Colonel William A. Phillips

Boholano (Cebuano: Binol-anon) is a variant of the Cebuano language spoken in the island province of Bohol in the Visayas and a major portion of Southern Leyte, as well as parts of Mindanao, particularly in Northern Mindanao and Caraga. It is sometimes erroneously described as a separate language[1] even though Binol-anon originated as a dialect continuum of the Cebuano language.[2][3]

Boholano, especially as spoken in central Bohol, can be distinguished from other Cebuano variants by a few phonetic changes:

  • The semivowel y is pronounced [dʒ] as is the ll sound (similar to Spanish Yeísmo): iya is pronounced [iˈdʒa];
  • Ako is pronounced as [aˈho];
  • Intervocalic l is occasionally pronounced as [w] when following u or o: kulang is pronounced as [ˈkuwaŋ] (the same as Cebu City dialect).

History

The Bohol dialect developed in the region after the Cebuano language arrived there from Cebu. The Cebuano language, descended from Proto-Austronesian (ca. 6000 years ago), originated in the Sugbo heartland[2] and then "has spread from its base in Cebu" to Bohol, thus beginning the Bohol Cebuano dialect.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Lowlands-L Anniversary Celebration". www.lowlands-l.net.
  2. ^ a b Woff, John U. (2001). "Cebuano". In Garry, Jane; Rubino, Carl (eds.). Facts About the World's Languages: An Encyclopedia of the World's Major Languages, Past and Present. New York: H. W. Wilson.
  3. ^ a b Wolff, John U. (1972). A Dictionary of Cebuano Visayan (PDF). Cornell University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-09-30.

External links