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STUDIES IN PHILIPPINE LANGUAGES & CULTURES

Supplementary Series No. 2 1987 Central Cagayan Agta texts


Roy Mayfield, comp.; Fe T. Otanes, Austin Hale, series eds.

Table of Contents, Acknowledgments, Biographical Information, Map, Introduction and Abbreviations and Symbols

ISSN 0116-0516 ISBN 971-1059-06-1

LINGUISTIC SOCIETY OF THE PHILIPPINES and SUMMER INSTITUTE OF L INGUISTICS

Sample Citation Format Ma. Lourdes S. Bautista. 1977. The noun phrase in TagalogEnglish code switching. Studies in Philippine Linguistics 1:1, 116. Online. URL: http://www.sil.org/asia/philippines/ [etc.] + access date.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments Biographical Information


Map

Introduction Abbreviations and Symbols Texts with Ethnographic and Linguistic Notes

iv v vi vii ix

1 The Day of the Wedding

2 Advice to One Who Seeks Marriage


3 My Dream Today

4 Who Is Guilty?
5 The Agtas' Fire

6 The Agtas' Poison

7 Mandaripan
8 A Story about Hunting

9 A Father's Advice to His Family


10 When We Rode an Airplane 11 Harvesting Honey from Bees
Appendix A: Agta Kinship and Social Organization Appendix B: Agta Religion Appendix C: A Tentative Grammatical Survey References

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS W e wish t o e x p r e s s o u r a p p r e c i a t i o n t o t h e Agta p e o p l e of Cagayan, e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e m u n i c i p a l i t i e s of G a t t a r a n and P e n a b l a n c a , f o r t h e welcome and h o s p i t a l i t y e x t e n d e d t o u s t o s t u d y t h e i r l a n g u a g e and c u l t u r e and f o r t h e i r e a g e r n e s s t o s h a r e t h e i r f o l k l o r e , e x p e r i e n c e s , and o t h e r i n t e r e s t i n g c u l t u r a l t r a i t s , some of which c o n s t i t u t e t h e b a s i s of t h i s volume. W e a r e i n d e b t e d t o Mr. Donato S a l b i n o , M r . Buldo Tagayun, M r . Andas S i m p l i c i o , M r . Pedro Cababag, and M r . Edwardo M o n d i j a r f o r t h e i r valuable a s s i s t a n c e i n providing the o r a l d i s c o u r s e s f o r recording and/or t h e i r e x p l a n a t i o n of v a r i o u s l i n g u i s t i c o r e t h n o g r a p h i c f e a t u r e s n o t W e a l s o owe a g r e a t d e b t t o D r . and Mrs. obvious i n t h e w r i t t e n t e x t s . Alan Healey o f t h e Summer I n s t i t u t e o f L i n g u i s t i c s , who p r o v i d e d u s w i t h t h e i r own i n v a l u a b l e r e s e a r c h m a t e r i a l s from t h e same l a n g u a g e and c u l t u r e : t e x t s , a d i c t i o n a r y , a p u b l i s h e d grammar, and u n p u b l i s h e d e t h n o g r a p h i c n o t e s a l l of which we have o n l y been a b l e t o supplement. The r e s p o n s i b i l i t y , however, f o r a n y e r r o r s o r o m i s s i o n s i n t h e t e x t s , a n a l y s i s , n o t e s , o r a p p e n d i x e s is o u r own.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION The f o l l o w i n g p e o p l e have c o n t r i b u t e d t e x t s t o t h i s volume: Andas S i m p l i c i o i s a man i n h i s e a r l y fifties w i t h no f o r m a l p u b l i c e d u c a t i o n . He i s f l u e n t i n I l o c a n o a s w e l l a s h i s own l a n g u a g e . Donato S a l b i n o i s a man i n h i s e a r l y s e v e n t i e s , who, w i t h no f o r m a l p u b l i c e d u c a t i o n , h a s s e r v e d a s t h e c o m p i l e r s ' main l a n g u a g e a s s i s t a n t f o r a number of y e a r s . He i s f l u e n t i n I l o c a n o a s w e l l a s h i s own l a n g u a g e . P e d r o Cababag i s a man i n h i s l a t e f i f t i e s o r e a r l y s i x t i e s . L i k e S a l b i n o he h a s had no f o r m a l p u b l i c e d u c a t i o n and i s f l u e n t i n I l o c a n o a s w e l l a s h i s own l a n g u a g e . Manggo Sapeda, now d e c e a s e d , was a man a b o u t s e v e n t y - f i v e y e a r s o l d a t t h e t i m e h i s t e x t , "A S t o r y a b o u t H u n t i n g , " was r e c o r d e d . F l u e n t i n I l o c a n o a s w e l l a s h i s own l a n g u a g e , he was known t o f u n c t i o n a s a p r i e s t and shaman among h i s p e o p l e . He was t h e r e c o g n i z e d r e l i g i o u s a u t h o r i t y , n o t e d f o r a b i l i t y t o h e a l p e o p l e , and most v e r s a t i l e i n s i n g i n g p r a y e r s t o t h e departed ancestors. T e x t s 3 , 4 , and 7 were r e c o r d e d by t h e H e a l e y s a b o u t 1955 and t h e n a r r a t o r s a r e n o t known. The r e c o r d i n g d a t e of e a c h o f t h e o t h e r t e x t s , where is i n d i c a t e d beneath t h e r e s p e c t i v e t i t l e s f o l l o w i n g t h e n a r r a t o r ' s known, name.

