HOW TO USE THE ENGLISH-VISAYAN CEBUANO DICTIONARY
MAIN WORDS OR ENTRIES
(MGA NAG-UNANG PULONG)
by Atty. Cesar P. Kilaton, Jr
The main words or entries included in this dictionary English words and their meaning or equivalent in Visayan-Cebuano. It’s recognized that English dictionaries also borrow foreign words. And so are some Visayan words which are adopted, such as water ox or carabao from karabaw, cogon from kugon, lauan from lawaan, etc. Various English dictionaries were used for etymologies; scientific and legal terms are likewise included. Phrasal verbs are also inserted usually under the main entries of verbs.
Each main entry has an abbreviation for the appropriate part of speech. However, the editors of this dictionary did not dare to create and classify the parts of speech of those words which the English did not so classify, as, for example, idioms and some archaic foreign maxims and phrases.
ACCENTUATION
(KALIGDANGAN)
The Cebuano language has four (4) kinds of actual marks or diacritical marks.
1. Hantuo [´] (accute accent) – This mark is slanted forward and placed above the vowel given with stress or emphasis.
báhaw bása (read) dágaw húlbot
múmho pínggan sugílon tingáli
2. Hanla [`] (grave accent) – This mark is slanted downward and placed above the vowel given with stress or emphasis.
batò buòk lumàd lusòt
magày putòs sigày silà
3. Pahagsa [^] (circumflex accent) – This mark formed like an arrowhead is placed above the vowel of the syllable given stress.
basâ (wet) bahô bugtô hagâ
lugtî putî subô tahô
4. Painat [¯] (prolonged accent) -This mark is used especially on abbreviated, contracted, or apocoped words, such as:
malala - mala pulong - pung
sulog - sug ulo - u
N.B.: Inasmuch as these accents are not found in the keys of a typewriter or even in ordinary personal computers, writers just write their scripts without using them. To understand the words used is just to comprehend the entire sentence, like the words bása (read) and basâ (wet).
Ang bata nagbasa og komiks. (reading)
Ang manok nabasa sa ulan. (wet)
STRESSES IN PRONUNCIATION
(MGA PANGHIMUG-AT SA KAPANGLITOKAN)
The stresses in pronunciation of the Cebuano language are classified into five (5):
1. Malumoy (penultimate stress). The stress is placed on the second from the last syllable.
bahin baid binuhat kalipay
lamian magbabaol panganod salimbong
2. Hundak (penultimate with glottal end). The stress is placed on the second from the last syllable with glottal end.
baligho bata bugto kasaba
huslo pagbati pinili tabako
3. Panumoy (end stress). The stress is placed at the end or on last syllable of the word.
baliko buhis kulong ligis
palit patay sinako tulod
4. Pahagsa (end stress with glottal end). The stress is placed at the end or on the last syllable with glottal end.
bati bugha kasuko dugo
luko luta salapi tungha
5. Duhagsa (double stress with glottal end on both syllables or on the second or third and last syllables). The stress is placed on two syllables or at the second or third syllable and on the last syllable.
bata-bata kipi-kipi lata-lata mumo
suso taluto tiki-tiki titi
CEBUANO ALPHABET
(SINUGBUANONG TITIKANAN)
The pronunciation in the Cebuano language is based on the syllabic sound. Thus, each letter has its own syllable. The vowels comprise of A, E, I, O, ug U; and the consonants are B, K, D, G, H, L, M, N, P, R, S, T, W, ug Y. The vowels are each sounded with "-a," like Ba, Ka, Da, etc.
However, there are foreign words which are inevitably adopted, especially those without equivalents to provide appropriate meaning. For this reason, the following letters may be loaned: C, CH, F, J, Ll, Ñ, Q, RR, V, X and Z.
Scientific symbols in chemistry, physics, biology, etc. remain as they are.
