Philippine Numerals 1-9 for a National Language

In this study by Elizabeth Zeitoun et al, they discussed Ca-reduplication in the numerals 1-9 among Formosan languages which indicate [+]human . According to Zeitoun, Saaroa, Kanakanavu, Kavalan and Takbanauz Bunun and Farangaw Amis make this distinction. Here is the data for Saaroa, showing only the serial counting and the non-human counting.

	One	Two	Three	Four	Five	Six	Seven	Eight	Nine
Saaroa	saoú ucani ca:ni	sou usua su:a	toro utolo to:lo	pati upatə pa:tə	kulima ulima rima	kənəmə ənəmə neum	kupito upito pitò	kualo ualo	kusia usia siwá
Siraya	sat sasat sasaab	duha rauha	turu taturu toutouro	hpat tahat	rima ririma	nnum tunum	pitu pipitu	pipa kougipat	kuda
Amis	cecai	tusa	tulu	sepat	lima	qenem	pitu	falu	siwa

And here is a sample of Ca- reduplication, found in Bashiic languages:

		One	Two	Three	Four	Five	Six	Seven	Eight	Nine
Iraralay	enumeration	asa	dowa	atlo	apat	lima	anem	pito	wawo	siyam
	non-human		adowa	tatlo	papat	alima	nanem	apito	awawo	asiyam
	human		rarowa	atlo	apat	lalima	anem	papito	wawawo	sasiyam

Imorod	enumeration	asa	dowa	teylo	apat	lima	anem	pito	wawo	siam
	non-human		adoa	atlo	apat	alima	anem	apito	awao	asyam
	human		raroa	tatlo	papat	lalima	nanem	papito	wawao	sasiam

 

This Ca- reduplication is also manifested in the following words from a few sample languages:

	woman	man
PMP	*báhi	*láki
Tagalog	babáqi, babae	lalaki
Bikol	babaye	lalaki
Cebuano	babáye	laláki
Kapampangan	babái	laláki
Ilokano	babai	lalaki
		lakiʔ < lakay

These forms imply that lalaki and babahi are male and female humans, so to get the male and female gender forms, its just the plain láki or báhi. Masculine and feminine would be maláki and mabáhi.

If we apply that to Philippine languages, we can identify which numerals in which languages follow these reduplication (in green).  Here are the 11 Philippine languages with speakers of more than 1 million:

Tagalog	isá	dalawá, dalwa	tatló	ápat	lima	ánim	pitó	waló	siyám
Cebuano	usa	duhá	tulo	upát	lima	onom	pito	walo’	siam
Hiligaynon	isá	duha	tatlo	apat	lima	anum	pito	walo	siám
Ilokano	maysa	dua	tallo	uppat	lima	innem	pito	walo’	siam
Bikol	saroq	duwa	tulo	apat	lima	anum	pito	walo	siyam
Waray	usá	duhá	tuló	upát	limá	unóm	pitó	walú	siyám
Rinconada	ʔәˈsad	darwá	toló	ʔәˈpat	limá	onóm	pitó	waló	siyám
Maranao	isa	doa	telo	pat	lima	nem	pito	walo	siyaw
Magindanaw	isá	duwá	télu	pat	líma	nem	pítu	wálu	síaw
Pangasinan	sakey	duara	talura	apatira	limara	animira	pitura	walora	siamira
Kapampangan	métuŋ	adwáq	atlú	apát	lima	anam	pitú	waló	siam
Kinaray-a	sara / isara	darwa	tatlo	apat	lima	anəm	pito	walo	siyam
Tausug	hambuquk	duah	tuuh	qupat	limah	qunum	pituh	waluh	siam

And here are a sample from minority languages:

Dumagat Casiguran	‘qɛsaq	qɨdu’waq	qɨtɨ’loq	qɨ’pat	li’maq	qɨ’nɨm	pi’tuq	wa’luq	si’yam
Kallahan Keleyqiq/Kayapa	hakɨy	dewwaq	telluq	qɨpat	limaq	qɨnɨm	pituq	waluq	hiyam
Tagbanwa, Kalamian Coron	tasaq	duruaq	tuluq	qɨpat	limaq	qɨnɨm	pituq	waluq	siam
Subanon, Sindangan	sala	duaq	tɨlu	pat	lima	gɨnɨm	pitu	walu	siam
Batak, Palawan	qɨsa	duwá	tulóq	qɨpat	lima	qɨnɨm	pitu	qualu	siam
Manobo, Ilianen	sɨβɨka	dɨruwa	tɨtɨlu	qɨpat	lɨlima	qɨnɨm	pitu	walu	siyɨw
Itbayaten	qaqsaq	duhaq	qatluq	qaqpat	limaq	qaqnɨm	pituq	waǥuq	siam

