# Bantoanon language

Bantoanon or Asi is a regional Bisayan language spoken, along with Romblomanon and Onhan, in the province of Romblon, Philippines. Asi originated in the island of Banton, Romblon and spread to the neighboring islands of Sibale, Simara, and the towns of Odiongan, San Andres and Calatrava on Tablas Island. The Asi spoken in Odiongan is called Odionganon, Calatravanhon in Calatrava, Sibalenhon in Concepcion, Simaranhon in Corcuera, and Bantoanon in Banton. The Asi language is closer to Western Visayan language like Karay-a than to Cebuano and Waray
Specifically, it is spoken on the following islands within Romblon:
* Tablas: the municipalities of Odiongan, San Andres and Calatrava, situated respectively on the western and northern parts of the island. The Odiongan dialect has more outside influences and is more widely used in literature.
* Banton, encompassing the whole municipality of Banton
* Simara, encompassing the whole municipality of Corcuera
* Maestre de Campo, also known as Sibale, encompassing the whole municipality of Concepcion
Linguist David Zorc notes that Bantoanon speakers may have been the first Bisayan speakers in the Romblon region. He also suggests that Asi may have a Western Visayan substratum and that many of its words may have been influenced by the later influx of other languages such as Romblomanon.

## Nomenclature

While Bantoanon is the original and most common name of the language, the name Asi, meaning 'why', is also commonly used especially in formal and academic papers. The Commission on the Filipino Language or KWF prescribes the use of Ási with the acute accent on the Á, although the native pronunciation is closer to Ásì with the acute Á and a grave accent on the ì. Considering that the language has four other dialects other than Bantoanon: Odionganon, Calatravanhon, Sibalenhon, and Simaranhon, Asi is occasionally used instead of Bantoanon to distinguish between the language and the dialect of it spoken in Banton. Speakers of dialects that have evolved through the Bantoanon diaspora prefer Asi, or just their dialect's name. In casual speech, however, native speakers often refer to the language as Bisaya, not to be confused with other Bisayan languages.

## Sounds

Bantoanon has sixteen consonant phonemes: /p, t, k, ʔ, b, d, ɡ, s, h, m, n, ŋ, l, ɾ~r, w, j/. There are three vowel phonemes: /i, a, u/. The three vowels each have allophones of [ɪ, e, ɛ, ə], [ʌ], [o]. /i/ is always used as [i] when it is in the beginning and middle syllables, [e, ɛ] is always used when it is in final syllables, [ɪ] when in open-prestressed syllables, and as [ə] in word-final post-stressed syllables before /ɾ~r/. [ʌ] is heard as an allophone of /a/ when in closed syllables. The vowel [o] is an allophone of /u/, and is always heard when it is in final syllables. This is one of the Philippine languages that do not exhibit [ɾ]-[d] allophony.

## Grammar
### Pronouns

| | | | Absolutive | Ergative | Oblique |
| 1st person | singular | singular | akó | nako, ko | akò |
| 1st person | plural | exclusive | kami | namo | amo |
| 1st person | plural | inclusive | kita | nato | ato |
| 2nd person | singular | singular | ikaw, ka | nimo, mo | imo |
| 2nd person | plural | plural | kamo | ninro | inro |
| 3rd person | singular | singular | sida | nida | ida |
| 3rd person | plural | plural | sinra | ninra | inra |

