Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-02
LIMOGES IN THE PHILIPPINES.
A Missionary Writes About the DIM
culttes of Acquiring Them.
From the Albany Argus.

A Missionary Writes About the Dim-
culties of Acquiring Them.
From the Albany Argus.
James B. Rogers, row engaged in mis-
sionary work in the Philippines, writes:
Perhaps the obstacle that looms most
threateningly before US at present is the
question of the language. One who lives in
country like ours can scarcely understand
how it is possible that in travelling fifty
| miles one meets q change of dialect, and
that 1t Is estimated that among these 9,OOO,-
| GOO people there are from forty to sixty diff
ferent dialects.
In the narrow circle Of our own home
we nave people who can speak total Of
seven or eight languages. My teacher, who
comes In every day. speaks Tagalog and
Spanish The boy who polishes our floors
for the sum of s. a month can speak his
own language, which is Bicol, the tongue
OF southeastern LuZon Tagalog, Spanish
and Pampango, the language of his wife
Besides this, an 1locano and a Chinaman
shed the light Of their countenances at
times on our home. So you see we have
English, Spanish. Portuguese, Tagalog
Ilccano, Bico, Pampango, Chinese eight in
all. And the Gospel should be preached in
every one of the languages Fortunately
the languages are somewhat similar being
all of the same family. The Tagalogs, who
are the strongest race. both numerically
and intellectually, say that If one has their
language he will be able to learn any of
the others that he may need very easily
Resting on that assurance 1 am studying
the Tagalog with what seems very little
success.
my colleague. Mr.. Hubbard, is still at
work on the Spanish, and is rapidly learn
| ing to speak 1t.
He is, however, haunted by the feeling
| that when he gains a working Knowledge Of
| 1t, it will be useless, because SO small a
proportion of the people speak Spanish, and
harlnGa will folyn
| of Spanish. All this is bit discouraging
l think that he will soon take up the vi
| saya, the language of the southern islands,
| and of almost equal importance with the
| Tagalog, with a view to opening another
! station when the war Is over At present
| he is visiting the southern part of the archi-
pelago to spy out the land
ct find the Tagalog Interesting Int have
| so little time for study apart from my other
duties that fear it will take a long time to
conquer 1t. Then, again, when one is ten
years younger than am 1t is easier to ma
nipulate the vocal cords to fit new sounds.
However, it Is necessary, and 1 am sure
| that we shall be able to learn the tongue of
this people.
1.-The language Is of Malay origin and
| quite similar In its construction, they saw
| to the Malay. 1t Is root language May
be the term Is not scientific, but it expresses
| my idea, The language is made up of roots
OF short words OF elementary meaning
mostly of two syllables. To these roots are
| affixed and prefXed PARTICLES short sylla-
bles, sometimes one, at others four. There
| Is no plural; one must use a separate word
\ to denote the plural. There are no differ
| ences due to gender; you speak of the 'fe-
male SON for daughter and male spouse
for husband
"Adjectives are formed by placing the
| syllable ma before the root and their COM
paratives and superlatives by a repetition
of the root. For example. 'ma-tamis- tamis'
tives is formed by the repetition of the first
| syllable of the root as in English one
might say 'beau-beautiful,' when speaking
| of more than one person. Perhaps our
| 'goody-goody' comes from the same idea
THE verbs are similarly formed. and
seem at first glance very simple There are
no moods, no numbers, no person, and only
| six lenses. In compensation for this, how
ever, there are seventeen regular ways of
forming the active and an equal number in
| the passive, each with its special particle
Then there are three sets of particles used
| to form the passives. This does not count
| a fair number Of extras, also used at times
| The principle is that each of these seven
teen different setslof particles gives to the
| power direction toward or from, pretense
repetition, plurality &c.
| For example, the same word is used for
all these variations The word or root
| 'sGlat' means to write, and is used with the
| particle 'um' as 'sumulat.' Manulat' is to
| write as a business, like a copyist Nav
sulat means to be able to write 'Magpa-
sulat' means tell him to write And there
are others. Now let some bright mathema-
tician calculate how many variations can
be obtained from thirty-four particles, six
| lenses and three kinds Of passive
| But this is prosy, and, perhaps, unintel-
| ligible to some. Fortunately one does not
| have to use all these variations for in the
| spoken languages the simple root forms are
used to great extent There is a pleasant
| ripple about the language, and it has no
| harsh sounds The pronunciation is sim
| pie and easy, and, on the whole. there is a
/ chance that the language will soon be ac-
quired.
This large number of languages presents
great difficulties to the translators and pub
l fishers Of the Bible. Up to the war there