The expected Tagalog form for four and six is ‘ipat’ and ‘inim’, but these are contracted forms : ʔaʔipat > ʔaʔpat > ʔa: pat, ʔaʔinim > ʔaʔnim > ʔa:nim, where the chroneme signals that a sound has been deleted there (the intermediate forms are attested in Itbayaten). The corresponding Bikol and Bisayan forms have the accent not in the penult. In Kapampangan and Itbayaten, the initial C was deleted and In Tagbanwa Coron and Manobo Ilianen, the vowel has changed.  Pangasinan numeral forms has a suffix –(i)ra, which I don’t know the origin or if makes any distinction at all.

PROTO-FORMS

Here is the reconstructed forms for these languages:

PAN	*isa	*duhá	*telu	*Sepat	*lima	*ʔĕném	*pitú	*walú	*Siwa
PMP	*esa	*duha	*telu	*epat	*lima
P-Bisayan	*qəsá	*duhá	*təlú	*qaqpat	*limá	*qənəm	*pitú	*walú	*siyám
P-East Mindanao	*isa	*duha	*tulu	*upat	*lima	*ɨnɨm	*pitu	*walu	*siyam
P-Southern Mindanao	*satu	*lɨwu	*tlu	*(q,’)ɨpat
National Language	sarɨʔ sakɨy	duhaʔ dusaʔ	tɨluʔ	ʔɨpat sɨpat	limaʔ	kɨnɨm	pituʔ	waluʔ	siyam siwa

ONE

I doubt if the reconstruction for this word is correct. There are also a lot of forms.  Majority (in yellow) are derived from the form *ʔɨsa, but other languages (orange: Bikol, Kiniray-a and Subanon) show possible source of  sara. This form is also found in Indonesian languages (Makassar : sɛʔrɛ; Buginese : seʔdi; Blaan : satu; Toba Batak: sade; Malay : satu). There is a link between these two forms:Rinconada Bikol and Kiniray-a: ʔɨ’sada (as reflected in Aklanon ʔisaɣáh). Pangasinan and Kallahan (aqua) have sakɨy which is related to Amis in Taiwan. Because the Bikol form has -ʔ at the end and the Aklanon has –h and Pangasina/Kallahan has –y, the form should end in a consonant. Is ʔi- then a prefix?

TWO

Is the right form duwa or duha? Apart from Bisayan languages, Itbayaten also shows: duhaq. Most of the minority languages has a consonant at the end. Possible form would be duha? with attestation from Taiwan languages (Atayal : rusaʔ, Seediq : daháʔ, Bunun, Pazeh: ḍuṣaʔ, Amis : tusaʔ, Siraya : duha , Paiwan, Puyuma, Rukai: dusa). The path was dusaʔ > duhaʔ > duha > duwa.

THREE

All forms can be derived from tɨ’loʔ (Inibaloi has tɨdo): 

FOUR

All forms could be derived from ʔɨˈpat (also attested in Inibaloi, Ilonggot,  Kankanay, Bontoc). But Taiwan languages have sɨ’pat (Paiwan : səpat, Saisiyat : ʃəpat, Pazeh:   səpát, Basay, Amis : səpat).

FIVE

All forms can be derived from limaʔ. The form should end in consonant as attested in other Indonesian & Taiwan languages as well (Moken, Kayan, Iban, Seediq, Amis, Kavalan, Paiwan, Puyuma : limaʔ, Melayu Sarawak : limak, Rukai: rimaʔ).

SIX

All forms reflect the original *ʔɨnɨm (also found in Kankanay, Bontok, Itneg, Balangaw, Kalagan, Mansaka,Mamanwa: qɨ’nɨm, Amis: ʔənəm). But Siraya’s form is tunum, Atayal : matuuʔ, Saaroa : kənəmə, and Chamorro: gunum, pointing to a possible non-glottal initial.

