Itneg languages

Ethnologue reports the following locations for each of the five Itneg languages. • Binongan Itneg: Licuan-Baay, Abra. 7,500 speakers. • Inlaod Itneg: a few villages in Peñarrubia, Lagangilang, Danglas, and Langiden municipalities, Abra. 9,000 speakers. • Maeng Itneg: Luba, Tubo, and Villaviciosa municipalities, Abra. 18,000 speakers. • Masadiit Itneg: Sallapadan, Bucloc, and Boliney municipalities, Abra; also in the western border strip of Kalinga Province. 7,500 speakers. Dialects are Masadiit Boliney and Masadiit Sallapadan. • Moyadan Itneg: Abra. 12,000 speakers. However, Ronald Himes (1997) recognizes two dialects for Itneg, namely Binongan (eastern) and Inlaod (western). ==Phonology==

Itneg languages almost sound the same with Ilocano, Pangasinan, and other Igorot languages. Vowels Itneg speakers use 5 vowel sounds: , , , , . Consonants Itneg features doubled consonants, so the language may sound guttural to Tagalog, Ilokano, and even Pangasinan speakers. The uniqueness of this circumstance is often expressed by saying Itneg speakers have "a hard tongue". Itneg is also one of the Philippine languages which is excluded from - allophony. ==References==