Tausug language

In English, the language is primarily known as Tausug (i.e., Tausug language). The local name of the language is bahasa Sūg or Sinūg. The term Tausūg (, meaning "people of Sulu") is derived from two words: tau ("person") and Sūg is the modern form of the older term (meaning "[sea] currents"), which was also the old name of the island of Jolo. It is derived from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *sələg (“flowing water, current”), and is a cognate of Cebuano , Tagalog , and Malay (a borrowing). ==Classification==

Tausūg is an Austronesian language. It is classified by linguists as being a member of the Bisayan languages family, which includes Cebuano and Waray. In particular, it has many similarities with the Surigaonon language of the provinces Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Sur and with the Butuanon language of Agusan del Norte – both spoken in northeastern Mindanao; hence, Zorc (1977) groups these three languages as part of a "South Bisayan" grouping. ==Speakers==

Tausūg is primarily spoken in the Sulu Archipelago, which aside from the island of Sulu, also includes the Tawi-Tawi chain of islands and the island of Basilan. It is a lingua franca spoken in different areas/islands of the archipelago. Due to migration, the language is also spoken alongside other local languages in the Zamboanga Peninsula (e.g., Cebuano and Chavacano), which includes the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga City. It is also spoken in Southern Palawan, Eastern Sabah, Malaysia and in Tarakan City and Nunukan Regency, North Kalimantan, Indonesia. ==Phonology==

Vowels Tausūg has three vowel phonemes: /a/, /i/, /u/, with phonemic length (e.g. īpun, "shrimp" vs. ipun, "tooth"). Stress is not phonemic and usually occurs on the final syllable. The vowel phonemes have a broad range of allophones: • /b/: per default , but between vowels • /g/: per default , but between vowels • /h/: per default , but between vowels • /r/: per default , but before /m,n,g,k/ Medial gemination (of all non-glottal consonants) is phonemic. ==Grammar==

Pronouns Personal pronouns Tausūg has three pronoun sets: ==Writing system==

Tausūg is today primarily written using the Latin alphabet. Historically, it had previously been written using the Arabic alphabet. The script used was derived from Jawi used in writing the Malay language. The script is referred to as Sulat Sug The Arabic script used to write Tausūg differs in some aspects from the script used for Arabic and in the Jawi script used for Malay. In Sulu, there is no separate letter for [g]. Whereas in Jawi, the sound [g] is represented by the letter (which has a pronunciation [ɣ] in Arabic) is reserved for Arabic loanwords, and sometimes the letter . In Sulu, there is no differentiation between [f] and [p]. Whereas in Jawi, the letters and are used respectively, in Sulu the letter is used in all instances. For the sound [ɲ] in the final position, in Sulu, the letter is used whereas in Malay Jawi, the letter is instead used. The letter is associated with the sound [p] in Persian and other scripts derived from Persian. In both Malay Jawi and Sulu the letter / is used in all other positions. For the sound [k] in the final position, in Malay Jawi, the letter is used, having the same form as when in initial or medial positions. In Sulu, similar to Arabic, it is customary to use . Latin Arabic Sample Texts Below some examples of Sulu in both Latin and Arabic scripts: • Latin script: • Wayruun tuhan malayngkan Allāh, hi Muhammad ing (in) rasūl sin Allāh • Arabic script • • English translation • There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah • Latin script • Uu kamu manga bang-sa Islam dii haka-pu'-pu' an Suug, agad tu'ud kamy sing da'akun i-ban sing tagga-hun sing parin-ta. • Arabic script • • English translation • Oh ye of Islamic race here in the Sulu Archipelago, obey ye fully the orders and prohibitions of the government. ==Examples==

Many Tausug words derive from the Arabic language. Some examples of Arabic words in Tausug are Tausūg words derived from Sanskrit ==Notes==