, ' -

Location

of the

Central Cagayan Agta


Language Group.

Thtl Philippines

INTRODUCTION The e l e v e n t e x t s p r e s e n t e d h e r e were compiled and a n a l y z e d f o r t h e purpose of p r e s e r v i n g e v i d e n c e s o f t h e C e n t r a l Cagayan Agca c u l t u r e and l a n g u a g e . The t e x t s were c o l l e c t e d o v e r a t h i r t y - y e a r p e r i o d , by D r . and Mrs. Alan H e a l e y d u r i n g 1955-57, and t h e p r e s e n t c o m p i l e r s d u r i n g 1958-85, under t h e a u s p i c e s of t h e Summer I n s t i t u t e of L i n g u i s t i c s . I n t h e f i r s t t e n t e x t s t h e morpheme b r e a k s a r e i n d i c a t e d . ( I n t e x t 1 1 not a l l morpheme b r e a k s a r e i n d i c a t e d . ) The numbers o f t h e e t h n o g r a p h i c and l i n g u i s t i c n o t e s c o r r e l a t e w i t h t h e numbers of t h e s e n t e n c e s i n t h e i m m e d i a t e l y p r e c e d i n g t e x t i n which t h e words d i s c u s s e d a r e t o be found. Four g e n r e s of t e x t s a r e i n c l u d e d : f o u r n a r r a t i v e , two h o r t a t o r y , two f o l k l o r e , and t h r e e p r o c e d u r a l . It w i l l be o b s e r v e d t h a t t h e p r o c e d u r a l t e x t s a r e n o t s t r i c t l y p r o c e d u r a l i n t h e u s u a l s e n s e . R a t h e r , t h e r e is a f a i r amount o f n a r r a t i v e o r h i s t o r y mixed i n . W e perceive t h e reason f o r t h i s t o be t h a t A g t a s , who a r e a n o r a l s o c i e t y , a r e n o t accustomed t o a b s t r a c t i n g p r o c e d u r e from r e a l - l i f e c o n t e x t s . R a t h e r , t h e i r devices for memory a r e i n o r a l f e a t u r e s , s u c h a s rhythm and d i a l o g ( s e e Ong 1 9 8 2 ) . The Agta l a n g u a g e i s a member of t h e Malayo-Polynesian ( A u s t r o n e s i a n ) g r o u p i t is of l a n g u a g e s spoken t h r o u g h o u t t h e P h i l i p p i n e s . More s p e c i f i c a l l y , r e l a t e d t o t h e I b a n a g l a n g u a g e s found i n t h e Cagayan V a l l e y . I t i s a p p r o x i m a t e l y f i f t y p e r c e n t c o g n a t e w i t h t h e main I b a n a g l a n g u a g e a s w e l l a s w i t h I l o c a n o (Healey 1960:l). phonemes o f Agta are: a , X , b , d , e , f , g , h , i , k, 1, m , n , n g , o , p , r , s , t , u , v , w, y , z , and - ( g l o t t a l s t o p ) . The vowels a and 3 a r e mid c e n t r a l and low c e n t r a l r e s p e c t i v e l y i n t h e phoneme chart, l'her; is a l s o a The c o n s i d e r a b l e d e g r e e o f f r e e f l u c t u a t i o n between h and W e have found t h a t a l l forms o c c u r r i n g w i t h r may a l s o be pronounced i n s t e a d w i t h h; however, t h e r e v e r s e i s more r e s t r i c t e d . G l o t t a l s t o p i s w r i t t e n o n l y i n consonant c l u s t e r s . T h e r e a r e no vowel c l u s t e r s i n t h e l a n g u a g e ; hence c o n t i g u o u s v o w e l s i n t e x t must be pronounced w i t h an intervocalic glottal. (Morphophonemic changes o c c u r between c o n t i g u o u s v o w e l s , between vowel and c o n s o n a n t , and between c o n n e c t i n g c o n s o n a n t s ; t h e p a t t e r n s of morphophonemic change a r e d e s c r i b e d i n Appendix C.) The Agta a r e a P h i l i p p i n e N e g r i t o m i n o r i t y p e o p l e l i v i n g i n t h e c e n t r a l r e g i o n o f Cagayan P r o v i n c e i n t h e n o r t h e a s t e r n p a r t of t h e i s l a n d of Luzon, from t h e Cagayan R i v e r on t h e west t o t h e f o o t h i l l s o f t h e S i e r r a Madre m o u n t a i n s on t h e e a s t , and from t h e n o r t h e r n boundary of L a l l o m u n i c i p a l i t y t o c e n t r a l P e n a b l a n c a m u n i c i p a l i t y i n t h e s o u t h . M i g r a t i o n i n t o Penablanca h a s been o n l y v e r y r e c e n t , s i n c e e a r l y 1984. Another s m a l l g r o u p h a s been l i v i n g i n t h e e x t r e m e n o r t h e a s t c o a s t a l a r e a n e a r t h e towns of S a n t a Ana and San V i c e n t e , a l t h o u g h N e g r i t o s i n t h i s a r e a p r i o r t o 1981 belong t o a d i f f e r e n t l a n g u a g e g r o u p r e f e r r e d t o i n t h e l i t e r a t u r e a s E a s t e r n Cagayan Agta. T h e r e h a s n e v e r been a completed o f f i c i a l c e n s u s of t h e C e n t r a l Cagayan Agta. However, t e n t a t i v e s u r v e y s made i n 1957 by Alan Healey and Dick Roe o f t h e Summer I n s t i t u t e of L i n g u i s t i c s ( u n p u b l i s h e d d a t a i n SIL s u r v e y f i l e s ) r e s u l t e d i n a n e s t i m a t e of a b o u t s i x hundred Agtas ( s e e a l s o Healey