H2O (water) - tubig
NaCl (salt) - asin
Ca (calcium) - kalsiyum
CaC2 (calcium carbide) - kalburo
CaO (lime) - apog
Sn (tin) - istanyo
So are foreign-sounding names:
Churchill
Guillermo
Elizabeth
Jerez
Thatcher
William
As are the names of places:
Brazil
Vietnam
Zambia
Likewise business names, trade names and trade marks:
Band-Aid
Bristol
Coke
Colgate
Jockey
Levi’s
Mitsubishi
Pentax
Rolex
Volkswagen
Xerox
The mother-tongue translation of names of places and organizations may still be used:
Alemanya
Aprika
Arabigo
Asya
Ehipto
Espanya
Gresya
Hapon
Hudeya
Indiya
Inglatera
Italya
Palestina
Pransiya
Roma
Romanya
Rusya
Tsina
Uropa
Istados Unidos o Tinipong Bansa sa Amerika
Tinipong Kanasoran (United Nations)
ORTOGRAPHY
(PANITIKAN)
Ortography is part of the study of language which refers to letters and spelling. It emphasizes writing using the correct letters based on standard use and rules of the language.
RULES IN THE CEBUANO SPELLING
(MGA LAGDA SA
SINUGBUANONG PANITIK)
A. VOWELS
1. A -- a. The sound of "a" in Cebuano language is always of short "a", like abaga, bahak, kaha, dalaga, gaba, etc. The long "a" sound in English, such as, mate, pain, wait, etc. cannot be used. Any sound similar to this, the letter "e" or "ey" will be used, like "cake" to "keyk."
b. Letter "a" is also used in adopting foreign words without changing the phonetics, such as:
abnormal - abnormal
alibi - alibay
apply - aplay
natural - natural
night club - nayt klab
time out - taym awot
2. E -- a. Letter “e” is used in adopting foreign words without changing the spelling.
alegre
almagre
bote
entrante
estomago
estropa
gabinete
ignorante
imperdible
imposible
interes
libre
lote
memorandum
peste
petsa
presidente
primera
rebelde
referendum
b. Letter "e" is also used in syllables to retain the source of the foreign words where the spelling of the consonants is changed or consonants not found in the Cebuano alphabet.
calambre - kalambre
camote - kamote
coche - kotse
fecha - petsa
fuerte - puwerte
insurgente - insurhente
inteligente - intelihente
leche - letse
c. Letter "e” is likewise used to retain the source of foreign words (English, Spanish, etc.) which have an "e" equivalent in English and Spanish.
defensa defense depensa
economia economy ekonomiya
ejercisio exercise ehersisyo
eleccion election eleksiyon
elefante elephant elepante
elegante elegant elegante
elemento element elemento
energia energy enerhiya
especial special espesyal
experimento experiment eksperimento
Exceptions: 1) If the Spanish word has no spelling equivalent in English, letter "e" may be changed to "i."
ataque - ataki
avance - abansi
cabeza - kabisa
es poco - ispoko
capella - kapilya
estaca - istaka
capellan - kapilyan
estacion - istasyon
empacho - impatso
estar - istar
empaque - impaki
estatua - istatuwa
empella - impilya
estilo - istilo
escandalo- iskandalo
estorbo - istorbo
escultor - iskultor
estructura- istruktura
cajeta - kahita
caldero - kaldiro
cantena - kantina
combate - kombati
enano - inano
espejo - ispiho
flete - plite
mantel - mantil
mantener - mantinir
relevo - relibo
salvaje - salbahi
serrado - sirado
tendera - tindera
tenedor - tinidor
2) If the Spanish word uses "i" but with English equivalent in "e", the latter letter may be used:
actriz - actress - aktres
d. If the English word to be used in the local language has a long "a" phonetic sound the letter may be changed to "ey"; short “a” phonetic sound may be changed to "e".
Long “a”:
cake - keyk
date - deyt
late - leyt
Short “a”:
candy - kendi
e. If the rootword of a foreign word starts or ends with a syllable with "e" and an affix is added, "e" may be changed to "i."
bayle - baylihan
bigote - bigotilyo
kamote - kamotihan
kape - kapihan
higante - higantihon
tental - maninintal
3. I -- a. Letter “i” is used in all native words:
baki bahi bati kiki
kitiw gahi hilit ihi
iti itik lili ngilit
pinili sinipit singgit titi
Exception: There are native words where "e" is used instead of "i."
