Ibanag language

The Ibanag language (also Ybanag or Ibanak) is spoken by up to 500,000 speakers (the Ibanag people) in the Philippines, in the northeastern provinces of Isabela and Cagayan, especially in Tuguegarao City, Solana, Cabagan, and Ilagan and with overseas immigrants in countries located in the Middle East, UK and the U.S.A.. Most of the speakers can also speak Ilocano, the lingua franca of Northern Luzon. Ibanag is derived from bannag 'river'. It is closely related to Gaddang, Itawis, Agta, Atta, Yogad, Isneg and Malaweg.

Structure

The Ibanag language is distinct in that it features phonemes that are not present in many other neighboring Philippine languages. It is related to Itawis, Gaddang, Malaueg and others. As an example the "f","v","z" and "j" sounds. inafi - rice, bavi - pig, kazzing - goat, or madjan - maid.

In addition to this, Ibanag also features doubled consonants. Therefore making the language sound "hard" or guttural. For example: Gaddua, Pronounced gad-dwa, meaning half. Mappazzi, Pronounced Map-paz-zi', meaning to squeeze or squeezing.

Ibanag is also one of the Philippine languages which is excluded from [ɾ]-[d] allophone.

This is an example of an Ibanag proverb, that is also known throughout the archipelago.

Y tolay nga ari nga mallipay ta pinaggafuannan na ari nga makange ta angayananna.

Translated to: He who does not look back into his past, cannot reach his destination.

Samples

Cagayan Provincial Anthem

Cagayan, Davvun nga kakastan niakan,
Egga ka laman nakuan ta piam,
Nu kuruk tu maparrayyu ka niakan,
Ariat ta ka vuluvvuga nga kattamman.

Cagayan, Makemmemmi ka nga innan.
Cagayan, Awan tu kagittam.
Nu anni kasta na davvun karuan
Egga ka la ta futu' nga ideddukan.

Pronouns

• I - Sacan, So'
• You - Sicau,
• He, She, It - Yayya
• We (inclusive) - Sittam
• We (exclusive) - Sicami
• You (plural/polite) - Sicamu
• They - Ira

There are multiple ways of saying each pronoun in Ibanag. For example: Kuminanna - I ate, but you would never say Kuminan sakan. Apanku - I will get, but again you can't say Apanna' which would mean Get me or take me. In some occasions a simple glottal stop at the end of the verb conveys the "I" in a sentence as in the example of Pinate' - which means i killed or turned off.

Simple greetings

• Good morning - Mapia nga umma ta nico
• Good afternoon -Mapia nga fuggag ta nico
• Good evening/night - Mapia nga gabbi ta nico
• How are you? - Cunnasi ca ngana?
• I'm good and you? - Mapya gapa, sicau?
• I'm just fine thank god - Mappya gapa, mabbalo' ta dios
• Thank you - Mabbalo'
• Where are you going? - Sitau anggayammu?
• I'm going to...- Umay nga' ta...
• What are you doing? - Anni cuammu?
• Oh, Nothing in particular. - Awang, akkang nga importante
• Please come in. - Maddulo kamu

Numbers

• 0-awan
• 1-tadday
• 2-dua
• 3-tallu
• 4-appa'
• 5-lima
• 6-annam
• 7-pitu
• 8-walu
• 9-siyam
• 10-mafulu
• 100-magattu
• 200-dua gattu
• 500-limagatu
• 1000-marivvu
• 2000-dua rivvu

Sentences

Ibanag	Tagalog	English
Anni kinam mu ganguri?	Ano ang kinain mo kanina?	What did you eat?
Anni kinan nu?	Ano ang kinain ninyo?	What did you,(all) eat?
Anni canacanam mu?	Ano ang kinakain mo?	What are you eating?
Anni canam mu sangaw?	Ano ang kakainin mo mamaya?	What are you going to eat?
Cumattam sonu labbe na.	Pagdating niya, kakain tayo.	We will eat when he comes.
Maddaguk kami cuman kustu labbe na.	Pagdating niya, kumakain kami.	We were eating when he came.
Nacacac cami nacuan nu limibbe yayya.	Kung dumating sana siya, nakakain sana kami.	I (We) hope that by the time he would have arrived, we would have eaten.
Ari ca cuman.	Huwag kang kumain.	Don't eat.
Cumac ca!	Kumain ka!	Eat!
cua yatun!	Akin yan!	That's mine!
Kaya taka	Mahal kita	I love you

External references

• Ethnologue on Ibanag