Onhan language

Not to be confused with Ongan languages.

Onhan is a regional Western Bisayan language spoken, along with the Romblomanon and Asi languages, in the province of Romblon, Philippines.^[2] The language is also known as Inunhan and Loocnon.

• The Onhan language has three variants – those spoken in the municipalities of Santa Maria and Alcantara use /l/ instead of /r/. Example: kararaw is kalalaw, and other speakers change /r/ or /l/ to /d/ as in run or lun to dun.

Onhan
Loocnon, Inonhan
Native to	Philippines
Region	Romblon
Native speakers	(86,000 cited 2000)[1]
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Philippine Central Philippine Bisayan Western Bisayan Onhan
Language codes
ISO 639-3	loc
Glottolog	inon1237
Inonhan language map based on Ethnologue

Specifically, Onhan is spoken on the following islands within Romblon:

• Tablas: the municipalities of San Andres, Santa Maria, Alcantara, Ferrol, Looc, and Santa Fe and some upland sitios in Odiongan,.
• Carabao: the sole municipality of San Jose.

As a variant of the Kinaray-a language, some speakers are found on the island of Boracay in Aklan province as well as parts of the island of Panay, specifically in the following municipalities: Malay, Nabas and Buruanga. In the provinces of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, migrant Onhan speakers from Tablas Island brought the language to the following municipalities: San Jose, Magsaysay, Bulalacao, Mansalay, Roxas, and some parts of Bongabong. As such, it is very much related to Kinaray-a and Kuyonon.

Grammar

Pronouns

	Absolutive1 (emphatic)	Absolutive2 (non-emphatic)	Ergative	Oblique
1st person singular	ako	takon	nakon, ko	akon
2nd person singular	ikaw, kaw	timo	nimo, mo	imo
3rd person singular	imaw	–	nana	ana
1st person plural inclusive	kita	taton	naton, ta	aton
1st person plural exclusive	kami	tamon	namon	amon
2nd person plural	kamo	tinyo	ninyo	inyo
3rd person plural	sanda	–	nanda	anda

Numbers

Number	Onhan
1	Isyá
2	Darwá
3	Tatló
4	Ap-at
5	Limá
6	An-um
7	Pitó
8	Waló
9	Siyám
10	Púlô
100	Isya-kagatús
1000	Isya-kalibó
First	Una
Second	Pangalwa
Third	Pangatlo
Fourth	Pang-ap-at
Fifth	Pang-limá
Sixth	Pang-an-um
Seventh	Pang-pitó
Eighth	Pang-waló
Ninth	Pang-siyám
Tenth	Pang-púlô

Literature

The New Testament was translated into Bisaya-Inunhan by Eldon Leano Talamisan and published in 1999.

The Harrow (Ang Singkaw), an official publication of Romblon State University, publishes Inunhan poems, stories and other genres of literature.