = alive
t [tʌ’nʌn] tanan = all
d [dʌ’kʊp] dakop = caught
k [kʌg] kag = and
g [‘gwʌpʌ] = beautiful
l [‘lʌwʌs] = lawas = body
r [‘rʌwʔʌj] raw ay = bad
n [nʌrʌ] „Narra
ŋ [‘ŋʌrʌ] ngara = angry
w [wʌ’rʌ] wara = none
s [‘sʌnʌg] = sanag = bright
h [‘hʌŋgʊd] = hanggod i = big
ʔ [ʔʌd’lʌw] adlaw = day/sun
j [jʊ’hʊm] ngiti = smile

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Vowels

Front Central Back

High i~I u~ʊ

Low E ə~ɨ

Mid a

ʌ [ʔʌpdʊ] apdo – gall bladder

ʊ [ʔʊrɪŋ] uring - charcoal
ɪ [ʔɪmʊŋ] imong - yours
ə [bʌskəg] – baskog - strong

Dipthongs
1. /ʔʌj/ [mʌ’hɪnʌj] mahinay = slow
2. /ʔʊj/ [‘kʌhʊj] kahoy = wood
3. /ʔəj/ [ʔʌ’gəj] agay = hurt
4. /ʔʌw/ [‘lʌntʌw] lantaw = watch
5. /ʔɪw/ [pʌk‟sɪw]

Phonemic Contrast
A. /t/ vs. /d/
tʊlʔʌn – tul an - bones
dʊghʌn – dughan - chest
B. /p/ vs. /b/
pʌrʌj – paray - unhusked rice
bʌlʌj – balay - house
C. /g/ vs. /k/
gʌʌgɪ - gaagi - crossing
kʌʌgɪ - kaagi -experience
D. /m/ vs. /n/ vs. /ŋ/
mʌrʌʔ - mara - dry
nʌrʌʔ - Narra
ŋʌrʌ - ngara - angry
E. /l/ vs. /r/
sʌ’lʌʔ - sala - wrong
sʌrʌ - sara - one
F. Glides (/w/ vs. /j/)
lʌbʌw – labaw – more than
lʌbʌj – labay - cross
bʊkʌw – bukaw - owl
bʊkʌj – bukay – white hair
G. /ʌ/ vs. /ɪ/
Ɂʊtʌŋ – utang - debt
Ɂʊrɪŋ – uring - charcoal

III. Morphology

Nouns

Kinaray-a English
ayam, ido Dog
bayi, bahi female, woman
bosong Abdomen

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Kutî Cat
damog Fodder
kahig Foot

Pronouns

Absolutive₂ Ergative₁ Ergative₂

Absolutive₁ (non- Oblique
(postposed) (preposed)
(emphatic) emphatic)

1st person singular ako 1takën nakën, ko akën kanakën

2nd person singular ikaw, kaw timo nimo, mo imo kanimo
3rd person singular - tana nana, na ana kanana, kana
1st person plural inclusive kita tatën natën, ta atën kanatën
1st person plural
kami tamën namën amën kanamën
exclusive
2nd person plural kamo tinyo ninyo, nyo inyo kaninyo
3rd person plural sanda tanda nanda anda kananda

Verbs

English Kinaray-a
to breathe maginhawa
to chew Using
to come maagto
to count Isip
to dream madamgo
to hit hampak
to know, be knowledgeable mainaramən
to lie down mabatang
to say hambal, ku un
to sleep maturog
to stab, pierce buno, sagap
to swell Hubag
to turn maliso
to walk panaw
to yawn manguy ab

Number Kinaray-a
1 isara/sara
2 darwa
3 tatlo
4 apat
5 lima
6 anëm
7 pito
8 walo
9 siyam
10 pulû

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100 sangkagatos/sanggatos
1,000 sangkalibo/sanglibo

AFFIXATION AND METATHESIS

The process of affixation in Kinaray-a language is deletion of syllable in the root word. There are
elements of syllable that is separated before, but combined after the process of affixation. The
process of metathesis in the word is formed when the word after the affixation is hard to
pronounce. This kind of sequence happened if the original form of root word.

Example:

1. kʌʔən - kaon
kʌʔənən – kaonon (affixation)
kʌʔnən – kanon (deletion of vowel)
kʌnʔən – kan on (metathesis)

2. bə’ʔəl – bool
bəʔə’lən – boolon (affixation + transfer of stress)
bəʔ’lən – bolon (deletion of vowel)
bəl’ʔən – bolon (metathesis)

3. tʌ’nəm – tanom
tʌnə’mʌn – tanoman (affixation)
tʌn’mʌn – tanman (deletion of vowel)
tʌm’nʌn - tamnan (metathesis)

IV. Syntax
Sentence Formation

Hanggud ang mga balay

SC V S

The houses are big

S V SC

Anna is sleeping in the floor.

S V O

Sa salog naturog si Anna

O V S

Information Question
 Who – Sin-o
Who is your friend?
Sin-o man ang migo mo?

 What - Ano
What month is the exam?
Ano nga bulan ang exam?

 How – Paano/Gin-ano
How did you heal the patient?
Paano mo ginpaayo ang pasyente? / Gin-ano mo pag-paayo kang pasyente?

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  Where – Diin
Where will you be tomorrow?
Diin kaw sa rum-an?

 When – San-o
When is the opening of classes here?
San-o man ang abre-klase dya?

 How much/How Many – Pira/Tagpira/Pira ka bilog

How much each chicken?
Tagpira man ang kada manok?
How many chairs will be used?
Pira ka biloh ang purungku-an nga usaron?

Common Expression

 Good. - Mayad.
 How are you feeling? - Musta bay pamatyagan mo? or: Ano bay pamatyag mo? (What do
you feel?)
 I don't know. - Wara takën kamaan./ Waay takën kamaan (Or simply: Maan a./ Ambay a./
Ilam a. -informal, usually an annoyed expression)
 Let's go! - Panaw/Halin ta rën!/Dali rën! (usually for hurrying up companions)
 Come together. - Iririmaw kita./ imaw kita./ Iribhanay kita./ Iririmaw tatən
 Why? - Manhaw/Wanhaw? (or: Andët haw/aw?)/ Insa haw?/ Insaw?(informal)
 What is your name? - Ano ngaran mo?
 Good morning! - Mayad nga aga!
 Good afternoon! - Mayad nga hapon!
 Good evening! - Mayad nga gabiʔi!
 That one. - Amo kara. (Or simply: Ra/Ra ay.)(or: Amo ran)/ Amo ka di-a.
 How much? - Tag pira?
 Yes. - hə-əd.(Ho-ud)/ (h)ə-əd
 No. - Bukut./Bëkët.(Bëkën)/Indi
 You know. - Man-an mo. (or: Man-an mo man.)
 Hurry! - Dasiga!(lit. Fast!) or Dali-a! (lit. Hurry!)

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