UMAR ean ae The Aborlan T agbanwas THE COMMUNITY ‘The term “Tagbanwa,” ““Tagbanua,” or ““Tagbanuwa” is used to refer to 2 group of people who speak several closely related lan- guages and who live in the islands of Palawan in the western sec~ tion of the archipelago. Among others, there are the Aborlan and Kalamian languages. The specific group described here is the Aborlan Tagbanwas, who used to live in or near the town of Abor- lan in the central portion of the island of Palawan. Recently, how- ever, there has been a gradual spreading out from Aborlan. Large centers are now found at Lamani, Kulangdanum, Apuruan, Bobosawan and Labtay (Napsaan). It is possible that the term “Tagbanwa” is derived from raga banuwa ‘people from the countryside’ (or ‘from the inland area’) as opposed to ‘from the shore or sea areas y been used by later settlers to refer to the aborigines who retreated inland. \ The name of the language described here is the Aborlan” banwa. It has been called “Tagbanwa” or simply *Aborlan.* The former name does not sufficiently distinguish it from the other languages of the subgroup. Itis difficult to say how many speakers there are of Aborlan Tagbanwa. The 1948 Census states that there were 6,418 who were able to speak Tagbanwa, but this figure was not restricted to the speakers of Aborlan Tagbanwa. The 1960 Census says that there were 5,489 mother-tongue speakers of Tagbanwa. Finally, the 1970 Census states that their number increased to 8,623. {Religion and beliefs. The Tagbanwas believe in a supreme being called Magindusa, who created the heavens and the earth. Together with his wife Bugawasin and other minor gods, especially the dibuwatanin who are messengers, they reside in Awan-awan. According to Tagbanwa cosmology this sacred place is located directly beyond the radiance of the sunset, which is called /angut. This is between the sky-cover (Jangit) and the earth. The /angit is supported by two tree trunks, one in the east and the other in the west. Tungkayanin are supernatural beings who clean and wash these supports with the blood of Tagbanwas who died in epidemics — thus the redness of sunrise and sunset. The other minor gods and the spirits of ancestral dead (bankay) who were killed by violence or were “poisoned” (by supernatural means) inhabit the cloud area (dibuwart) below the sky (langit). Another category of supernatural beings (bulalakaw) who inhabit the area beneath the clouds are good spirits who “fly” to the aid of Tagbanwas. The evil spirits (salakep) are described as small, dark, and kinky-haired, with pockmarked bodies and faces. Minor gods (/umalayag), however, are present to counter and hold in check the salakep. The dead sail off in an outrigger canoe under the command of the god Sumurutan to a place called Kiyabusan. However, the ‘Tagbanwas who die naturally go to a place called Basad. Tagbanwas dwell in a material world that is very much controlled by supernatural spirits, newly dead relatives included. Living in comparative peace means a harmonious relationship between them and the spirit-world. In order to achieve this “peaceful life, they perform rituals and ceremonies, sometimes through a medium, the babalyan. Mediums who are also medicine men are trained (bulay) for their role under a popular or well-known babalyan. The profession, although not inherited, can be handed down lineally, i.e., from mother to daughter or from father to son and to other lineal relatives, since assistants or helpers (tiga-iring) are usuallyrelatives. However, a requisite for the noyice is that he or she must have been ill to the point of death or must have been afflicted with some malady like epilepsy. | Literacy. The Tagbanwas have retained their ancient form of syllabic writing; they