Isnag language

Last updated
Isnag
Isneg (Ilocano term)
Native to Philippines
Regionmost parts of Apayao province, parts of Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, and northern parts of Abra, Luzon
Native speakers
50,101 (2020 census) [1]
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Language codes
ISO 639-3
isd   Isnag
Glottolog isna1241   Isnag
Linguasphere 31-CCA-a incl. inner units 31-CCA-aa...-ae
Isnag language map.png
The area where the Isnag dialect originated and is spoken, according to Ethnologue
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Isnag (also called Isneg a term used by the Ilocanos) is a language spoken by around 50,101 Isnag people of Apayao Province in the Cordillera Administrative Region in the northern Philippines, who are also found in parts of Cagayan and Ilocos Norte. Their populations are distributed across the municipalities of Calanasan, Kabugao, Pudtol, Flora, Luna, Santa Marcela, and Conner in Apayao; the eastern part of Ilocos Norte, specifically Adams, Carasi, Dumalneg, Vintar, Marcos, Dingras, Solsona, Bangui, and Pagudpud; the northwestern part of Cagayan, particularly Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Sanchez Mira, and Pamplona; and the northern part of Abra, particularly Tineg. Around 85% of Isnag are capable of reading the Isnag language.[ citation needed ] Many Isnag speakers also speak Ilocano.

Contents

Dialects

Ethnologue lists the following dialects of Isnag.

Sounds

Vowel phonemes
Front Back
High i
Mid e o
Close a
Consonants
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Plosive/
Affricate
voiceless p t k ʔ
voiced b d ɡ
Fricative f v s ʃ h
Approximant l j w
Tap ɾ

Isnag is one of the Philippine languages that do not exhibit [ɾ]-[d] allophony.[ citation needed ]

Language sample

Historical sound changes

The Proto-Malayo-Polynesian schwa ə has merged to /a/ such as *qatəp > atap ('roof') similar to Kapampangan, atip in Tagalog and atup in Visayan. [2]

References

  1. Isnag at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. "Word: Thatch/Roof". Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database. Archived from the original on 2017-04-25. Retrieved 2009-11-26.