r.

viii

Introduction

1 9 6 0 : l ) . D u r i n g 1979-80 t h e p r e s e n t c o m p i l e r s had r e g u l a r c o n t a c t w i t h a b o u t two hundred Agtas l i v i n g i n t h e m u n i c i p a l i t y of G a t t a r a n on a t h r e e hundred-hectare c i v i l r e s e r v a t i o n f o r m i n o r i t y groups, p a r t i c u l a r l y Agtas. It seems r e a s o n a b l e t o assume t h a t i n t h e o t h e r m u n i c i p a l i t i e s where Agtas t r a d i t i o n a l l y l i v e d t h e r e were more t h a n a n o t h e r f o u r hundred. A g t a s h a v e t r a d i t i o n a l l y l i v e d a seminomadic l i f e s t y l e . M a r r i a g e a l l i a n c e s g i v e them r e a s o n t o t r a v e l e x t e n s i v e l y t h r o u g h o u t t h e i r l a n g u a g e t e r r i t o r y and sometimes even beyond i t . They may remain f o r d a y s o r even months a t a time. Every f a m i l y , however, h a s a t e r r i t o r y which i t c o n s i d e r s -lugar m i ' o u r p l a c e ' where t h e y know e v e r y d e t a i l of t h e f o r e s t , i t s s t r e a m s , specific t r e e s , h i l l s , etc., and where t h e y have i n t i m a t e t r a d i n g r e l a t i o n s h i p s w i t h lowland f a r m e r s l i v i n g around t h e f r i n g e s o f t h e f o r e s t s . A f a m i l i a r a r e a may be a b o u t one hundred s q u a r e k i l o m e t e r s , and v i r t u a l l y a n y s p o t n o t b e i n g l i v e d on o r used f o r f a r m i n g may be s e l e c t e d a s a b u i l d i n g s i t e f o r a s m a l l community of one t o s i x h o u s e s . Community s i t e s may c h a n g e two o r t h r e e t i m e s a y e a r and even be r e v i s i t e d d e p e n d i n g upon t h e form o f a c t i v i t y t h a t i s i n s e a s o n f o r making a l i v i n g . P l a n t i n g and h a r v e s t s e a s o n s f o r t h e lowland f a r m e r s w i l l f i n d t h e A g t a s l i v i n g n e a r b y i n o r d e r t o t a k e a d v a n t a g e of work i n t h e s e a c t i v i t i e s . S l a c k t i m e s f o r lowland f a r m e r s w i l l f i n d t h e Agtas l i v i n g c l o s e r t o o r i n t h e F o r e s t s , h u n t i n g o r g a t h e r i n g r a t t a n and o t h e r s a l a b l e p r o d u c t s which t h e y t r a d e f o r rice o r s e l l i n t h e m a r k e t s . P r i o r t o 1978 we knew of no l i t e r a t e Agtas ( s e e a l s o H e a l e y 1 9 6 0 : l ) . Three s e p a r a t e l i t e r a c y c o u r s e s c o n d u c t e d d u r i n g 1978-84 r e s u l t e d i n t h i r t y - f i v e p e r s o n s a c q u i r i n g v a r y i n g d e g r e e s o f l i t e r a t e a b i l i t y i n t h e i r own l a n g u a g e and some a b i l i t y t o b r i d g e i n t o t h e I l o c a n o l a n g u a g e . Of t h i s number t w e l v e became t u t o r s f o r b e g i n n e r s i n t h e l a t e s t c o u r s e ( 1 9 8 4 ) . At p r e s e n t two of t h e s e t u t o r s o r " l a y t e a c h e r s " a r e employed by t h e Department of E d u c a t i o n . C u l t u r e and S p o r t s t o a s s i s t i n a p i l o t program of m o b i l e s c h o o l s f o r Agtas i n b a r r i o Aguggudan, P e n a b l a n c a . T r a d i t i o n a l l y , Agtas have been c o n s i d e r e d n o n - C h r i s t i a n s a s a c u l t u r a l m i n o r i t y . However, s i n c e 1967 a number have embraced a P r o t e s t a n t Form of C h r i s t i a n b e l i e f i n r e s p o n s e t o p o r t i o n s of t h e C h r i s t i a n S c r i p t u r e s t r a n s l a t e d i n t o t h e i r l a n g u a g e . A v i a b l e C h r i s t i a n community now e x i s t s which i s c o m p l e t e l y i n d i g e n o u s i n n a t u r e , m a i n l y i n t h e m u n i c i p a l i t i e s of P e n a b l a n c a and G a t t a r a n . O v e r a l l , a p p r o x i m a t e l y one hundred p e o p l e have i n d i c a t e d i n one way o r a n o t h e r t h a t t h e y no l o n g e r a d h e r e t o a n i m i s t i c r e l i g i o u s p r a c t i c e s o r r i t u a l s due t o t h e i r c o n v e r s i o n t o f a i t h i n God and t h e t e a c h i n g s of t h e C h r i s t i a n S c r i p t u r e s .

ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS

A9 ACF ACT AG AGT APT ASS AST AU BEN CAS

CERT
CJ

CM
CN CNF CONC D DAT DIM DIST E EXPER EXT FR G GN ID

Ilk.
INC INJ INS INT

IRR
QT LF LM LO

MAN
MS N NEG

NP
NU 0 OF OPT

OR
P PA PAS

abstract accessory focus active voice augmentative aspect agent aptative mode associate associative mode authentic benefactive causative voice certainty conjunction completed tense/completive particle continuative aspect confirmatory concessive demonstrative dative diminutive distributive emphatic experiencer existential fortuitous aspect genitive general mode identifier Ilocano borrowing incomplete tense interjection instrument intensifier irrealis quotation locative focus limitative particles locativizer manner measurement nominative case negative nonpersonal neutral tense oblique case object focus optative origin personal personal-associate passive voice

A b b r e v i a t i o n s and Symbols

PAT PL PLE PLEX PLG PLIN PLN PLO PO PR PRY PRB PRS PS PUNC

Q
QT RCM REC RECIP RN RP RQ RS RSL RSM RSP SE SG SIM SIN SN

so

SP ST SURP

1 2 3 4
=

r*

patient plural p l u r a l emphatic plural exclusive plural genitive plural inclusive p l u r a l nominative plural oblique possessive p r i o r time priority probability persistence positional aspect punctiliar quest ion quotation r e l a t i v e c l a u s e marker reciprocal voice recipient r h e t o r i c a l negative repetitive aspect request r e p o r t e d speech resultant resemblance response s i n g u l a r emphatic singular genitive simultaneity single s i n g u l a r nominative singular oblique s p e c i a l mode stative surprise f i r s t personlnear speaker second p e r s o n l n e a r h e a r e r t h i r d person/semiremote remote d i s c o n t i n u o u s morpheme i n d e t e r m i n a t e morpheme boundary ( i n g l o s s l i n e s ) s e m a n t i c , g r a m m a t i c a l components ( i n g l o s s l i n e s ) d i s c o n t i n u o u s morpheme a l t e r n a t i v e r e l a t e d meaning see note compound g l o s s undetermined meaning word o r words o m i t t e d

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