Introduction:

Butuanon belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian languages, one of the
world's largest language families, both in terms of numbers of languages (more than 1,200)
geographical spread (from Madagascar to Easter Island near the coast of South America.
In relation to other Philippine languages, Butuanon belongs to the Southern branch of Visayan
languages, and the Visayan languages in turn belongs to the Southern branch of Philippines
languages (to which the Mindanao, Bicolano, and Tagalog languages also belong). The northern
Philippine languages are confined to Luzon (e.g. Kapampangan, Pangasinense, Ilocano, the
Cordillera languages).
Butuanon is one of the Visayan languages. Specifically it belongs to the Southern branch of Visayan.
As such, most of the words in its vocabulary are cognate to the words found in other Visayan
languages. Its grammatical rules are also similar to its fellow Visayan languages Surigaonon and
Cebuano.
There is a common misconception that Butuanon is a dialect, but in fact it is a language. Dialects
are defined by international linguistic standards as mutually intelligible versions of a language. For
example, the common medium of communication in Baranggay Babag Butuan City is mutually
intelligible with the one used in Talakugon Municipality; thus both are dialects of the same
language, which is called Butuanon by international linguists. Butuanon as a language is at par with
the other 160 or so Philippine languages, including Tagalog, and the rest of the worlds languages.
To call Butuanon a dialect does not do justice to this rich and complex language.
Language is the main medium by which humans communicate ideas and feelings to each other.
Consequently, language is not only the main transmitter of human culture, but it also forms the
most important part of culture. Without language, human society and culture would not exist at all.
Language also has another role that is often overlooked. Each language is shared by a cultural
community, and forms the main basis for the existence of such a community, which is called an
ethnolinguistic people. If the language of an ethnolinguistic people dies, so does this people. For
example, if no can speak the Butuanon language, there will be no Butuanon ethnolinguistic people.
Children are born with the ability to learn any language, but they usually, this is their parents' first
languagea language that has been passed down from generation to generation for hundreds of
years. There are at present more than 6,000 distinct languages and peoples of the world. Each
week, one or two of them die out, usually due to years of discriminatory policies of governments
that promote only the language of their capitals and centers. These languages differ in
pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. Each language offers unique concepts and ways of
expressing them, and thus unique perspectives (points of view), besides defining the very peoples
of the world. Each of them is priceless and irreplaceable, a treasure that humanity can hardly afford
to lose.
Any language with less than 300,000 speakers is regarded by international linguists as endangered.
The Butuanon language at present can only be spoken by less than 500 youngsters in Butuan itself.
If the next generations of Butuanons are not taught Butuanon in school, that will be the end of the
Butuanon ethnolinguistic people.
The main purpose of this syllabus is to preserve the priceless and irreplaceable Butuanon language
that has defined the Butuanon people for more than a thousand years.
Butuanon Pronunciation:
Two important points on the pronunciation of Butuanon words:
1. The student should take note that Butuanon has prolonged vowels such as , , , , which
are pronounced as prolonged sounds of the shorter vowels. (This is a characteristic it shares with
Cebu City and northern dialects of Cebuano, and perhaps other Philippine languages, but not with
other Visayan languages such as Hiligaynon and Karay-a, and also not with Tagalog.) These are true
phonemes, not diphthongs (two vowels pronounced in sequence.) This has to be clarified because
most Philippine language syllabuses aim to teach Tagalog, which does not have these prolonged
vowels. Thus Tagalogs pronounce aa as a-a.
Example 1: Tagalogs prononounce tsaa as tsa-a, while Butuanons and Northern Cebuanos
pronounce it as ts.
Example 2: Tagalogs pronounce oo (yes) as o-o, while Butuanons pronounce it as . In this
syllabus, we will follow the Butuanon pronunciation.

