2. RESEARCH QUESTION
1. What are the descriptive linguistics of the Waray and Bisaya dialect?
2. How do the Waray and Bisaya dialects vary from each other?
3. Phonology
• According to Cooke et al. (2023), the Bisaya in Davao language
has a phonemic inventory of five vowels and sixteen consonants.
• The five vowel sounds are /a/, /i/, /ɛ/, /o/ and /u/ and they can be
found in diphthongs, minimal pairings, and open and closed
syllables.
• The consonants include /b/, /d/, /g/, /k/, /h/, /l/, /m/, /n/, /p/, /r/, /s/, /t/,
/w/, /y/, /j/, and /ʔ/.
4. • Waray, on the other hand, has sixteen consonant phonemes in total:
/p, t, k, b, d, ɡ, m, n, ϋ, s, h, l, ʾr, w, j, and ʔ/.
• Ten vowel phonemes are present in the majority of Waray dialects,
including:
/a/, /i/, /u/, /ʉ/, /Ã/, /ɤ/, /œ/, /ʌ/, /ae/, and /˒/.
• Words with /ə/ in these dialects have /u/ in the majority dialects. When /i/
comes after /t, d/, it precedes another vowel sound and produces two
additional post-alveolar sounds [tʃ, dʒ].
5. Example
• In Waray and Bisaya, the words “Sura” and “Sud-an” respectively,
both refer to the English word “Viand”.
• The pronunciation of “Sura” consists of the voiceless alveolar fricative
/s/, close back rounded vowel /u/, voiced alveolar tap or flap /ɾ/, and
open central vowel /a/. On the other hand, “Sud-an” is pronounced
with the voiceless alveolar fricative /s/, close back rounded vowel /u/,
voiced alveolar plosive /d/, glottal stop /ʔ/, open central vowel /a/, and
voiced alveolar nasal /n/. Both words are stressed on the first syllable.
6. Comparison
• In summary, Waray and Bisaya have distinct differences in their
phonology. Waray has ten vowel phonemes and sixteen
consonant phonemes. In contrast, Bisaya has five vowel
phonemes and fifteen consonant phonemes. The two dialects
also have distinct numbers of vowels and consonant phonemes.
Established Cebuano-Visayan that make some of their words
have distinct pronunciation which can be seen in IPA form.
7. Morphology
• Morphology is the study of the internal structure of words and the rules
governing the formation of words in a language.
• In Waray Visayan, morphemes are the smallest units of meaning that
can be combined with other morphemes to form words.
• Waray grammar does not classify words or parts of words
into nouns, adjectives, and verbs. Instead, the
interrelationship among roots, affixes, and particles and their
use in the discourse determine their classification.
8. Morphology
• Bisaya in Davao has morphemes that are inflectional,
derivational, and free.
• Inflected words retain their lexical categories, while
affixes added to the root word add information or
grammatical functions needed by the word, such as
tense, case, number, and agreement to other words.
9. Example
Bisaya: Nanguna- nang+una
Waray: Nag-una- nag+una
• The prefix /nang/ and /nag/ is added to the root word /una/ to
form a word. While there is a slight difference in the affix used
("nang" in Bisaya and "nag" in Waray), both languages
share the same root word "una," highlighting the similarities in
their morphological structures.
10. Comparison
• Waray grammar does not classify words into nouns,
adjectives, and verbs, but instead relies on the
interrelationship among roots, affixes, and particles to
determine their classification.
•Bisaya in Davao has inflectional, derivational, and free
morphemes.
• Both languages have distinct morphological features.
11. Syntax
• Syntax is the rules for arranging words in a sentence.
• Waray and Bisaya languages have different sentence
structures. Waray uses a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO)
pattern, meaning the subject comes before the verb.
• On the other hand, Bisaya uses a Verb-Subject-Object
(VSO) pattern, where the verb precedes the subject.
12. Example
DIALECT SUBJECT VERB OBJECT
Waray Hi nanay ngan
tatay
naluto hin isda
DIALECT VERB SUBJECT OBJECT
Bisaya Galuto si mama ug papa ug isda
13. Comparison
• Waray follows the word order of S V O, while Bisaya
follows the word order of V S O.
• In contrast, Cebuano has multiple ways to form a
sentence structure, with the most common ones being
the Verb-Actor-Object (VAO), Verb-Object-Actor
(VOA), and the Actor-Verb-Object (AVO).
14. Semantic
• Semantics is the branch of linguistics that examines the
meaning of words and language.
• Waray language, rich in vocabulary and nuanced with affixes,
offers precise control over word meaning and sentence
structure. Prefixes like "ma-" and "na-" distinguish intentional
from accidental actions, while verb affixes like "-um-" and "-in-"
pinpoint tense and aspect. Uniquely, this system allows Waray
speakers to convey subtle meanings and build intricate narratives.
15. Semantic
• Cebuano has seen diverse semantic changes
(metaphor, broadening) and sound/word structure changes
(insertion, deletion, etc.). It focuses on the topic of action
(active voice). Vocabulary categories differ from English, with
alternative classifications proposed. Utterances rely heavily
on nouns, verb phrases, and non-verbal clauses, and follow
linguistic universals.
17. Comparison
•Waray and Cebuano, while both nuanced, take
different paths to express meaning. Waray, rich in
vocabulary and affixes, excels in precise meaning-
making, while Cebuano, with its dynamic verb phrases
and evolving vocabulary, thrives in the flow of action
and narrative. Both, however, showcase the
remarkable adaptability and expressiveness of
human languages.
18. Implication in language teaching
Understanding the core linguistic components (phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics)
of a dialect is crucial for language teachers. By analyzing these aspects, educators can:
1.Decode word construction and order: This allows them to better understand how
students express themselves in that dialect.
2.Craft interactive learning environments: Tailored instruction based on the dialect's
nuances fosters deeper engagement and improves learning outcomes.
3.Facilitate two-way communication: Understanding the dialect's specificities enables
teachers to effectively communicate with students and vice versa, creating a more inclusive
learning environment.
19. Recommendation
• To effectively compare Bisaya and Waray, a thorough linguistic
exploration is needed. Start by analyzing their phonetics, syntax, and
vocabulary to identify core similarities and differences. Then, delve
deeper into contrasting elements, which may require patience due to
limited data on less-spoken dialects. Finally, explore the diverse
linguistic contexts and grammatical structures of both Bisaya and
Waray for a truly comprehensive comparison.
• In short, understanding these languages requires a multi-faceted
approach that combines existing knowledge, fresh research, and an
appreciation for the nuances of each dialect.
