Bontoc language

Bontoc
Finallig
Region	Philippines, Mountain Province
Native speakers	41,000 (2007 census)
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Philippine Northern Luzon South–Central Cordilleran Central Cordilleran Nuclear Cordilleran Bontok–Kankanay Bontoc
Language codes
ISO 639-3	bnc – inclusive code Individual codes: lbk – Central Bontok ebk – Eastern Bontok rbk – Northern Bontok obk – Southern Bontok vbk – Southwestern Bontok
Glottolog	bont1247
Area where Bontoc is spoken according to Ethnologue

Bontoc (Bontok) /bɒnˈtɒk/ (also called Finallig) is the native language of the indigenous Bontoc people of the Mountain Province, in the northern part of the Philippines.

Phonology

Consonant phonemes

	Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Nasal	m	n		ŋ
Plosive	p b	t d		k ɡ	ʔ
Fricative		s
Rhotic		ɻ~ɺ
Approximant			j

The archiphoneme /r/ has [l], [ɻ], and [ɺ] as its allophones. The allophone [l] occurs word-initially, adjacent to /i/, as the second member of a consonant cluster consisting of a coronal consonant and /r/, and as the second member of any consonant cluster preceded by /i/. [ɻ] occurs in free variation with [l] word-initially, but otherwise occurs in complementary distribution with it. [ɺ] occurs in free variation with [l] and [ɻ] word-initially, and with [ɻ] elsewhere.
The plosives /t/, /ɡ/, /b/, and /d/ have, respectively, [t̪] (representing an interdental consonant), [kʰ], [f], and [t͡s] as their syllable-initial allophones.
The voiced stop /b/ also has [b̪] and [v] as its allophones. Both of these allophones occur as the first member of a geminate cluster. They are in free variation.
The approximant /j/ has one allophone: [ɥ]. [ɥ] occurs after /o/.

Vowel phonemes

	Front	Back
High	i
Mid	e	o
Close	a

/e/ becomes a slightly centralized [e̞] when in a syllable whose coda is /k/. When in the nucleus, /a/ and /o/ are slightly raised and /i/ is lowered.

There are two degrees of stress in Bontoc: primary and secondary. Primary stress is phonemic and secondary stress is predictable. Both types are right-oriented and occur on one of the last three syllables. Stress's effects include higher pitch, louder volume, and lengthening of the syllable nucleus, though these are all subject to certain rules pertaining to word prosody.

Example Text

The Lord's Prayer

English	Bontoc
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.	Ama id chaya machad-ayaw nan ngachanmo. Omali nan en-ap-apowam. Maangnen nan nemnemmo isnan lofong ay kag id chaya. Ichowam nan kanenmi isnan kawakawakas. Pakawanem nan fasolmi, tay pinakawanmi akhes nan finmasol ken chakami. Ad-im ogkhayen chakami isnan maawisanmi ay enfasol, mod-i ket isas alakam chakami isnan ngaag.

External links

• Bontok Dictionary