Rinconada Bikol language
Rinconada Bikol or simply Rinconada, spoken in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines, is one of several languages that compose the Inland Bikol group of the Bikol macrolanguage. It belongs to the Austronesian language family that also includes most Philippine languages, the Formosan languages of Taiwanese aborigines, Malay, the Polynesian languages and Malagasy.
Rinconada is surrounded and shared common features with other Bikol languages. It is bordered by Coastal Bikol to the north, Buhinon to the east, and West Miraya language immediately to the south. The closest relatives to this language outside the Bicol region are Aklanon, Waray-Waray, and to a lesser extent, Tagalog, especially the variants used in Batangas and Marinduque.
Rinconada Bikol is the language adopted by the indigenous population of Agta/Aeta in the surrounding mountainous areas of Mount Iriga. The Austronesian people that have migrated to the foot of Mount Asog from the lowland Nabua introduced the language to Negritos when they began conducting trade and commerce, thus replacing the native language of the latter. The original language of Negritos is Inagta also known to linguists as Mount Iriga Agta, an extinct or nearly extinct language. Inagta is said to have 86% intelligibility with Rinconada Bikol but with lexical similarity of 76%. Most Negritos or commonly called as Agta or Aeta today are fluent in Rinconada Bikol though with a different variation.
Name
The name "Rinconada" is derived from the Rinconada District in Camarines Sur where the language originated, developed and is largely spoken. However, the precise origins of how the term "Rinconada" was assigned to the area are still unclear. Popular wisdom ascribes the name to have come from the Spanish arrinconada, "cornered", from the root rincón that means "corner or small district". Rinconada might have been given by the Spaniards to the then-newly explored and established colony in the southeastern corner of Luzon Island; natives formerly called the area Sumagang, meaning "far east".Adding credence to the theory of a Spanish origin are the localities of La Rinconada in Spain and La Rinconada in Chile, which was also a former Spanish colony.
Dialects
The language is divided into two main dialects and subdivided into six variants:Sinabukid (highland dialect)
- Agta variant
- Iriga variant
Sinaranəw (lakeside dialect)
- Nabua – Balatan variant
- Baao variant
- Bula – Pili variant
- Bato variant
Dialectal Variation
| Iriga variant Highland dialect | Agta variant Highland dialect | Nabua – Balatan variant Lakeside dialect | Bato variant Lakeside dialect | Baao variant Lakeside dialect | Bula – Pili variant Lakeside dialect | Coastal Bikol translation | Filipino/Tagalog translation | English translation |
| Namāmaəw iyā sadtō gilid ku sālog ku nabaretāan niyā na inarādo naŋgad ku igin niyā su ragâ, dāwâ ədâ pa tubig adtoŋ omā nirā. | Namāmaəw iyā sadtō iris ku sālog ku nabaretāan niyā na inarādo naŋgad ku igin niyā su ragâ, dāwâ ədâ pa katbag adtoŋ omā nirā. | Namāmaow 'yā sadtō gilid ku sālog ku nabaretāan niyā na inarādo naŋgad ku igin niyā su ragâ, dāwâ udâ pa tubig adtoŋ omā nirā. | Namāmaow iyā sadtō gilid ku sālog ku nabaretāan niyā na inarādo naŋgad ku akos niyā su ragâ, dāwâ udâ pa tubig adtoŋ omā nirā. | Namāmaow siyā sadtō gilid ku sālog ku nabaretāan niyā na inarādo jāday ku igin niyā su ragâ, dāwâ udâ pa kin tubig adtoŋ omā nindā. | Namāmaow siyā sadtō gilid ku sālog ku nabaretāan niyā na inarādo dayday ku igin niyā su ragâ, dāwâ udâ pa tubig adtoŋ omā nindā. | Namamahaw siya duman sa gilid nin salog kan mabaretaan niyang inarado giraray kan aki niya si daga, dawa dae pa nin tubig idtong oma ninda. | Nag-aalmusal siya sa may tabi ng ilog nang mabalitaan niyang inararong muli ng kaniyang anak ang lupa, kahit na wala pang tubig ang kanilang bukirin. | He was eating breakfast by the river when he heard the news about his child plowed the land again, even though the rice field has no water yet. |
Features and geographic distribution
• The Nabua-Balatan variant features high pitch intonation. Though it is the direct descendant of Rinconada Bikol but it lost some features of the original spoken language. The speakers can be found in the entire municipalities of Nabua and Balatan.• Iriga variant on the other hand has the most speakers. The speakers are concentrated in the district's center - Iriga City, in some of the important barangays of Buhi, and the urban barangay of Matacon located in Polangui, Albay. The Iriga variant has a flat intonation and is spoken rapidly.
