# Arta language

Arta is a highly endangered Negrito language of the northern Philippines.

## Distribution

Lawrence Reid's 1990 fieldwork revealed only 12 speakers in Villa Santiago, Aglipay, Quirino Province, and in 1992 it was spoken by only three families. It is not closely related to other languages.
There are still small groups of Arta speakers in Maddela and Nagtipunan towns of Quirino Province. Kimoto (2017) reports that Arta has 10 native speakers and 35–45 second-language speakers living primarily in Pulang Lupa, Kalbo, and in Disimungal, Nagtipunan.
The Arta are found in the following places within Nagtipunan Municipality.
* Nagtipunan Municipality
** Disimungal Barangay
*** Purok Kalbo
*** Pulang Lupa
*** Tilitilan
** San Ramos Barangay
** Pongo Barangay
** Sangbay Barangay
Arta is in contact with Casiguran Agta, Nagtipunan Agta, Yogad, Ilokano, and Tagalog.

## Phonology

Arta is notable for having vowel length distinction, an unusual typological feature in the Philippines.

## Sound changes

Kimoto (2017) lists the following sound changes from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian (PMP) to Arta. Long vowels in Arta are derived from PMP diphthongs.
| PMP | Arta |
| *p | p |
| *t | t |
| *k | Ø ~ k |
| *q | Ø |
| *b | b |
| *d/*j/*z | d |
| *g | g |
| *s | s |
| *h | Ø |
| *R | r |
| *l | l |
| *m | m |
| *n | n |
| *ŋ | ŋ |
| *w | w |
| *y | y |
| *a | a |
| *i | i |
| *u | u |
| *ə | ə |
| *ai | eː |
| *au | oː |

## Lexical innovations

Kimoto (2017) lists the following Arta lexical innovations (highlighted in bold). Lexical innovations in Casiguran Agta are also highlighted in bold.
| Gloss | Arta | Casiguran Agta | Ilokano | Tagalog |
| excrement | sirit | attay | takki | taʔi |
| laugh | əla | ŋihit | katawa | tawa |
| banana | bagat | biget | saba | sagiŋ |
| back (body) | sapaŋ | adəg, səpaŋ | likod | likod |
| hair | pulug | buk | buok | buhok |
| body | abiː | bəgi | bagi | katawan |
| water | wagət | dinom | danum | tubig |
| house | bunbun | bilɛ | balay | bahay |
| male | giləŋan | ləlake | lalaki | lalaki |
| female | bukagan | bəbe | babae | babae |
Reid (1994) lists the following reconstructed forms as possible non-Austronesian lexical elements found exclusively in Arta. Forms from Kimoto (2018) have also been included. Note the use of orthographic è [ə] and ng [ŋ].
| Gloss | Pre-Arta (Reid 1994) | Arta (Reid 1994) | Arta (Kimoto 2018) |
| afternoon | (ma-)*lutəp | malutəp | malu:tèp |
| arrive | *digdig | dumigdig | digdig |
| bone | *sagnit | sagnit | sikrit 'small thin bones' |
| butterfly | *pippun | peppun | - |
| drink | *tim | mattim | ti:m |
| ear | *ibəŋ | ibəŋ | ibeng |
| lime | *ŋusu | ŋusú | nusu |
| man, male | *gilaŋ(-an) | gilaŋán | gilèngan |
| mosquito | *buŋur | buŋúr | bungor |
| old (man) | *dupu | dupú | dupu: |
| one | *sipaŋ | sípaŋ | si:pang |
| rain | *punəd | púnəd | pu:nèd |
| run | *gurugud | maggurugúd | gurugud |
| say, tell | *bud | ibud | bud |
| sleep | *idəm | médəm | idèm |
| two | *təlip | tallip | tallip |
Reid (1994) lists the following reconstructed forms as possible non-Austronesian lexical elements found in both Arta and "North Agta" (i.e., various Northeastern Luzon languages spoken mostly in Cagayan Province). Forms from Kimoto (2018) have also been included.
| Gloss | Reconstructed form (Reid 1994) | Arta (Reid 1994) | Arta (Kimoto 2018) |
| pity, kindness | *Rəbi | pagarbián | arbi |
| thirst | *pələk | meɁipla | iplèk |
| hunt | *purab | mamurab ‘hunt with bow and arrow’ | purab |
| deer, buck | *b[ia]dut | bidut | bidut |
| fingernail | *[l]usip | lusip | lusip |
| penis | *g[ia]ləŋ | giləŋ | gilèng |
| wall | *gəsəd | gisə́d | gisèd |
| dog, puppy | *lapul | lappul | lappul |
| fire | *dukut | dut | dut |
| hair, feather | *pulug | pológ | pulug |
The forms *səlub 'fragrant' and *Rəbi 'pity, kindness' are found in both Arta and Alta.