babaye pangadye butete sikwate
b. Letter “i” is also used in foreign words for “ue”, “ui”, or “uie.”
ataque - ataki
empaque - impaki
guerra - giyera
guerrilla - girilya
guia - giya
guisado - gisado
guisar - gisal
higuera - igira
queibrar - kibra
quilate - kilates
quinque - kingki
quiosco - kiyosko
c. Letter “i” is likewise used in adopted English words with double "e" (ee).
jamboree - dyambori
jeep - dyip
referee - reperi
d. Letter “i” is likewise used in adopted words ending in "y" pronounced as short "i."
allergy - alerdyi
sexy - seksi
sorry - sori
X-ray - Iksri
e. Letter "i" is also used in place of letter "e" of Spanish words with English translation starting with "s":
escala scale iskala
escandalo scandal iskandalo
escriba scribe iskriba
escribiente scribe iskribiyente
escritura script iskritura
escultura sculpture iskultura
estaca stake istaka
estatuwa statue istatuwa
4. O -- a. Letter “o” is used in the last syllable of the native word:
balod bato bukong kuko
dako guso hilo libot
lukot luog maot nasod
nahot pusod sungsong takong
Exception: If the borrowed word ends in "u" or has "u" in the last syllable, the Cebuano word also uses "u" in its last syllable or its last letter.
album asul baul (chest, trunk) birtud
bonus kawkus korum kopun
krus espiritu isyu memorandum
menu reperendum segun tribu
b. Letter “o” is retained if "o" is used in the first syllable of foreign or borrowed word.
aporo bola bolkan bolsa
bomba (bomb) botante boto(vote) komusta
kosina kota (quota) koto (limit) dosis
mota obra ostiya pobre
polis politika pondo porma
sobre solitaryo tokador tomar
tonto toril tornilyo toro
torpedo torta tortilyas tostado
Exception: If the foreign word, espcially Spanish, has similar English equivalent, the vowel of the first syllable may be "u" instead of "o."
bomba pump bumba
boton button butones
corriente current kuryente
kortina curtain kurtina
cruz crux (also cross) krus
droga drug druga
fondo fund pundo
sorpresa surprise surprisa
sostener sustain sustener
sostento support sustento
sospecha suspect suspetsa
k. Letter “o” is retained on affixed root words:
abo - abohan
bungtod - kabungtoran
buot - kabuotan
handom - handomanan
hayop - kahayopan
igso - igsoon
libot - kalibotan
lungsod - kalungsoran
sangpot - sangpotanan
sugo - sulugoon
tinuod - matinuoron
tuno - tinunoan
5. U -- a. Letter “u” is used in the first syllable of the words with phonetic sound "o" or of words with similar phonetic sound.
bituon buang bug-at buhat
bungtod bungi buot kuto
dalunggan dugho haruhay hinunoa
hinuon lahutay lungag lungis
mug-ot salumsom salagunting tarurot
taudtaod tuhoy tumong turutot
ugat ungot upaw yungit
b. There are some loaned words where "u" is used instead of "o."
colchon - kutson
corazonada - kursonada
golpe - gulpi
horma - hulma
hormiga - hulmigas
polvo - pulbos
polvora - pulbora
polvoron - pulboron
postizo - pustiso
romper - rumpi
c. “U” is used on repeated syllable.
buhat - magbubuhat
puhonan - magpupuhonan
buhis - magbubuhis
sulat - magsusulat
hukngay - maghuhukngay
tudlo - magtutudlo
hukom - maghuhukom
tuon - magtutuon
d. "U" is used in apocopes having two or more syllables without the use of an aportrophe.
bulong - bung
kulong - kung
dulog - dug
dulot - dut
gulot - gut
hulog - hug
pulong - pung
sulod - sud
sulog - sug
sulong - sung
tulod - tud
tulog - tug
6. U and O -- a. The sequence of "u" and "o" is used when the word has two separate phonetic sound of "o".
bituon kaguol guod guot
matuod puol suod suol
tinuod tuok tuod tuon
b. The sequence of “u” and “o” is likewise used in words with syllables of the same phonetic sound.
bugsok bulong butong bus-ok
kulon dulog gutom lugod
lusok putot tukmod tusok
Exception: When the word is a noun, it need not be changed, as title of nobility, name of person, place, or thing.