• The Bato variant, on the other hand, has a distinctive mellow intonation. It is said that regardless of one's mood, the Bato speaker always sounds sleepy, as if they are chanting. The Bato variant is primarily being spoken in Bato, Camarines Sur and also spoken in Agos, Polangui, Albay.
• The Agta variant is the smallest in the group. The speakers are exclusively the indigenous population of Agta/Aeta, the aboriginal people of different tribes surrounding Mount Iriga and Buhi lake. Like Iriga, the Agta variant also has a flat intonation but they speak the language with distinct form of pronunciation which can be traced from the group's extinct language.
• The variants of Baao and Bula-Pili are considered twins. They have the same accent and only slight differences in vocabulary. Of the two variants, Baao often uses rising intonation, while Bula-Pili is moderately flat but both are using high pitch when reasoning. The latter variant is used entirely in Bula and in the southern half of the provincial capital town of Pili. It also has significant speakers in Ocampo, Cam. Sur and Minalabac, Cam. Sur. These two variants have borrowed some vocabularies of Coastal Bikol but at the same time, Bikol-Partido can be heard with borrowed vocabularies from these two variants.
List of phrases and expressions that are unique to each variant:
Baao variant: "Gaorag na!"
Nabua – Balatan variant: "Labinā kan."
Agta variant: "Mayaŋ na ŋod."
Bato variant: "Ay tarā?"
Bula – Pili variant: "Paiŋōrag.."
Iriga variant: "Labinā man nâ!"
Short imperatives
Like other Visayan and Bikol languages, Rinconada Bikol has a short form for the imperative.e.g.:
The phrase "iyəwən mo" is often shortened to "iyəwā" and the command phrase "punāsan mo a salmiŋ" can be shortened to "punāsa a salmiŋ".
A special form is used when talking to elderly people in a polite manner. Instead of putting the letters "ā/a" after the root word of the verb, it has to be replaced by the letters "e/ē" if the statement will be politely delivered. The letter "e" or "ē" stands for "tābî" which means "please" in English, or "po" in Tagalog.
Example 1:
"iyəw" is a root word that means "grill".
"iyəwən" means "grill it".
"iyəwən mo" roughly means "you, grill it".
"iyəwā" is the shortcut of the command "iyəwən mo".
"iyəwē" is the shortened polite form for "iyəwən mo tābî".
Example 2:
"punas" is a root word that means "wipe".
"punasan" means "wipe it".
"punasan mo" roughly means "you, wipe it".
"punāsa" is the shortcut of the command "punāsan mo".
"punāse" is the shortened polite form for "punāsan mo tābî".
Example 3:
"īmo" is a root word that means "prepare".
"imōon" means "prepare it".
"imōon mo" means "you, prepare it".
"imōa" is the shortcut of the command "imōon mo".
"imōe" is the shortened polite form for "imōon mo tābî".
Pronouns
Lexicon
Sentences:What is your name? - Onō a ŋaran mo?
My name is Joseph. - Usē a ŋaran ko.
Where do you come from? - Tagasārî ikā?
I'm from Pili, Camarines Sur. - Taga-Pili, Camarines Sur akō.
I love you so much. - Payabâ ta ikā sa igô./Payabâ ko ikā sa igô.
Do you like me? - Bəət mo 'kō?
What are you doing? - Onō a ginigībo mo?
I will go home. - Migpaulî na 'kō.
John is my brother - Ŋod ko si Uwan.
Do you want to eat breakfast? - Bəət mo na'ŋ mamaəw?
I'm already eating - Nagkākaən na 'kō.