2. Another important point is that the /L/ phoneme in other Visayan languages is usually not
pronounced in Butuanon cognate words if it occurs in the middle or at the end of a word.
Example 1: The Butuanon cognate word for the Cebuano balay is by (house).
Example 2: The Butuanon cognate word for the Cebuano tambal is tamb (medicine).
Example 3: The Butuanon cognate word for the Cebuano katumbal is katumb (pepper).
Lesson One
NON-VERBAL SENTENCES
DESCRIPTIVE, CLASSIFICATION and EQUATIONAL
SENTENCES
A Butuanon sentence is made up of COMMENT and TOPIC. The TOPIC specifies what the speaker is
going to talk about.
TOPIC MARKERS indicate the TOPIC. For a PERSONAL NAME (PN) the topic markers are SI/SINDA. For
a NON-PERSONAL NAME (NPN) the topic markers are ANG/ANG MGA.
PERSONAL NAME (PN) refers to the names of persons or titles that are substituted for the names of
persons. SI is the singular topic marker and SINDA is the plural form.
Names: Jo Maestro si Jo. Jo is a teacher.
Bobit Niwang sinda Bobit. Bobit and his companions are thin.
Titles: Doktor Buotan si Doktor. Doctor is kind.
Attorney Maaslag sinda Attorney. Attorney and his companions are big.
NON-PERSONAL NAME (NPN) refers to words that are not names of persons or titles substituted for
names of persons, and to groups of words, phrases and sentences, which function as a noun. ANG is
the singular topic marker and ANG MGA is the plural form.
Words:
Ginoo Maluluy-on ang Ginoo. God is merciful.
Pangoo Si Lino ang Pangoo. Lino is the President.
Bata Tambok ang mga bata. The children are fat.
Phrases:
Kang Cory Patsada ang kang Cory. Corys is pretty.
Kaaba ni Cris Patsada ang kaaba ni Maria. Cris clothes are pretty.
Yaton lamisa Madiyaw ang yaton lamisa. The one on the table is good.
Either SI or SINDA always marks the TOPIC, unless it is a pronoun (personal or demonstrative) in
which case the TOPIC FORMS of these pronouns are used. The topics are indicated in the following
sentences.
Maaslag siya. (Personal Pronoun) He/She is big.
Imo iyan. (Demonstrative Pronoun) That is yours.
NOTE: The topic pronouns are also referred to as focus pronouns. Pronouns and FOCUS will be
explained later. Also the English equivalent of the third person singular pronoun SIYA is both he and
she. He will be used as the English equivalent throughout the books.
The COMMENT says something about the topic. The COMMENT usually begins the sentence. A
sentence whose comment is not a verb is a NON-VERBAL SENTENCE. While there are many types of
non-verbal sentences, this lesson emphasizes three types of non-verbal sentences:
DESCRIPTIVE SENTENCES when the comment is an adjective describing the topic.
Tambok ang bata. The child is fat.
Niwang sinda Maria. Maria and her companions are thin.
Mahaaba ang tao. The man is tall.
Dakwa ang lamisa. Table is big.

CLASSIFICATION SENTENCES when a noun is the comment of the topic describes the topic or
identifies as to type or class.
Maestro si Roly. Roly is a teacher.
Mga estudyante sila. They are students.
Doktor ang tao. The man is a doctor.
Magbasakay sinda Boyet. Boyet and his companions are farmers.
EQUATIONAL SENTENCES when there are two topics, which are equal to each other, serve as
comments for each other.
Si Roly ang maestro. The teacher is Roly.
Si Tiron ang amigo ko. Tiron is my friend.
Sila ang mga estudyante. They are the students.
NOTE: In equational sentences there must be agreement in the use of plural or singular form of the
two topics. In descriptive and classification sentences if the topic is plural, the comment may be
made plural by putting mga before the comment but it does not have to be plural.
Niwang sinda Ryan. = Mga niwang sinda Ryan.
Estudyante sila. = Mga estudyante sila.
NEGATION:
The negation of these non-verbal sentences is made by putting DII before the comment.
Tambok ang bata. Dii tambok ang bata.
Maestro si Roly. Dii maestro si Roly.
Si Tiron ang amigo ko. Dii si Tiron ang amigo ko.
AIMS FOR THE LESSON
Learn when to use the topic marker SI and ANG.
Learn to form simple non-verbal descriptive, classification and equational sentences.
Learn to negate these non-verbal sentences using DII.
Learn to use plural topic SINDA and using ANG MGA.
Learn the basic pattern drills.
TAPE PATTERN DRILLS
SIMPLE SUBSTITUTION 1
Substitute the words or cues given as the comment of the sentence. Listen to the cue and say out
loud the new sentence, then listen to the answer provided by the tape and then repeat the answer
as given by the tape.
Examples:
Magtutudlo (Teacher) Magtutudlo si Lino.
Maaslag (Tall) Maaslag si Lino.
Maliskog (Energetic) Maliskog si Lino.
Tubag (Answer)
Magtutudlo(Teacher)
Magtutudlo si Greg.
Hayupo (Short)
Hayupo si Ryan.
Maliskog (Energetic)
Maliskog si Ryan
Dii estudyante (Not a student.)
Dii estudyante si Ryan.
Dii maaslag (Not big)
Dii maaslag si Ryan.
Dii putahaw (Not lazy)
Dii putahaw si Ryan.
Estudyante-

Estudyante si Bob. (Bob is a student.)