SEVEN

Again, all languages have forms that can be derived from pitu? (also seen in Samal Siasi, bajo : pi’tuq, Rukai, Amis, Bunun, Atayal: pitúʔ).

EIGHT

Again, all of them have forms that can be derived from walu? ( also in Bundu Dusun, Samal Siasi, Bajo: wa’luq, Bunun: va’uʔ, Amis: faluʔ, Sakizaya: waluʔ, Puyuma : waruʔ).

NINE

Majority of the languages show *siyam. But others show *siwa.

OTHER NOTES

It should be noted that Tausug has hambuuk, which is a concatentation of ham+buuk. Buuk is also found in Bikol, as in the expression “sarong (ka)buuk nin niyog” "(one coconut). Buuk then can be translated as ones, like puloq is tens and gatos is hundreds.  Here is the full list of numerals with their different forms. The ʔɨ prefix is a compromise between a- in the Bashiic languages and u- in the Formosan languages.

	Serial counting	Non-Human Enumeration	Human Enumeration
1	sarɨʔ	ʔɨ-sarɨʔ	sa-sarɨʔ
2	duhaʔ	ʔɨ-duhaʔ	da-duhaʔ
3	tɨluʔ	ʔɨ-tɨluʔ	ta-tɨluʔ
4	ʔɨpat	ʔɨ-ʔɨpat	ʔa-ʔɨpat
5	limaʔ	ʔɨ-limaʔ	la-limaʔ
6	kɨnɨm	ʔɨ-kɨnɨm	ka-kɨnɨm
7	pituʔ	ʔɨ-pituʔ	pa-pituʔ
8	waluʔ	ʔɨ-waluʔ	wa-waluʔ
9	siyam	ʔɨ-siyam	sa-siyam

 

The non-human enumeration form was pattered after Kanakanavu and Saaroa and Thao.

Some examples of use:

90 men	sasiyam nga puloʔ nga lalaki
200 women	daduhaʔ nga gatos nga babahi
50 chickens	ʔɨlimaʔ  nga puloʔ  nga manuk
1 2 3 4 5	sarɨʔ duhaʔ tɨluʔ ʔɨpat limaʔ

Girls: Is it necessary that your boyfriend tell you if he’s a Bi?

I’ve come across several answers to this question in the internet. Although there is disagreement on the timing, almost everyone said that he has to tell his girlfriend if he’s a bisexual. Why so?

Personally, I think there is no need to tell. Reason? Because there is no reason why he ought to tell, is there?  Ok, let’s put it this way. Does a straight man with a girlfriend tell that he is straight? Then why demand the same from a bi?

The only reason why a girl would like a bisexual man to tell her he is bi because she wants to know if he is capable of falling for another guy, and leave her for him. Falling in love with another person is not limited to bisexuals; straight and gay people do as well. But girls never expect straight men to be upfront and say that he is capable of falling in love with other girls.

What girls should be asking all men, whether straight or bi, is whether they can commit to a relationship and be faithful. Ask your man how he is going to handle it if he falls for another person while still in a relationship with you. Ask a man, straight or bi, whether he would value your relationship more than whomever he falls in love with in the future, and avoid any sexual relationships with another person. If he would prefer growing old with you. And ask this question if he is your boyfriend already, which means he already passed a lot of your tests or ticks most of your criteria, and you do have a relationship. And ask it during your most romantic moments: a valentine’s date, an anniversary date, or any moment when both of you are really feeling romantic. Make sure that before popping this question, he really feels romantic to you. Then you can periodically remind him about it. Provided you take care of his needs, I don’t see why he wouldn’t reciprocate, even if he’s bisexual.

What if a bisexual man turns out to be unfaithful? Well, how would you treat an unfaithful straight man? Do you completely cut off the relationship, give him another chance, or join in? The same rules apply.

What if a girl would like to know if he is bi because she wants a manly man? Well, you don’t have to ask that. Reject him outright if he doesn’t seem like a manly man to you. But just keep in mind that some manly men are gay men, and some not so manly men are straight men.