What time is it?/May I know what time is it? - Onōŋ ōras na?/Onōŋ ōras na tābî?
I will go out - Migluwas akō.
I can't sleep. - Dirî akō makatorog.
Are you afraid of the dark? - Nakatātakot ikā sa maŋitŋit?
He said he will pick me up/fetch me. - Sabi niyā susuŋkātən konō 'kō.
How old are you? - Gaamnō na ikā kaguraŋ?
When will you be back? - Kūnu ikā migbalik?
Family titles:
Amâ - Father
Inâ - Mother
Itay - Dad
Inay - Mom
Mānoy - older brother
Mānay - older sister
Tāta - Uncle
Nāna - Auntie
Basic question words:
Onō - What
Isay - Who
Kūnu - When
Ŋātâ - Why
Sārî - Where
Paōno - How
Arî - Which
Pirā - How many
Mamirā - How much
Gaamnō - Used to describe the degree or extent to which something is covered such as period or age, vastness or immensity and etc.
Greetings
General Greetings:Maray na aldəw - Good day
Maray na gab-ī - Good evening
- The said greetings can be shorten to "Aldəw" and "Gab-ī" as they are like the two-syllable words "Bonjour" and "Bonsoir" of the French language.
Maray na ramrag - Good morning
Maray na mudtū - Good noon
Maray na apon - Good afternoon
Maray na gab-ī - Good evening
Maray na lawəd - Good midnight
Maray na mararamrāgən - Good dawn
People of Rinconada classify dim or dark hours as nighttime and light hours as daytime. As such, even with the introduction of Modern Standard Time, they consider the hours of 12 midnight until 6 o'clock in the morning as nighttime. Therefore, the general greeting from 6AM to 6PM is "Maray na aldəw", and "Maray na gab-ī" for the hours that start from 6PM to 6AM.
e.g. Maray na mudtū tabî kaninyō ŋāmin!
Occasional Greetings:
Mamə̄yaŋ Pagkaməndag! - Happy Birthday.
Mamə̄yaŋ Bāgoŋ Taon! - Happy New Year.
Mamə̄yaŋ Anibersāryo! - Happy Anniversary.
Uniqueness and distinction
Rinconada Bikol vocabulary is rich in words with short or unstressed letter /i/ sound. In fact, most root words with letter /i/ are unstressed. However, not all words with /i/ should be read and pronounced as such since there are several words that have stressed /ī/, especially loanwords, e.g. sīli. Native words with stressed /ī/ are seldom or rare.The language retains the proto-Philippine schwa vowel that have disappeared in most Philippine languages like Cebuano, Tagalog and even the neighboring Coastal Bikol language. In Nabua, Camarines Sur, the vowel also disappeared through the normal development and evolution. However, it was preserved by those who moved and migrated to the highland part of Rinconada around Mount Iriga due to severe flooding on lowland, particularly in Nabua and Bula. Thus, preserving the vowel and has survived until this day in Sinabukid dialect.
People who are new to the highland accent may find the Sinabukid dialect sounds like Ilokano, Pangasinense, or Karay-a of Antique province. The vowel can also be heard from the population in towns and cities speaking the Albay Bikol group of languages. The native word for this vowel in Rinconada is "gəpə", and this has divided the language into two dialects – Sinabukid or Highland and Sinaranəw or Lakeside.
Aside from the vowel, the other interesting thing in Rinconada language is the occurrence of an extra consonant phoneme. This consonant bears the sound of mixed letters "h, y and "w". The neighboring language of Buhinon also uses this sound - a clear evidence of close ties between the two languages.
Unfortunately, this phoneme neither has a corresponding letter in Philippine alphabet nor an equivalent character on Philippine standard keyboard. Thus, Rinconada Bikol speakers have no option but to use "h" as an alternative letter. However, in the spoken Sinaranəw dialect, the consonant and the vowel are often replaced by the letters "w" and "o" respectively.
Examples of letter
1. Mimaəw – will eat breakfast.
2. Baəw – cold cooked rice.
3. Taəp – a process of separating rice from its outside layer after milling. "Tahip" in Filipino/Tagalog.
4. Daun – plant leaf.
5. Taob – cover, protect, or conceal.
- The special consonant phoneme can easily be distinguished from the sound of letters "h,w and y" if it is placed before the vowel phoneme. It can be compared to the letter "j" of the Spanish word "Dios Mamajes".
