Cebuano

## Overview

The **Cebuano** or **Cebuan language** also often referred to by most of its speakers simply as **Bisaya** (English translation: "Visayan", not to be confused with other Visayan languages), is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 21 million people in Central Visayas, western parts of Eastern Visayas and most parts of Mindanao, most of

whom belong to various Visayan ethnolinguistic groups, mainly the Cebuanos. While Filipino has the most number of speakers of Philippine languages, Cebuano has the largest native language-speaking population of the Philippines. It is by far the most widely spoken of the Visayan languages, which are in turn part of the wider Philippine languages.

It is the *lingua franca* of the Central Visayas, western parts of Eastern Visayas, some western parts of Palawan and most parts of Mindanao. The name Cebuano is derived from the island of Cebu, which is the urheimat or origin of the language. Cebuano is also the prime language in Western Leyte, noticeably in Ormoc and other municipalities surrounding the city, though most of the residents in the area name the Cebuano language by their own demonyms such as "Ormocanon" in Ormoc and "Albuerahanon" in Albuera.

## History

Cebuano, or its ancestor language, has been spoken since the Proto-Austronesian era (c. 6000 years ago) in the *Sugbu* (Cebu) heartland. The language "has spread from its base in Cebu" to nearby islands and also Bohol, eastern Negros, western and southern parts of Leyte and most parts of Mindanao, especially the northern, southern, and eastern parts of the large island.

Cebuano was first documented in a list of vocabulary compiled by Antonio Pigafetta, an Italian explorer who was part of and documented Ferdinand Magellan's 1521 expedition. Spanish missionaries started to write in the language during the early 18th century. As a result of the eventual 300-year Spanish colonial period, Cebuano contains many words of Spanish origin.

While there is evidence of a pre-Spanish writing system for the language, its use appears to have been sporadic. Spaniards recorded the Visayan script which was called *Kudlit-kabadlit* by the natives. The colonists erroneously called the ancient Filipino script "Tagalog letters", regardless of the language for which it was used. This script died out by the 17th century as it was gradually supplanted by the Latin script.

The language was heavily influenced by the Spanish language during the period of colonialism from 1565 to 1898. With the arrival of Spanish colonials, for example, a Latin-based writing system was introduced alongside a number of Spanish loanwords. Due to the influence of the Spanish language, the number of vowel sounds also increased from three to five.

## Cebuano excerpt from Wikipedia article "Sinugboanon"

Ang Sugboanon gitabi nga lunlon sa mga nagpuyo sa Sugbo, Bohol, sidlakang Negros, kasadpang bahin sa Leyte ug Biliran, ikatulong tunga sa Masbate ug sa kinatibuk-an sa Mindanao. Gitabi usab kini sa ubang mga lungsod sa Samar, ug sa Metro Manila. Hangtod sa tuig 1975, ang Sugboanon milabaw sa Tinagalog sa gidaghanon sa mga manggagamit, apan ang Sugboanon gihapon ang labing daghan og lumad nga manggagamit. Ang mga pagpamalhin sa Sugbo, Bohol ug Negros Oriental ngadto sa Mindanao ug bali-bali nakapadaghan sa Sugboanon nga mga manabiay sa Pilipinas. Ang ubang sinultian sa Sugboanon naghatag og lain-laing ngalan sa ilang pinulongan. Ang mga nagpuyo sa Bohol motawag niini og **Bol-anon** samtang ang mga Sugboanon ang pinulongan sa dapit sa Leyte motawag niini usahay og **Kana**. Kadaghanan sa ubang dapit motawag niining pinulongan isip **Binisaya** lang.

Gitabi usab kini sa mga Waray sa Leyte ug Samar, Porohanon sa Poro, mga Ilonggo sa Negros Oriental, Eskaya sa Bohol, ug sa mga lumad (sama sa mga Ata, Bagobo, Butuanon, Maranao ug Tausug) ug mga mibalhin nga mga Pilipinhong hungpong lumadnon (sama sa Ilokano ug Ilonggo), tagagawas nga mga lumadnong hugpong (sama sa Katsila-Pilipino, Intsek-Pilipino, Hapon-Pilipino, ug mga Koreyano-Pilipino, ug ubang mga tawo sa Mindanao isip ikaduhang pinulongan.