What if a girl wants to know only to make sure that he desires him really physically? That he is at the very least not gay, pretending to be straight or bi? Common girls, this shouldn’t be ask, you know what to do. Although him making love with you proves that he desires you, a man sleeping with you does not guarantee that he is in love with you. He could just be a jerk who wants fool you. You have to look for other’s advice on how to test for love. But then again, if you just like a fling, a one night stand, a shallow relationship, a short time relationship, a relationship based on lust, someone to scratch your itch, or just to taste him, a friend with benefits, a part time lover, then no need for questions. Hop right in. You’re an adult, no need to be reminded of the consequences. Don’t come back crying.

What if you discover later on that he is bi (he voluntarily revealed himself to you) or worse gay? Provided he has not been unfaithful, ask the same questions again. The same questions that you should be asking any man: Does he desires you in a sexual way? Is he capable of being faithful to you? Does he look forward to growing old with you? Is he going to conduct himself decently about his sexuality (for a straight guy, this means not sleeping with another girl)? Is he not going to bring shame to you? You know what other questions to ask. And if his answers please you, why not give a bi man a chance.

Live like a Mayfly, like an Ant or like a Human?

 

I was eating my brunch this morning on the balcony, overlooking the lawn with its old mossy trees shedding leaves in autumn, with a harp playing in the background. Life is beautiful indeed!

Then it hit me, one of those ideas, of sudden realization. That advert from Vodafone about the common mayfly just came to my mind: If you live like a mayfly, then your life has a value (or duration) like that of a mayfly. Or is it the other way around: If you’re life has a value (or duration) like a mayfly, then you’ll live life like a mayfly.

 

 

I re-listened to the advert: “The common mayfly has a life expectancy of “just” 1 day, but not miserable about it. Not one bit. He fills his days with the things he loves, he soars, he sweeps, he savors every moment.”  Although we know that life is short and we never know when it is our time, I think there is one thing that few people realize why mayflies can afford to have that kind of lifestyle. Since their life expectancy is from 30 minutes to one day, there is no need to think of tomorrow, beyond living for the moment, the now. There is no need to think of the consequences of their actions, they could be dead in 30 minutes.

If humans live like this, life would be unbearable past day 1. Imagine spending all your time for fun. The following day, how are you going to eat? You didn’t work, you didn’t save, you have no stored food, you have to eat out of what you’ll find in nature, if you you can find anything as there are other people who are doing the same, or there’s a storm. Where are you going to sleep? out in the cold, wet ground where you’ll be bitten? That is why a life devoted to pure pleasure is not admirable. It’s self indulgent, like life devoted to drugs, alcohol and food. It’s short sighted. Somehow you have to think about the future.

The mayfly lifestyle is basically that of the grasshopper. During the season of plenty, it devotes its time cheerfully jumping around, chirping, singing. The ant meanwhile saves for the rainy day.

 

 

Ok, so you are going to divide your time between enjoying the moment and saving for the future, so when the rainy days or winter come, you’re safe. But is that good enough? Well, you just made your life valuable like that of ants, which live for 45-60 days.

Is life devoted to pure enjoyment and its continuation good? I thought it is “just” good, viewed solely on its own. It’s pure pleasure, as any person who lives it can attest. But is there a life better than this? Is there another life better than pure enjoyment? Human life is not just to extend the owner’s life.

People are sometimes troubled by admiration, respect and honour bestowed by other people. But that is not even in my mind. You don’t crave for it nor avoid it. If you avoid it, then you’re work will be constrained.
Yes, humans should enjoy life, save for the future, AND give to others by making a difference in someone else’s life. Touching another man’s life is especially important, be it a family, a relative, a friend, or a complete stranger.

 

Here is a poem inspired by these thoughts.

 

Tuŋaw Taŋa Taho

1

Kuŋ nabubuhay ka sana

Ŋa чaŋ inaчatupag gabos pasiram

Kabaчiŋ sa tuŋaw чaŋ halaga kaŋ siчmoŋ buhay

Kuŋ nabubuhay ka sana

Para sa pagsusuripot sa maчarabot ŋa чaldaw

Siriŋ sa taŋa чan halaga kan siчmoŋ buhay

2

Kuŋ taho ka, mabubuhay ka

Ŋa labaw sa nahihimo kaŋ kahayupan

Чaчatupagon чaŋ  maŋa bagay

Ŋa чaŋ kagabsan чaŋ makikinabaŋ

Daŋan makakapabaчgo sa saroŋ buhay