Ginoo Marioone Booc Bonbon
Looc Pook Poog Colon
Sogod Bontoc Maribojoc Pollock
c. "U” and “o” are also for rootwords used repeatedly with two syllables.
bukbok bunbon dukdok hulhol
hushos luklok pukpok sumsom
suksok tuktok tugtog tungtong
d. “U” and “o” are likewise used in repeated rootwoods showing repeated action, names of plants, insects, or animals, similar or imitated things, etc. Hyphen need not be used.
buot - buotbuot
duog - duogduog
guot - guotguot
hubo - hubohubo
hubog - huboghubog
humok - humokhumok
lukso - luksolukso
pugong - pugongpugong
putol - putolputol
tuyok - tuyoktuyok
tulog - tulogtulog
udto - udtoudto
N.B: Hyphen may only be used when the word becomes confusing.
ulhos ulhosulhos ulhos-ulhos
e. The sequence of “u” and “o” is used on repeated word having two or more syllables, but not rootwood, which refers to a noun.
balungbalong (shanty) bukubuko (back)
bukungbukong (kneecap) dakudako (foreman)
habuhabo (drizzle) luyuluyo (assistant)
pakupako(latisimus dorsis) palupalo(washbat)
bahugbahog (battle) lamuklamok (brawl)
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On the Making of an English-Cebuano Visayan Dictionary
Mayor Adelino B. Sitoy
President, Akademiyang Bisaya,Cebu City
External Vice President, League of Municipalities of the Philippines, Cebu Chapter
Municipality of Cordova
Cordova, Cebu 6017
Tel No. (032) 238-5096
Our first step was the formation on July 26, 1995 of a duly registered Visayan Academy of Arts and Letters Foundation, Inc. (changed to AKADEMIYANG BISAYA on April 22, 2009) which is a non-stock, non-profit and non-sectoral corporation. Its primary purposes are:
(1) to preserve and develop the Visayan-Cebuano language and culture;
(2) to encourage the adherence to such language and culture by the Visayans;
(3) to work for the teaching of the Cebuano-Visayan language in the Visayan-speaking areas; and
(4) to undertake projects to achieve the foregoing objectives.
The original founders of the Akademiya:
Adelino B. Sitoy (LUDABI)
Estanislao T. Empinado (LUDABI)
Jesus F. Estaño (LUDABI)
Winefredo M. L. Seco (+) (BATHALAD)
Alex A. Abellana (Puting Dagagan)
Jorge E. Alcoseba (Free Lancer)
Antonio Ml Allego (BATHALAD)
Anatolio Cardente (SUKNA)
Lamberto Ceballos (BATHALAD)
Quirino L. de Gracia (Puting Dagagan)
Cesar P. Kilaton, Jr. (Dagang Foundation)
Carlos C. Rusiana (+) (Puting Dagagan)
Lorenzo M. dela Serna (Ang Sugbuanon)
Marianita U. Mangubat (LUDABI)
Imelda J. Perez (LUDABI)
Jes B. Tirol (LUDABI)
Except for one free lancer, the original organizers came from the different organizations of Cebuano-Visayan writers such as the Lubas sa Dagang Bisaya (Ludabi), Bathalad-ong Halad sa Dagang (Bathalad), Puting Dagang, Dagang Foundation, and Ang Sugbuanon. Atty. Adelino B. Sitoy, Akademiya President, was four-time President of Lubas sa Dagang Bisaya (LUDABI).
The first Chairman of its Board of Directors was the late Atty. Jesus P. Garcia, Sr., himself a consummate lover of the Cebuano-Visayan language, who was also the Board Chairman of SUNSTAR DAILY. To the Akademiya, Chairman Garcia was God-given because SUNSTAR DAILY has a printing facility. Days before his demise, he kept repeating his wish that the Akademiya’s first project, the English-Cebuano Visayan dictionary, be completed and printed. Years back, he prematurely ordered SUNSTAR DAILY to purchase a costly kind of paper (Bible class) which unfortunately became moldy and non-usable when the dictionary was ready for printing.