Tubag (Answer)
Dii maestro (Not a teacher)
Mahaba (tall)
Aslag (Big)
Dii hayupo (Not Short)

Dii maestro si Bobit.

Mahaba si Bobit
Maaslag si Bobit.
Dii hayupo si Bobit.

Tambok (Fat)
Dii niwang (Not thin)
Puti. (White)
Dii itum (Not black)

Tambok si Bobit.
Dii niwang si Bobit.
Puti si Bobit.
Dii itum si Bobit.

Tambok Tambok ang bata. (The child is fat.)

Tubag (Answer)
Dii niwang (Not thin)
Hayupo (Short)
Dii maaslag (Not big)
Estudyante (Student)
Dii maestro (Not a teacher)
Ang Estudyante-

Dii niwang ang bata.

Hayupo ang bata.
Dii maaslag ang bata.
Estudyante ang bata.
Dii maestro ang bata.

Si Nilo ang estudyante. (Nilo is the student.)

Tubag (Answer)
Dii si Bobit (Not Bobit)
Ang ta-o. (The man)
Dii ang bata (Not the child)
Ang bata nga usog (boy)
Siya (He/She)
Dii siya (Not he)
Dii ako (Not me)

Dii si Bobit ang estudyante.

Ang ta-o ang estudyante.
Dii ang bata ang estudyante.
Ang bata nga usog ang estudyante.
Siya ang estudyante.
Dii siya ang estudyante.
Dii ako ang estudyante.

Simple Substitution 2
Substitute the words or cues given as the topic of the sentence. Listen to the cue and say out loud
the new sentence and then repeat it again after the tape provides the correct answer. The English
equivalent to the cues are given on the right side of the page.
Magtutudlo si Lino.

(Lino is a teacher.)

Tubag (answer)
Si LinoSi Ryan
Si Ador
Si Jamjam
Ang tao (man)
Ang daga (The woman)
Si Lina-

Magtutudlo si Lino.
Magtutudlo si Ryan.
Magtutudlo si Ador.
Magtutudlo si Jamjam.
Magtutudlo ang tao.
Magtutudlo and daga.
Magtutudlo si Lina.

Puti si Cory. (Cory is light complexioned.)

Tubag (answer)
Si Jamjam
Puti si Jamjam.
Sinda Kora (Jose and his companions)
Puti sinda Kora.
Sinda Tiron (Tony and his companions)
Puti sinda Tiron.
Ang mga tao
Puti ang mga tao.
Ang bata
Puti ang bata.
Ang mga bata
Puti ang mga bata.
Si Ryan
Puti si Ryan.
Sinda Lina
Puti sinda Lina.
Si Bobit ang magtutudlo. (Bobit is the teacher.)
Tubag (answer)
Ang
Ang
Ang
Ang
Ang

doktor
pari
diriktor
kura paroko
usog

MOVING SLOT SUBSTITUTION 2

Ang doctor ang magtutudlo.

Ang pari ang magtutudlo.
Ang diriktor ang magtutudlo.
Ang kura paruko ang magtutudlo.
Ang usog ang magtutudlo.

Substitute the words or cues given as either the topic or comment of the sentence. Remember the
topic is marked by topic markers si/sinda or ang/ang mga. Listen to the cue and say out loud the
new sentence and repeat it again after the tape provides the correct answer. The English
equivalents to the cues are given on the right side of the page.
Maaslag si Bobit. (Bobit is big.)
Tubag (answer)
Dii hayupo (Not short)
Si Roly
Si Hudet
Maliskog
Ang bata
Dii putahaw (Not lazy)
Si Lina
Dii maaslag (Not big)
Dii tambok(Not fat)
Si Timi
Ang daga (The woman)
Ang mga daga
Ang mga bata
Sinda Timi Sinda
Maliskog (Energetic)
Sinda Wantan

Dii hayupo si Bobit.