### Cardinal Numbers

One-digit :
| English | Tagalog | Bantoanon | Spanish-derived |
| one | isa | usá | uno, una |
| two | dalawa | ruhá | dos |
| three | tatlo | tatló | tres |
| four | apat | ap-át | kuwatro |
| five | lima | limá | singko |
| six | anim | án-om | sais |
| seven | pito | pitó | siyete |
| eight | walo | wayó | otso |
| nine | siyam | sidám | nuwebe |
Bantoanon speakers prefer using Spanish-derived or English numbers for financial situations.
Two-digit :
| English | Tagalog | Bantoanon | Spanish-derived |
| ten | sampu | sampúyò | diyes |
| eleven | labing-isa | sampúyò ag usá | onse |
| twelve | labindalawa | sampúyò ag ruhá | dose |
| thirteen | labintatlo | sampúyò ag tatló | trese |
| fourteen | labing-apat | sampúyò ag ap-át | katorse |
| fifteen | labinlima | sampúyò ag limá | kinse |
| sixteen | labing-anim | sampúyò ag án-om | disisais |
| seventeen | labimpito | sampúyò ag pitó | disisiyete |
| eighteen | labingwalo | sampúyò ag wayó | disiotso |
| nineteen | labinsiyam | sampúyò ag sidám | disinuwebe |
| twenty | dalawampu | ruhámpúyò | baynte |
| twenty-one | dalawampu't isa | ruhámpúyò ag usá | baynte uno |
| twenty-two | dalawampu't dalawa | ruhámpúyò ag ruhá | baynte dos |
| twenty-three | dalawampu't tatlo | ruhámpúyò ag tatló | baynte tres |
| thirty | tatlumpu | tatlómpúyò | treynta |
| forty | apatnapu | ap-át nak púyò,ap-átampúyò | kuwarenta |
| fifty | limampu | limámpúyò | singkuwenta |
| sixty | animnapu | án-om nak púyò,an-omnapúyò | sesenta |
| seventy | pitumpu | pitómpúyò | sesenta |
| eighty | walumpu | wayómpúyò | otsenta |
| ninety | siyamnapu | sidámnapúyò | nobenta |
For numbers 11 to 90, Bantoanon speakers rarely use Bantoanon numbers, but instead their Spanish-derived counterparts even in contexts not related to finances.
Three-digit :
| English | Tagalog | Bantoanon | Spanish-derived |
| one-hundred | isang daan | usáng gatós | (un) siyento |
| two-hundred | dalawang daan | ruháng gatós | dos siyentos |
| three-hundred | tatlong daan | tatlóng gatós | tres siyentos |
| four-hundred | apat na raan | ap-át nak gatós | kuwatro siyentos |
| five-hundred | limang daan | limáng gatós | kinyentos |
| six-hundred | anim na raan | án-om nak gatós | sais siyentos |
| seven-hundred | pitong daan | pitóng gatós | siyete siyentos |
| eight-hundred | walong daan | wayóng gatós | otso siyentos |
| nine-hundred | siyam na raan | sidám nak gatós | nuwebe siyentos |
| one-hundred-twenty-three | isang daan at dalawampu't tatlo | usáng gatós ag ruhampúyò ag tatlo | siyento baynte'y tres |
Four-digit and above :
| Number | Tagalog | Bantoanon | Spanish-derived |
| 1,000 | isang libo | usáng líbo | (un) mil |
| 2,000 | dalawang libo | ruháng líbo | dos mil |
| 10,000 | sampung libo | sampúyòng líbo | diyes mil |
| 100,000 | isang daang libo | usáng gatós nak líbo | siyen mil |
| 1,000,000 | isang milyon | usáng milyón | (un) milyon |
| 1,234,567 | isang milyon dalawang daan at tatlumpu't apat na libo limang daan at animnapu't pito | usáng milyón ruhámpúyòng gatós ag tatlómpúyòng ap-át nak líbo limáng gatós ag an-óm nak púyò ag pitó | (un) milyon dos siyentos treynta'y kuwatro mil kinyentos sesenta'y siyete |

### Ordinal Numbers

| English | Tagalog | Bantoanon | Spanish-derived |
| first | una | primero | primero |
| second | pangalawa, ikalawa | pangaruhá, ikaruhá | segundo |
| third | pangatlo, ikatlo | pangatló, ikatatlo | tersero |
| fourth | pang-apat, ika-apat | pang ap-át, ikaap-át | kuwarto |
| fifth | panlima, ikalima | panlima, ika-limá | kinto |
| sixth | pang-anim, ikaanim | pang-an-óm, ika-an-óm | seksto |
| seventh | pampito, ikapito | pampito, ikapitó | septimo |
| eighth | pangwalo, ikawalo | pangwayó, ikawayó | oktabo |
| ninth | pangsiyam, ikasiyam | pangsidám, ikasidám | nobeno |
| tenth | pangsampu, ikasampu | pangsampúyò | desimo |

#### Legend

In Italics = rarely used and/or reconstructed based on existing vocabulary and grammar.

## Examples

Basic Phrases :
| English | Tagalog | Bantoanon | Kinaray-a |
| Yes | Oo | Óhò | Huód |
| No | Hindi | Indî - used to refuse or reject. Bukô - used when negating something. | Indi and Bëkën |
| Hello / How are you? | Kumusta ka? | Kumusta ka? | Kumusta kaw? |
| I'm fine, how about you? | Mabuti naman, ikaw? | Maado ra, ikaw? | Mayad man, ikaw? |
| What's your name? | Anong pangalan mo? | Nio ka imo ngayan? | Ano imo ngaran? |
| My name is... / I am... | Ako si... | Ako si... | Ako si... |
| How old are you? | Ilang taon ka na? | Piláng túigey ka? | Pira kaw ka tuig? |
| I am 24 years old. | Bente-kuwatro anyos na ako. | Báynte-kuwátro ányosey akó. | Baynte-kwatro anyos rën ako. |
| Please | Pakiusap | Palihog | Palihog |
| Thank you | Salamat | Salamat | Salamat |
| Thank you very much | Maraming Salamat | Maramong Salamat, Salamat nak gador | Rakë nga salamat. |
| I don't know | Hindi ko alam. Ewan. | Bukô náko ayám. Ilam. | Wara ako kamáan. |
| Help! | Tulong! | Tábang! | Tabang! |
| Help me! | Tulungan n'yo 'ko! | Tabángi akó! | Buligi ako!, Tabangi ako! |
| Where is the restroom? | Nasaan po ang CR? | Hariin kag CR? | Diin ang kasilyas? |
| How much is this? | Magkano po ito? | Tigpíla kalí? | Tagpira dya? |
| What time is it? | Anong oras na? | Nióng órasey? | Ano oras rën? |
| Just a minute! | Sandali lang! | Ánay yang! | Danay lang/lamang! |