Pronunciation of letters and
So its pronunciation lies in-between leed´s sound and led´s.
The difference between the letters and is that the latter pronounced longer or prolonged.
Example: mutēte - chide, scold.
Rules for letter [j ]
Unlike other letters in Rinconada native alphabet, letter /j/ is always accompanied by letter /d/ if it is in the middle of a word. Otherwise, single /j/ is to be placed. Moreover, it's the only non-gliding consonant that cannot be found at the end of a word in any native Rinconada vocabulary.Some words in native Rinconada and rinconadized words of foreign origin with letter /j/:
jamantē - diamond.
jāday - again, always.
jāryo - newspaper.
jōlen - marble.
pastidjō - nuisance
idjəw - a large and non venomous snake.
oodjon - *no counterpart in English and Filipino.
sudjâ - prompted, investigated, an action for questioning.
kadjapā - a thorny plant abundant in Bicol region, 'kulitis' in Tagalog.
padjak - a bicycle converted into tricycle powered by a human force.
sodjaŋ - a sharp piece of wood, metal or bamboo that gets in and stuck to the flesh accidentally.
lokadjô - a word used to address a dislike person being discussed in a conversation. It is a word included in Bikol Angry Speech Register.
paŋadjî - prayer.
The consonant h
Through language evolution, Rinconada Bikol almost lost the phoneme /h/, hence, rare. It is often absent in most Rinconada words that are usually present in other Philippine languages.There is no real /h/ sound in Rinconada. It is either silent or glided that sounds like a long tonal vowel, or vowel lengthening. The letter /h/ is omitted since it is silent, on the other hand, it is glided when in between vowels. The Tagalog words such as hangin, higop and hanggan are almost the same with Rinconada words but letter is eliminated since it is not pronounced. The corresponding equivalent is aŋin, igop and aŋgan. Same with other Bikol words like harani, harayo, and habo which are arāni, arayô, and abə in Rinconada. While the glided /h/ sound can be found when it is in between the same vowels like in baha, saha, kohol, and mohon.
The disappearance of phoneme is an occurrence comparable to that of Kapampangan language. Nevertheless, Rinconada Bikol speakers can pronounce it with clarity and emphasis whenever they are speaking other languages where it is present.
Vocabulary
For centuries under Spanish rules, Rinconada has adopted many words from Spanish language. There is a considerable number of Latin loans, for example: estar, soltēro, ūben, ilyābe.Older generations tend to use Spanish loanwords more often but younger generations tend to use Tagalog words and rinconadized words from English language especially the modern terminologies with no counterpart in native Rinconada Bikol vocabulary.
Example:
Bawas-bawāsan mo man ŋanî a pagkātiŋ mo lalô na kin arāni na a eksam..
The Tagalog word "bawas-bawāsan" is "inâ-ināan" in Rinconada and the word "lalô" is used in favor of the native word "orog". The word "kātiŋ" and "eksam" are rinconadized words of the English "cutting", and "exam" respectively. However, the native word for cutting classes is "ləəm".
Standard Rinconada Bikol
There is no official or de jure standard dialect of this language, though the Iriga dialect is used as the de facto standard for the following reasons:1. It retains the proto-Austronesian schwa vowel that helps eliminate homographs.
2. The consonant phoneme is evident and pronounced more clearly.
3. It has a neutralized and flat intonation which serves to moderate between variants.
4. It has no continuum accent or fusion of variants in between boundaries.
One example of continuum accent can be heard in barangays bordering Bula and Nabua which the speakers have mixed accents of Bula-Pili variant and Nabua-Balatan variant. Same thing can be heard in the boundaries of Baao and Nabua.