Dii hayupo si Roly.
Dii hayupo si Hudet.
Maliskog si Matet.
Ang bata maliskog.
Ang bata dii putahaw.
Si Lina dii putahaw.
Si Lina dii maaslag.
Si Lina dii tambok.
Si Timi dii tambok.
Ang daga dii tambok.
Ang mga daga dii tambok.
Ang mga bata dii tambok.
Timi dii mga tambok.
Sinda Timi mga maliskog.
Sinda Wanta mga maliskog.

NEGATIVE TRANSFORMATION
Give the negative of the following statements. Say out loud your answer and then listen to the
answer provided by the tape, and then repeat it.
Examples: Tambok si Marlon

Dii tambok si Marlon.

Tubag (Answer)
Si Jemima ang maestro.
Dii si Jemima ang maestro.
Kura paroko si Bobit.
Dii kura paroko si Bobit.
Si Junalyn and maestra.
Dii si Junalyn ang maestra.
Hayupo (short) si Bibi.
Dii hayupo si Bibi.
Si Lina ang magtutudlo.
Dii si Lina ang magtutudlo.
Si Boyet ang estudyante.
Dii si Boyet ang estudyante.
Ang dagah (woman) ang doctor.
Ang dagah dii ang doctor.
Putahaw (lazy) ang (man) usog.
Dii putahaw ang usog.
Maliskog ang mga bata.
Dii maliskog ang mga bata.
Sinda Marlon mga pari.
Dii sinda Marlon ang mga pari.
Niwang sinda Roly.
Dii niwang sinda Roly.
Sila ang mga estudyante.
Dii sila ang mga estudyante.
Estudyante ang mga bata.
Dii estudyante ang mga bata.
PLURAL TRANSFORMATION
Change the topic of the following sentence into the plural. Say out loud your answer, then listen to
the answers provided by the tape, and then repeat the answer as given by the tape.
Examples:

Maestro si Lino

Maestro sinda Lino.

Tubag (Answer)
Estudyante si Bobit.
Estudyante sinda Bobit.
Maaslag si Roly.
Mga maaslag sinda Roly.
Tambok ang bata.
Tambok ang mga bata
Maliskog ang daga (woman).
Maliskog ang mga daga.
Putahaw ang usog (man).
Putahaw ang mga usog.
Maaslag (big) ang tawo.
Maaslag ang mga tawo.
Dii maestro si Ryan.
Dii mga maestro sinda Ryan.
Dii estudyante si Lina.
Dii estudyante sinda Lina.
Dii tambok si Lina.
Dii matambok sinda Lina.
Dii niwang ang bata.
Dii niwang ang mga bata.

Putahaw (lazy) ang tao.

Dii maliskog si Jo.
Dii maaslag si Roly.
Magtutudlo si Sol.
Dakwa(big) ang baay.

Putahaw ang mga tao.

Dii maliskog sinda Jo.
Dii maaslag sinda Roly.
Mga magtutudlo sinda Sol.
Dii dakwa ang baay.

Give the Butuanon translation of the following sentences.

Lino is the teacher.
Bobi is a student.
Bobiros is tall.
The child is short.
Badi is not the teacher.
The child is not tall.
Lina is a teacher.
Bobit is the parish priest.
Tata is not short.
Lina is not tall.
Bobi and his companions are teachers.
The children are not thin.
The man is not a priest.
The woman is energetic.
These women are not fat.
Bobiros and her companions are tall.
Hudet and her companions are not doctors.
The children are energetic.
The men are lazy.
The children are not tall.
Tubag/ Answer
Si Lino maestro.
Si Bobi estudyante.
Si Bobiros mahaba.
Ang bata hayupo.
Si Badi dii kon maestro.
Ang bata dii kon mahaba.
Si Lina maestra.
Si Bobit ang kura paruko.
Si Tata dii kon hayupo.
Dii kon mahaba si Lina.
Si Bobi katsaong kaibanan niya mga maestro.
Dii kon maniwang ang mga bata.
Ang tao dii kon pari.
Ang daaga maliskog.
Ini nga mga daaga dii kon matambok.
Sinda Bobiros katsaong mga kaibanan niya dii kon mahaba.
Sinda Hudet katsaong kaibanan niya dii kon mga doctor.
Ang mga bata maliskog.
Ang mga usog putahaw.
Ang mga bata dii kon mahaba.
For each sentence, do the following:
-Identify the type of Non-Verbal Sentence.
-Give the Butuanon equivalent
-Negate
1. The house is nice.
2. Lino is the teacher.
3. Jo is a student.
4. The child is short.
5. Gumamela is a flower.
6. The room is small.
7. The helper is tall.
8. Jose and his companions are the doctors.
9. The women are Filipino.
10.Narra is a tree.

