Wiktionary

Appendix:Cebuano spellings

This appendix discusses standard Cebuano spellings, which follows the Lagda sa Espeling by Bisaya magazine, and adopted by Cebuano-language publications as well as Cebuano multilingual education (MLE) materials by the Department of Education (DepEd) Region VII. Spellings following the Lagda are being promoted by the provincial government of Cebu through the Komisyon Probinsyal sa Sinugboanong Dila (KPSD, or the Provincial Commission on the Cebuano Language) for written Cebuano.

Respelling of consonants and diphthongs of foreign loanwords observe the rules on Mga Lagda sa Sinugboanong Panitik; Binisaya-Sinugboanon nga Batadila by Cesar P. Kilaton, which is also adopted by Bisaya. However, most publications prefer using mya, rya, sya, syo and syon for most cases; such spellings are considered alternative forms to their standard form.

For comparison, the Cebuano standard spelling leans closely to the Tagalog spelling rules by the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), with some slight differences. This is apparent in loanwords and affixed words. Cebuano spellings generally only uses the letters of Abakada alphabet, with the exception of proper nouns and genericized trademarks. Words using foreign letters or spellings are required to be italicized, but this is often overlooked as well.

Vowels

edit

O and U

edit

(Lagda rule 1)

For native words (including precolonial loans), U is used in initial and medial syllables, while O is used in final syllables.

In initial syllables
In medial syllables
In final syllables

I vs E

edit

(Lagda rule 2)

I is used in all native vocabulary except the words babaye, dayeg, pangadye and sikwate

O and U, and affixes

edit

(Lagda rule 3)

O is generally retained in affixed forms of root words. This is in contrast to the spelling rule in Tagalog set by the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, where it is generally changed to U. Examples:

In initial syllables

Vowels and contractions

edit

(Lagda rule 4)

Final vowels are generally kept in contracted forms. Apostrophes are no longer to be used and the contracted word is suffixed to the preceding word. Examples:

Reduplication

edit

(Lagda rules 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, and 6C)

U in initial syllable is kept in partially reduplicated words:

In case of words from reduplicated syllables, rules on U and O, and I and E is observed:

In case of reduplicated rootwords, rule 1 and 2 applies as well. Such are to be written with a hyphen (-):

Some terms that are reduplicated are considered single words and are not to be written with hyphen. Rule 1 also applies:

Some terms that are considered specific terms for an object, animal or place will also follow the rule on reduplications that are considered single words.

Loanwords

edit

Unadapted borrowings

edit

(Lagda rule 7A)

Unadapted borrowings (direktang paghulam), that is, loanwords not altered or respelled to conform to Cebuano phonology and spelling should be written in italics. Examples:

  • fan (from English. Cebuano equivalent: magdadayeg)
  • buena familia (from Spanish)

Adapted borrowings

edit

(Lagda rule 7B)

Adapted borrowings (di[li] direktang paghulam), that is, loanwords altered or respelled to conform to Cebuano phonology should retain their vowels. Foreign sounds are replaced by their equivalents reflecting their realization under native Cebuano phonology. This rule exclude proper nouns and genericized trademarks. Examples:

English or Spanish in origin?

edit

(Lagda rule 7K)

In case an English term that can be borrowed has a Spanish cognate of the same sense, Cebuano prefers to borrow the Spanish.

Foreign UO

edit

(Lagda rule 7D)

In case of loanwords containing UO, O is used for the Cebuano.

Older borrowings

edit

(Lagda rule 7E)

Earlier loanwords have been corrupted or consistently written differently in Cebuano so their original etymon is not readily obvious. Such words are no longer to be respelled so to reveal their etymology.

E and EY for English long A

edit

(Lagda rule 7G)

Cebuano uses E or EY to respell the English long A

E before English S followed by consonant

edit

(Lagda rule 7H)

E is added to respellings of English borrowings starting with S before other consonants. This contrasts with the Tagalog rule where I is used instead, reserving ES to Spanish.

English Y pronounced /i/

edit

(Lagda rule 7I)

English Y is respelled to Cebuano I when pronounced /i/

I and English EE

edit

(Lagda rule 7L)

English EE is respelled to Cebuano I when pronounced /i/.

-iyo for English -iew

edit

(Lagda rule 7M)

English -iew is respelled to Cebuano I when pronounced /i/, except where the preceding consonant follows a vowel, where the I is deleted.

-u for English -ue

edit

(Lagda rule 7N)

English -ue is respelled to Cebuano -u when pronounced /u/ or /ju/.

-yum for English -ium

edit

(Lagda rule 7Ng)

English -ium is respelled to Cebuano -yum.

-os for English -ous

edit

(Lagda rule 7O)

English -ous is respelled to Cebuano -os.