employ a syllabary of 18 characters. Like the Mangyans of Mindoro, they write mostly on perishable material, bamboo being the most common. The characters are inscribed, with a pisaw, a small pointed knife. Kinship system. The following are the kinship terms in use among the Aborlan Tagbanwas. Relationship to ego Terms of Terms of reference address CONSANGUINEAL Nuclear family parents gyaringan father amaq amaq mother indq \ indq children anak } son anak nga lalaki dtingu daughter anak nga babdi_ édo oldest child panganay i diingu/sdo youngest child kia-pusin ) dangu/sdo sibling stilsug older brother/sister akaq | akaq younger brother/sister ariq | name spouse asawa. 1 name Extended family | grandparents aptiq aptiq Uncle amayan amay(an) aunt minan/indéon minana Extended family grandparents uncle aunt cousin nephew/niece grandchild | great grandchild AFFINAL parents-in-law father-in-law sister-in-law husband/wife of sister/brother- in-law THE LANGUAGE (Aborlan, Palawan) Phonology Consonants b m aptiq amayan minan/indéon tagsa | kamandken aptiq aptq tu-ud punydnan punydnan punyanan miagad bayaw hipag biras aptiq amday(an) minan tagsa/name kamandk name aptiq aptq amayan minan names bayaw hipag birasVowels Diphthongs aw ay ay uy. Prosodic feature Accent /’/ Pronouns t t Personal t I i 1 Case Non-encl. Encl. Non-encl. Encl. Non-enel. Encl. Singular i i aku ikaw ka kaniyé it akén, ku imu mu kaniyé ya kat kandkon kanimé kaniya Dual ; i kita ta it dton taDual kits ta it Aton fa kat kite Plural i tayu tami. kama sira (inc) kami (ex) ie . it éton naton imyu mi kaniré = nira 4man ndmon kat kanatso kanimyG kanira kanamon Demonstrative Near speaker and hearer Near addressee Far from both Case Sing. Plural Sing. Plural Sing. Plural i ite imanga — iyan imanga — itf imanga ing iyan itt it iia - id id yan id kaiti id manga manga manga ita iyan it. kat sits asan dudn Near speaker ini it kaini kat sikaini ih Prune Ane a tem a evn a arent iVerb formation Focus Mood \} Actor Goal Location Instrument i-+S | mag- + S $+ -an i Noms). Sifstent gh aha gp -on pag- + i- i-+ S$ +-an finite +S$+-an 3 ¢ . Z| ° 2 8 2 & nag- + § 5 | [imy- ity) i) i+s ie ay i . = | jimin-} + [i ote haga eee wes. = | Len iF ni. = +S + an Bi i 2 2|° * a o a g & & j M+R+S tet h ag ka +Rig 5 2 Gerund| pap. + §Recen Gerund| pag- + S Numerals Cardinals 1 asd 2 duwa 3 tuhi 4 apat 5 lima 6 ondm 7 pita 8 wal 9 siyam 10 sangpiilug 11 puasé, sangpilu Baw asd 12 puduwé, sangpalu baw duwé 14 pupat, sangpuilu baw apat 20 duwang piilug 40 pat nga piilug 100 sang gatus 200 duwang gatus 1,000 sang riby Seerids}HaWNeE wrens 110° THE LANGUAGE, GROUPS Ordinals primiro ikaduwa ikatlo ikapat ikalima ikaném ikapité ikawali ikasiyam ikasangpultiq Distributives tagoséasé, tiggopast tagduwiduwé, taggugduw4 tagtuldtuld, tégguguthi tagapatopat, tagoopar taglimalimé, taglilimsParticles Case markers Personal nouns Non-personal nouns Singular Plural Singular Plural : i same fy a é ‘a ag mga By A ind} Linkers nga, ng Illustrative sentences 1. nagpatay j ind id mandik dud kusina para kad wawag, Nagpatay ang ind nang manék sa kusina péra sa bétaq, ‘The mother killed a chicken in the kitchen for the child.’ tim si pidru id daniim dutid basa, Uminém si Pédro nang tibig sa béso. ‘Pedro drank water from the glass.” i 3. magabri kay lalawagin, : Magbukés ka nang bintinag, ‘Open a window.’ 4. magabri si maryé it lalawagén it baléy, Nagbibukés si Mariyd nang bintdna nang bahay, “Maria is opening a window of a house,’ 5. magabri taw6 it papdatangiin ya, Magbiibukés ang t4o nang tindahan, ay “The man will open a store.’ 6. iném i taw6 it danam, Umiiném ang téo nang tibig, ‘The man is drinking water.” 7. mintm kad ubuwabéd. Umin6m ka nang gamat, ‘Drink medicine.” 8. Pivatiivi manatees | ' :