Botolan language

Botolan is a Sambalic language spoken by 32,867 (SIL 2000) Sambal, primarily in the Zambal municipalities of Botolan and Cabangan in the Philippines. Language status is 5 (developing).

The Ayta people of sitio Villar, Botolan, and sitio Kakilingan, Santa Fe, Cabangan also speak a Botolan dialect with some unique lexical items.

Ethnologue reports Ayta Hambali (Hambali Botolan), Sambali Botolan as dialects of Sambal Botolan. Among themselves, Ayta Hambali reportedly use some words that are similar to Ayta, Mag-Anchi.

Botolan has 20 phonemes: 16 consonants and four vowels. Syllable structure is relatively simple. Each syllable contains at least a consonant and a vowel.

Botolan has four vowels. They are:

• /a/ an open central unrounded vowel similar to English father
• /e/ a close-mid front unrounded vowel similar to German Elefant
• /i/ a close front unrounded vowel similar to English machine
• /u/ (written as ‘o’) a close back unrounded vowel similar to English flute

There are five main diphthongs: /aɪ/, /uɪ/, /aʊ/, /ij/, and /iʊ/.

Below is a chart of Botolan consonants. All the stops are unaspirated. The velar nasal occurs in all positions including at the beginning of a word.

Note: Consonants /d/ and /ɾ/ can sometimes interchange as they were once allophones.

Stress is phonemic in Botolan. Word stress is very important; it differentiates homonyms, e.g. hikó ('I') and híko ('elbow').

Many words pronounced with /s/ and /ɡ/ in Tagalog have /h/ and /j/, respectively, in their cognates in Botolan. Compare hiko and bayo with the Tagalog siko and bago.

Below is a translation in Botolan of the Philippine national proverb "He who does not acknowledge his beginnings will not reach his destination," followed by the original in Tagalog.

• Botolan: Hay ahe tanda nin nanlek ha pinangibatan, ay ahe makalateng ha lalakwen.
• Tagalog: Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makararating sa paroroonan.

• Languages of the Philippines

• Antworth, Evan L. (1979). Grammatical Sketch of Botolan Sambal. Manila: Linguistic Society of the Philippines.

• Grammar sketch of Botolan found on Carl Rubino's homepage
• Sample recordings from the GRN Network, in Botolan
• Hay Halita nin Diyos, Bible verses in Botolan