5. Iriga City is the center of learning, trade and commerce in Rinconada.
6. It has fewer loan words and is less influenced by neighboring languages than any other variant except Agta.
7. It has been used for decades to represent Rinconada as a whole at the local and national level.
8. It has the most number of speakers inside and outside the Rinconada area.
9. There's no or little variation in accent among speakers. Whether a person resides in the northeasternmost part of Iriga bordering Bikol-Partido speakers or in the southernmost part of Matacon, Polangui bordering West Miraya speakers or in East Sta. Justina, Buhi bordering Buhinon speakers, all use the same accent with centralized intonation.
- Even with the usage of Iriga variant as the Rinconada standard, all other variants remain official in their respective municipalities. The standard spelling must be observed in all written forms but can be pronounced differently depending on the accent of the speakers.
The language is commonly called as Rinconada but officially called as Rinconada Bikol and not Iriga Bikol, Irigueño, Baaoeño or Bikol Nabua.
Angry speech register
The angry register is unique to Bicol languages as it cannot be found in other Austronesian languages inside and outside the Philippines. It is generally used only among same-age speakers or by older speakers to younger listeners, as usage by younger speakers in addressing their elders would constitute great disrespect. On occasion, the angry register is used in sarcasm or humor, but the majority of its usage is in anger.Rinconada Bikol has contributed much to this unique feature of spoken languages of Bicolanos.
Examples:
Sainigin
Sainigin is a group of selected words for babies and newly born. It is being used by parents to communicate with their babies easily and to train them how to talk, hence, an introductory language. It is often described as language for babies and commonly called as "sainigin" or "baby talk". Words are limited to two syllables and features basic command. Several letters are absent such as "r, g, s, j, and h". Sainigin literally means "talking or acting like a baby".Phonology
Diphthong (saəy)
Rinconada Bikol has several diphthongs or gliding vowel.Diacritics (kul-it)
Rinconada uses a variation of Latin alphabet modeled on the Tagalog alphabet. But unlike the modern Tagalog - Filipino, Rinconada retains and uses diacritics. This is to highlight the meaning of the words and to differentiate words with different meanings but the same spelling. In return, the diacritics provide Rinconada Bikol with a unique orthography among Philippine languages. Diacritics for this language are limited to the macron and circumflex which is unlike other languages, for example Vietnamese that has several. However, due to technical difficulties and a scarcity of resources, diacritics are sometimes not available. Thus, two Rinconada alphabets were created to meet the needs of the speakers: the NATIVE and the SIMPLIFIED. Both can be used at the same time depending on the situation, purpose and availability of resources.Glottal stop (rəgsad)
The Rinconada name for the letter which represents the glottal stop is "rəgsad". This can only be found in the native form of alphabet, and it is limited to final vowels or vowels at the end of a word. Rəgsad is represented by the circumflex.For examples of the glottal stop, consider the Rinconada words salâ and turô, often simply sala and turo in the simplified alphabet and in Filipino and English orthographies.
- With rəgsad and kul-it, the translation of the phrase I love you in Rinconada is Payabâ ko ikā.
Alphabet
Native
The Rinconada Native alphabet has 6 short vowels, 6 long vowels, and 17 consonants, a total of 29 letters representing all phonemes in Rinconada Bikol. A long or stressed vowel is written with a macron. It also includes the velar nasal special character /ŋ/ that represents "NG". Native alphabet contains phonemes that are native to Rinconada, thus considering it as the standard Rinconada Bikol alphabet.Example of a Filipino proverb written in the Rinconada native alphabet:
"A dirî tattaoŋ maglīlî sa pinaŋgalinan, dirî makaaābot sa pig-iyānan."
| Letter | Rinconada | English translation |
| A | aləp | hungry |
| Ā | ārak | to flaunt |
| B | bādô | dress/cloth |
| K | kamət | hand |
| D | dəlag | escape |
| E | erak | pity |
| Ē | kalē | canal |
| Ə | əŋət | angry |
| ə̄ | ə̄lâ | sit |
| G | gab-ī | night |
| H | sahâ | offshoot |
| Ɣ | baog | feeds |
| I | ikā | you |
| Ī | īkaw | earring |
| J | tadjok | hit by a sharp pointed tool or thing |
| L | lətəw | floating |
| M | matā | eye |
| N | nəknək | small mosquitoes |
| ŋ | ŋipən | tooth |
| O | oroŋ | nose |
| Ō | ōmol; sōdô | a person who is not funny anymore; remote area or place |
| P | parəy | rice |
| R | rayô | far |
| S | saləg | floor |
| T | tagbâ | a way of harvesting with a use of bolo or knife |
| U | uran | rain |
| Ū | ūri | late |
| W | warak | scattered |
| Y | yabâ | love |
- Exceptions to the rules of native alphabet are formal names like Juan Dela Cruz and placenames such as Laguna, Cebu and Manila. Those names must retain their official and simplified spelling instead of their native spellings Huwan Delā Krus, Lagūna, Sebū and Manīla. With the exception of names and places, all words in the native alphabet must be written with their respective spellings with their designated diacritics.