Simplified spelling

edit

(Lagda rules 7P and 7R)

Simplified spelling (simplipikadong paagi) attempts to bring spelling of words more closer to their original source. This generally applies to:

  • Spanish borrowings which would be too short or unwieldy if to observe all the previous rules discussed above. This is done with Spanish loanwords with ie or ei, where the I is removed. Such spellings are permitted as alternative forms. Examples:
  • English words respelled to reflect a Cebuano speaker's pronunciation:

Coinages

edit

(Lagda rules 8A and 8B)

Coinages both from native and foreign roots should follow rules regarding vowels

Consonants

edit

B for V

edit

V in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano B. Examples:

K for C

edit

C in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano K. Examples:

KE for QUE

edit

QUE in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano KE. Examples:

KI for QUI

edit

QUI in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano KI. Examples:

KS for X

edit

X in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano KS. Examples:

KUWA for CUA

edit

CUA in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano KUWA. Examples:

KUWE for CUE

edit

CUE in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano KUWE. Examples:

DY for J

edit

J in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano DY. Examples:

DY for English soft G

edit

The "soft" G (/d͡ʒ/) in English loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano DY. Examples:

H for Spanish G or J

edit

H is generally used to transcribe Spanish G (before E and I) and J. Examples:

Spanish G before E or I to Cebuano H
Spanish J to Cebuano H

Spanish H is not pronounced, so they are omitted when borrowed into Cebuano.

Spanish H

J for Boholano J

edit

J is specifically used for Boholano pronunciation of General Cebuano Y.

L for English LL

edit

English LL is generally respelled to Cebuano L. Examples:

LY for Spanish LL

edit

Spanish LL is generally respelled to Cebuano LY. Examples:

M for Spanish N before fricatives

edit

Spanish N before fricatives is generally respelled to Cebuano M. Examples:

mya for mia

edit

mia is generally respelled to Cebuano mya. One exception is akademiya. Examples:

myo for mio

edit

mio is generally respelled to Cebuano myo

NY for Spanish Ñ and nea

edit

Spanish Ñ and nea is generally respelled to Cebuano NY. This excludes proper nouns. Exceptions to this rule is kompaniya (from Spanish compañía). Examples:

niya for Spanish nia/nía

edit

Spanish nía is generally respelled to Cebuano niya. Examples:

P for F

edit

F in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano P. Examples:

R for RR

edit

RR in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano R. Examples:

riya for foreign ria following E or O

edit

ria following an E or O in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano riya. This includes where the Spanish has ría. Examples:

rya for foreign ria following A, and E or O on two-syllable words

edit

ria following an A in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano rya. Examples:

ria following an E in loanwords is also replaced by Cebuano rya where the word only has two syllables. Examples:

S for C, Z, and X

edit

C following I and E in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano S. Examples:

Z in loanwords is also replaced by Cebuano S. Examples:

X in loanwords is replaced by Cebuano C in certain cases. Examples:

siya for foreign cia/tia following consonant

edit

cia or tia following a consonant in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano siya. Examples:

sya for foreign cia/tia following vowel

edit

cia or tia following a vowel in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano sya. Examples:

siyo for foreign cio/tio

edit

cio or tio following a consonant in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano siyo. Examples:

syo for foreign cio/tio following vowel

edit

cio or tio following a vowel in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano syo. Examples:

siyon for foreign cion/tion

edit

Spanish cio or English tio following a consonant is generally replaced by Cebuano siyon. Examples:

syon for Spanish ción and English tion following vowel

edit

Spanish ción and sión or English tion following a vowel is generally replaced by Cebuano syon. Examples:

TS for CH

edit

CH is generally replaced by Cebuano TS. Examples:

Diphthongs

edit

AY for foreign AE/AI

edit

AI or AE in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano AY. Examples:

AW for foreign AO/AU

edit

The O or U in the diphthongs AO or AU in loanwords is generally replaced by Cebuano AW. Examples:

EYA for EA

edit

The diphthong EA is generally transcribed into Cebuano EYA. This stands in contrast to Tagalog, where it is generally retained, and the EYA spelling treated as variants. Examples:

EYO for EO

edit

The diphthong EO is generally transcribed into Cebuano EYO. This stands in contrast to Tagalog, where it is generally retained. Examples:

EYU for EU

edit

The diphthong EU is generally rewritten into Cebuano EYU. This stands in contrast to Tagalog, where it is generally retained. Examples:

IYA for foreign IA

edit

A Y is generally inserted into the diphthong IA in loanwords. Examples:

Exceptions

edit

If the diphthong is preceded by the letter S in the Cebuano transcription and is actually preceded by a vowel, the "I" is no longer kept.

There are foreign loanwords, where transcribed into Cebuano, should no longer retain the “I”.

IYE for foreign IE

edit

A Y is generally inserted into the diphthong IE in loanwords. Examples:

IYO for foreign IO

edit

A Y is generally inserted into the diphthong IO in loanwords. Examples:

IYU for foreign IU

edit

A Y is generally inserted into the diphthong IU in loanwords. Examples:

SYU for CEU

edit

Foreign CEU is transcribed into SEU. Examples:

UWA for foreign UA

edit

A W is generally inserted into the diphthong UA in loanwords. Examples:

UWE for foreign UE

edit

A W is generally inserted into the diphthong UE in loanwords. Examples:

UWI for foreign UI

edit

A W is generally inserted into the diphthong UI in loanwords. Examples:

UY for foreign UE

edit

Alternatively, the diphthong UE in loanwords can be replaced with UY. Examples:

UYA for foreign UIA

edit

The triphthong UIA in loanwords should be replaced with UYA. Examples:

YO for foreign IO

edit

The diphthong IO in loanwords can be transcribed with YO. Examples:

Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Appendix:Cebuano_spellings&oldid=68936886"