11.Bobit is the priest.

12.The city is big.
13.Timi and her friends are thin.
14.The table is white.
15.Boyet is a janitor.
Tubag/ Answer
1.Ang baay patsada.
2.Si Lino ang maestro.
3.Si Jo estudyante.
4.Ang bata hayupo.
5.Ang gumamela buwak.
6.Ang kwarto gamay.
7.Ang katabang mahaba.
8.Si Jose katsaong kaibanan niya ang mga doctor.
9.Ang mga daaga Filipino.
10. Ang narra kahoy.
11. Ang pari si Bobit.
12. Ang syudad dakwa.
13. Si Timi katsaong mga kaibanan niya mga niwang.
14. Ang lamisa puti.
15. Si Boyet dyanitor.
What can you say about?
A tree
The school
The sea
Your best friend
Your pet
A mango
Below are some paragraphs in Butuanon containing non-verbal sentences. The English equivalent of
the sentence is given on the right side of the page.
NOTE: There are new words and expressions, which are indicated in both Butuanon and English.
Remember these are equivalents.
A
Sadto isa ka libo nga tuig nga milabay, waa pa ang Pilipinas pero yaon na ang Butuan. Binutuanon
ang linitokan hong mga Butuanon sadto. Makilaan sila nga Butuanon kay ang linitukan nila amoy
Binutuanon. Kaamo, doon, mga maas na lang katsaong pila ka gatus nga mga batan-on ang
makalitok hong Binutuanon. Amo iyan importante kadiyaw nga magkangyat ang mga batan-on
hong Binutuanon hasta dii mahatlok ang Butuanon nga katawhan.
One thousand years ago, there was no Philippines but Butuan was already in existence. Binutuanon
was the language of the Butuanons then. They could be identified as Butuanons because their
speech was Binutuanon. However, at present, only the elderly and a few hundred of the youth can
still speak Binutuanon. That is why it is so important that the youth of today learn Binutuanon so
that the Butuanon people will not die out.
B
Ang mga kamaas-maasan hong mga Butuanon mikani Butuan nga mikasakay hong mga dakwa nga
bawto nga piga-hingaan nga balanghai. Ang ngaan nga baranggay, tikan sani nga bawto. Sadto,
ang Binutuanon pigalitok tikan hong Agusan paiyan Davao. Doon, diyan mismo Butuan, pigalitok na
lang ini disaon Baranggay Babag katsaong iban nga panimaay ngadto Maug-Banza. Buhion ta ini,
ang linitukan hong kamaasmaasan ta!
The ancestors of the Butuanons came here to Butuan riding in large boats called balanghais. The
word baranggay comes from the names of these boats. At that time, Butuanon was spoken from
present-day Butuan up to Davao. Now in Butuan itself, it is spoken only in Baranggay Babag and
some households in Maug-Banza. Let us preserve this, the language of our ancestors!
C
Sadto Abril 30, 2003, yaoy isa ka organisasyon nga ang pangaan SaveOur Languages through
Federalism ang pigapatukod. Ang isa ka katuyuan saning organisasyon amo ang pagpatudlo hong
mga linitukan hong Pilipinas disaon mga andanan, hasta dii ini sila mahatlok. Amo ini nga

miningkamot ini nga organisasyon maghinang hong Butuanon nga syllabus, hasta makakangyat
ang mga batan-on hong Binutuanon.
On April 30, 2003, an organization named Save Our Languages through Federalism was founded.
One of the aims of this organization is to teach the languages of the Philippines in schools so that
they will not die out. This is why this organization has done its best to make a Butuanon syllabus, so
that the youth may learn Binutuanon.