Simplified
The letters F, V and Z are included because they are native to other Philippine languages like Itawis and Ibanag. Letters C, Ñ, and Q are also included, but their usages are limited to foreign names, Filipinized words of foreign origins or loans, especially from Spanish, English and Arabic.
The simplified alphabet doesn't use diacritics like the macron for stressed and long vowels, the circumflex for glottal stop, or the letters for velar nasal, schwa, or velar fricative, as they don't appear on a standard "qwerty" keyboard. The velar nasal is replaced by the digraph, and the two latter sounds can be replaced by and,, and respectively. But even with the absence of diacritics in the modern and simplified alphabet, pronunciations in the spoken language are not altered. Moreover, the long vowel sound in a word should not be omitted. One good example of this is "bə̄ət" and "bəət". The word bə̄ət in the native alphabet is written as bəət in the simplified alphabet making the two words the same in spelling albeit with different meanings. In this case, the pronunciation of the words depends on their place and usage in a sentence. To avoid confusion and aid in ease of reading, it is strongly recommended to use the native alphabet in writing Rinconada Bikol.
Numerals
Numbers and words are as follow:| 0 | pōlô | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | əsad | 11 | samsad | 21 | darwamsad | 31 | tolomsad | 41 | pamsad | 51 | limamsad | 61 | nəmsad | 71 | pitomsad | 81 | walomsad | 91 | yamsad |
| 2 | darwā | 12 | samdarwā | 22 | darwamdarwā | 32 | tolomdarwā | 42 | pamdarwā | 52 | limamdarwā | 62 | nəmdarwā | 72 | pitomdarwā | 82 | walomdarwā | 92 | yamdarwā |
| 3 | tolō | 13 | samtolō | 23 | darwamtolō | 33 | tolomtolō | 43 | pamtolō | 53 | limamtolō | 63 | nəmtolō | 73 | pitomtolō | 83 | walomtolō | 93 | yamtolō |
| 4 | əpat | 14 | sampat | 24 | darwampat | 34 | tolompat | 44 | pampat | 54 | limampat | 64 | nəmpat | 74 | pitompat | 84 | walompat | 94 | yampat |
| 5 | limā | 15 | samlimā | 25 | darwamlimā | 35 | tolomlimā | 45 | pamlimā | 55 | limamlimā | 65 | nəmlimā | 75 | pitomlimā | 85 | walomlimā | 95 | yamlimā |
| 6 | ənəm | 16 | samnəm | 26 | darwamnəm | 36 | tolomnəm | 46 | pamnəm | 56 | limamnəm | 66 | nəmnəm | 76 | pitomnəm | 86 | walomnəm | 96 | yamnəm |
| 7 | pitō | 17 | sampitō | 27 | darwampitō | 37 | tolompitō | 47 | pampitō | 57 | limampitō | 67 | nəmpitō | 77 | pitompitō | 87 | walompitō | 97 | yampitō |
| 8 | walō | 18 | samwalō | 28 | darwamwalō | 38 | tolomwalō | 48 | pamwalō | 58 | limamwalō | 68 | nəmwalō | 78 | pitomwalō | 88 | walomwalō | 98 | yamwalō |
| 9 | siyam | 19 | samsiyam | 29 | darwamsiyam | 39 | tolomsiyam | 49 | pamsiyam | 59 | limamsiyam | 69 | nəmsiyam | 79 | pitomsiyam | 89 | walomsiyam | 99 | yamsiyam |
| 10 | sampōlô | 20 | darwampōlô | 30 | tolompōlô | 40 | pampōlô | 50 | limampōlô | 60 | nəmpōlô | 70 | pitompōlô | 80 | walompōlô | 90 | yampōlô | 100 | saŋgatos |
There are no written records to indicate that Rinconada has native words for two-digit numbers. On the other hand, there is also no proof that the language has no indigenous words for those numbers. It is intriguing that Rinconada has native words for three-digit numbers but not for two digit numbers. Utilization and adaptation of foreign terminologies during the three hundred and thirty three years of Spanish colonization could be one of the reasons why the native terminologies may not have been passed to the new generations. Noting that an established language needs a complete numbering system in words, thus the reconstruction of words for 11 to 99 is necessary but needs to follow and retain the indigenous or original structural form of Rinconada's orthography.
