Ifugao language

Ifugao or Batad is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken in the northern valleys of Ifugao, Philippines. It is a member of the Northern Luzon subfamily and is closely related to the Bontoc and Kankanaey languages.^[2] It is a dialect continuum, and its four main varieties—such as Tuwali—are sometimes considered separate languages.^[3]

Ifugao
Native to	Philippines
Region	Ifugao, Luzon
Native speakers	(130,000 cited 1987–2007)[1]
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Philippine Northern Luzon Meso-Cordilleran Central Cordilleran Nuclear Cordilleran Ifugao
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Variously: ifb – Batad Ifugao ifa – Amganad Ifugao ifu – Mayoyao Ifugao ifk – Tuwali language
Glottolog	ifug1247
Area where the Ifugao dialect continuum is spoken according to Ethnologue

Loanwords from other languages, such as Ilokano, are replacing some older terminology.^[4]

Dialects

Ethnologue reports the following locations for each of the four Ifugao languages.

• Amganad Ifugao: spoken in Hungduan and Banaue municipalities of Ifugao Province, and into southwestern Mountain Province. 27,100 speakers as of 2000. Dialects are Burnay Ifugao and Banaue Ifugao.
• Batad Ifugao (Ayangan Ifugao): spoken in central Ifugao Province. There are also some speakers in Isabela Province, on the eastern shore of the Magat reservoir. 10,100 speakers as of 2002. Dialects include Ducligan Ifugao.
• Mayoyao Ifugao (Mayaoyaw): spoken in Ifugao Province, (northern Mayoyao, Aguinaldo, and Alfonso Lista municipalities) and Mountain Province (2 small border areas). 30,000 speakers as of 2007.
• Tuwali Ifugao (Gilipanes, Ifugaw, Kiangan Ifugao, Quiangan, Tuwali): spoken in southern Ifugao Province. 30,000 speakers as of 2000. Dialects are Hapao Ifugao, Hungduan Ifugao, and Lagawe Ifugao.

Phonology

Consonants

		Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Plosive	voiceless	p	t		k	ʔ
	voiced	b	d		ɡ
Nasal		m	n		ŋ
Fricative						h
Lateral			l
Approximant		w		j

• Other sounds such as /s/ and /r/ occur in loanwords.

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i		ʊ ~ u
Mid	ɛ	ə	ɔ
Open		a

• /ʊ/ can also be heard as close-back [u].
• /ə/ does not exist in the Tuwali dialect.^[5]
• /i/ can also be heard as [ɪ].^[6]

Orthography

The unified Ifugao alphabet is as follows: A, B, D, E, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, Ng, O, P, T, U, W, Y. The letters are pronounced differently depending on the dialect of the speaker.^[7]