Structure
The number words of 1 to 10 and 100 are all native Rinconada while numbers 11 to 99 are all reconstructed. However, the reconstructed numbers are based on the original structure. Sampōlô or sampu in Filipino is the only two-digit number that has a native word with a perfect indigenous structural form. The evolution of the word "sampōlô" from "əsadnapōlô" follows the orthography of Rinconada and developed naturally over the years.Being said, it is imperative that all reconstructed numbers must follow the same format of number 10.
The word sampōlô is derived from a portmanteau of the words əsad + na + pōlô which is the based tenth of one. In the evolution of this number, the schwa letter of became silent and so the word became "sadnapōlô". Same with other Philippine languages, /na/ is converted into /ŋ/, replaces the last consonant letter of the first word and become the connector to the second word - thus, the letter /d/ is omitted and the word became "saŋ". The connector /ŋ/ becomes /m/ naturally if the next letter is /p/ or /b/. So then, the word became sampōlô.
Structure of sampōlô :
1. əsad + na + pōlô = əsadnapōlô
2. əsadnapōlô – /ə/ = sadnapōlô
3. sadnapōlô – /d/ = sanapōlô
4. replaced by = saŋpōlô
5. replaced by before = sampōlô.
From sampōlô, all two-digit numbers were given a name that was copied from it. The number 40 and 60 follow the same exact format of sampōlô. The exception to the naming system of numbers is the number zero. Though zero is single digit, there is no native word for it. Since sampōlô is a combination of 1 and 0, the word pōlô was taken out from it to represent zero rather than using "sīro" or "sēro". As a result, Rinconada has a complete basic set of numbers without using foreign words.
The number referenced in Php 356,817,142,590 can be translated into Rinconada Bikol as:
"Toloŋgatos limamnəm na bilyon, waloŋgatos sampitoŋ milyon, saŋgatos pamdarwaŋ rībo ag limaŋgatos yampōloŋ pīso."
In ENGLISH language it is:
"Three hundred fifty six billion, eight hundred seventeen million, one-hundred forty two thousand and five hundred ninety pesos."
In FILIPINO language it is:
"Tatlong daan limampu't anim na bilyon, walong daan at labing pitong milyon, sandaan at apatnapu't dalawang libo at limang raan siyamnapung piso."
- Rinconada numbers in words are very simple in structure. Translations are shorter than both Filipino and English languages.
Comparison chart
| Decimal Numbers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| PAN, circa 4000 BC | *isa | *DuSa | *telu | *Sepat | *lima | *enem | *pitu | *walu | *Siwa | *puluq |
| Tagalog | isá | dalawá | tatló | ápat | limá | ánim | pitó | waló | siyám | sampu |
| Cebuano | usá | duhá | tuló | upat | limá | unom | pitó | waló | siyám | napulu |
| Rinconada | əsad | darwā | tolō | əpat | limā | ənəm | pitō | walō | siyam | sampōlô |
| Chamorro | maisa/håcha | hugua | tulu | fatfat | lima | gunum | fiti | guålu | sigua | månot/fulu |
| Malay | satu | dua | tiga | empat | lima | enam | tujuh | lapan | sembilan | sepuluh |
| Javanese | siji | loro | telu | papat | limo | nem | pitu | wolu | songo | sepuluh |
| Tongan | taha | ua | tolu | fā | nima | ono | fitu | valu | hiva | -fulu |
| Samoan | tasi | lua | tolu | fā | lima | ono | fitu | valu | iva | sefulu |
| Māori | tahi | rua | toru | whā | rima | ono | whitu | waru | iwa | tekau |
| Marquesan | e tahi | e 'ua | e to'u | e fa | e 'ima | e ono | e fitu | e va'u | e iva | 'onohu'u |
Intelligibility
Although properly considered separate languages, speakers of Rinconada Bikol or Rinconada can communicate with Albay Bikol speakers with ease and without code switching. A student from Ligao City studying in a university in Iriga City can understand Rinconada and can be understood by Rinconada speakers as well. The same thing will happen if a local tourist from Rinconada visits the Cagsawa Ruins in Albay or visits Donsol, Sorsogon for the annual whale shark sightings. The difference between Rinconada and Albay Bikol is comparable to German and Yiddish or Portuguese and Galician, while the differences between variants are comparable to those between English US, English British and English Australian. The mutual intelligibility of Rinconada and Albay Bikol is 80% to 85%, while intelligibility between variants is 95% to 98%.Status
Rinconada Bikol is a minority language in the Bicol region despite having hundreds of thousands of speakers. It is currently not used in commercial media despite the fact that there are numerous prominent Rinconada speakers in the music and entertainment industry, media, and Philippine politics. It is not among the recognized regional languages in the Philippines and remains unknown to many Filipinos as it is poorly documented, researched and promoted.Currently, the major obstacle to the diffusion of the usage and teaching of Rinconada is the lack of written material in Rinconada Bikol language, namely books, newspapers, software, magazines, etc. Thus, Rinconada, along with other Inland Bikol languages and the minor indigenous languages of Bicol region, remains essentially a spoken language.
Due to everyday exposure of younger generations to Filipino/Tagalog and English languages in mass media and social networking sites, native words that are rarely used are now disappearing and being replaced by their counterparts from other languages. If cannot be salvaged by any means, this trend is more likely to continue and might endanger the language in the near future.
Publication
The only dictionary written for this language is Rinconada: Bikol-Filipino-English Phrasebook: with Mini-dictionary of Jason Lobel and Grace Bucad of Nabua, Camarines Sur. Several books were successfully created and published by native speakers and non-speakers alike. Some were published by Frank Peñones, Jason Chancoco, Rizaldy Manrique, Jonher Cañeba and Kristian Cordero of Iriga City. In 2004, the Ragang Rinaranga: mga rawitdawit which was published by Frank Peñones is the first anthology written in Rinconada Bikol.On June 25, 2013, The Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges, a state college in Nabua, Camarines Sur, established the Center for Rinconada Studies that will serve as the research center for Rinconada Bikol language and heritage.
Modern culture
In Bicol region, the language and its speakers earned the moniker: Pa-sādi pa-san, pa-sīni pa-sīton, that literally means 'will go here will go there, will go here will go there'. The moniker is the result of the prominence of Rinconada speakers in the region. This is due to the fact that a native speaker travelling in the region can easily be distinguished and identified because his language is different from the vast majority of Bicolanos, and to the fact that several prominent Bicolanos in the Philippines are of Rinconada heritage, gives the language and the speakers a "familiarity" to others. That makes one throwing a humorous line to a person telling him that he is a Rinconada speaker.Notable speakers
- Baao variant
- Bato variant
- Bula-Pili variant
- Nabua-Balatan variant
- Iriga variant
Distribution
Figure:
Based from the population of towns and city with a concentration of Rinconada Bikol speakers, the total number is 479,208 or almost half a million. This number is based from the population of the fifth district of Camarines Sur and neighboring towns of Polangui and Pili, in which, Rinconada Bikol is their de facto daily language. Moreover, the total number does not include speakers outside Rinconada area. Some linguists place the native speaker population at 600,000 because there are many speakers of this language outside the region who left in search for better job opportunities. Example of this are the Filipinos enlisted in US Navy that comes from Nabua, Camarines Sur which comprised the 10% of all Filipino US Servicemen. Most of these Rinconada speakers are now residing mostly in San Diego, California.