| Tausūg | |
|---|---|
| Bahasa Sūg,بَهَسَ سُوْغْ | |
| Native to | Philippines Malaysia Indonesia |
| Region | — Spoken throughout theSulu Archipelago (Basilan and Tawi-Tawi), southern Palawan,easternSabah and northern portion ofNorth Kalimantan — Also spoken inZamboanga City andZamboanga Peninsula |
| Ethnicity | Tausūg |
Native speakers | 1.93 million (2013–2020)[1][a] |
| Latin (Filipino alphabet) Arabic (Jawi alphabet) HistoricallyLuntar Sūg | |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Regional language in thePhilippines |
| Regulated by | Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | tsg |
| Glottolog | taus1251 |
 Areas where Tausūg is the majority language | |
| This article containsIPA phonetic symbols. Without properrendering support, you may seequestion marks, boxes, or other symbols instead ofUnicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, seeHelp:IPA. | |
Tausūg (Bahasa Sūg,بَهَسَ سُوْغْ,[3][4]Filipino:Bahása Sug,Malay:Bahasa Suluk, بهاس سولوق,lit. 'Language of Sulu/the Tausūg people') is anAustronesian language spoken in theprovince ofSulu in thePhilippines and in the eastern area of the state ofSabah,Malaysia. It is widely spoken in theSulu Archipelago (Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, andBasilan), theZamboanga Peninsula (Zamboanga del Norte,Zamboanga Sibugay,Zamboanga del Sur, andZamboanga City), southernPalawan,Malaysia (easternSabah), andIndonesia (Tarakan City andNunukan Regency, province ofNorth Kalimantan).
Tausūg has some lexical similarities or near similarities withSurigaonon language of the provincesSurigao del Norte,Surigao del Sur, andAgusan del Sur and with theButuanon language ofAgusan del Norte; it has also some vocabulary similarities withSugbuanon,Bicolano, and with otherPhilippine languages.[3] ManyMalay andArabic words are found in Tausug language.
In English, the language is primarily known as Tausug (i.e., Tausug language). The local name of the language isbahasa Sūg orSinūg. The term Tausūg (tau Sūg, meaning "people of Sulu") is derived from two words:tau ("person") andSūg[5]
Sūg is the modern form of the older termSulug (meaning "[sea] currents"), which was also the old name of the island ofJolo. It is derived fromProto-Malayo-Polynesian *sələg (“flowing water, current”), and is acognate ofCebuanosulog,Tagalogsilig, andMalaysuluk (a borrowing).[6]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(April 2021) |
Tausūg is anAustronesian language. It is classified by linguists as being a member of theBisayan languages family, which includesCebuano andWaray.[7] In particular, it has many similarities with theSurigaonon language of the provincesSurigao del Norte,Surigao del Sur andAgusan del Sur and with theButuanon language ofAgusan del Norte[7] – both spoken in northeastern Mindanao; hence, Zorc (1977) groups these three languages as part of a "South Bisayan" grouping.
| This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(April 2021) |
Tausūg is primarily spoken in theSulu Archipelago, which aside from the island ofSulu, also includes theTawi-Tawi chain of islands and the island ofBasilan. It is alingua franca spoken in different areas/islands of the archipelago.[8]
Due to migration, the language is also spoken alongside other local languages in theZamboanga Peninsula (e.g., Cebuano andChavacano), which includes the provinces ofZamboanga del Norte,Zamboanga Sibugay,Zamboanga del Sur, andZamboanga City. It is also spoken in SouthernPalawan, EasternSabah,Malaysia and inTarakan City andNunukan Regency,North Kalimantan,Indonesia.
Tausūg has three vowel phonemes: /a/, /i/, /u/, with phonemic length (e.g.īpun, "shrimp" vs.ipun, "tooth"). Stress is not phonemic and usually occurs on the final syllable.[9]
The vowel phonemes have a broad range ofallophones:[10]
Tausūg has expectedly developed some variations in accent and vocabulary from one area to another, but there are two basic dialects characterized by differences with regard to vowel sounds. The "Gimbahanun" (literally means people from the farm) speakers, the residents of the out-of-town rural areas, use four vowels: /a/, /i/, /u/ and /ə/,[11] the last vowel representing schwa sound or "obscure u", a retention fromProto-Philippine andProto-Bisayan. The "Parianun", the residents of the urban areas, use only three vowel phonemes: /a/, /i/, /u/,;[12] the loss of /ə/ is common in many Bisayan and other Philippine languages.
The consonant phonemes are:[13]
| Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ŋ | |||
| Plosive Affricate | voiceless | p | t | k | ʔ | |
| voiced | b | d | d͡ʒ⟨j⟩ | ɡ | ||
| Fricative | f | s | h | |||
| Approximant | l | j⟨y⟩ | w | |||
| Trill | r | |||||
Allophones:[10]
Medial gemination (of all non-glottal consonants) is phonemic.[10]
Tausūg has three pronoun sets:[14][15]
| nominative | genitive | oblique | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person | singular | aku | اَكُ | -ku | ـكُ | kāku' | كَاكُؤْ | |
| dual | kita | كِتَ | -ta / -natu' | ـتَ / ـنَتُؤْ | kātu' | كَاتُؤْ | ||
| plural | exclusive | kami | كَمِ | -namu | ـنَمُؤْ | kāmu' | كَامُؤْ | |
| inclusive | kitanyu | كِتَپُ | -taniyu / -natu'nyu | ـتَپُ / ـنَتُؤْپُ | katu'nyu, katu'tanyu | کَاتُؤْپُ / كَاتُؤْتَپُ | ||
| 2nd person | singular | ikaw / kaw | اِكَوْ / كَوْ | -mu | ـمُ | kaymu | كَيْمُ | |
| plural | kamu | كَمُ | -nyu | ـپُ | kanyu | كَپُ | ||
| 3rd person | singular | siya | سِيَ | -niya | ـنِيَ | kaniya | كَنِيَ | |
| plural | sila | سِلَ | -nila | ـنِلَ | kanila | كَنِلَ | ||
The case markers of Tausūg are:[16]
| nominative | genitive | oblique | |
|---|---|---|---|
| common | in | sin | ha |
| اِنْ | سِنْ | هَ | |
| proper singular | hi | kan | |
| هِ | كَنْ | ||
| proper plural | hinda' | kanda' | |
| هِنْدَ | كَنْدَ | ||
Non-subject undergoers take the oblique marker when definite or a proper noun, but indefinite common nouns take the genitive markersin.
The positive existential ("there is") isaun, the negative existential ("there is none") isway.[17]
| English | Tausug |
|---|---|
| Who? | Siyu?/Hisiyu?[7] |
| What? | Unu? |
| Where? | Diin? / Hariin? / Hāin? (contracted Hariin) / Haunu? (Ha+uuu) |
| Why? | Mayta'? / Mahi? |
| When? (future) | Ku'nu? |
| When? (past) | Ka'nu? |
| How? (manner) | Biya'diin? |
| How many? | Pila? |
Verbs in Tausūg are inflected forfocus andaspect.[18]
| completed | progressive | contemplative | imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actor focus | ⟨im⟩ nag- naN- | C⟨im⟩V- nag-CV- naN-CV- | ‹um› mag- maN- | ∅ ∅ paN- |
| Patient focus | ⟨i⟩ | C⟨iy⟩V- | -un | -a |
| Locative focus | ⟨i⟩ -an | C⟨iy⟩V- -an | -an | -i |
| Instrument focus | ⟨i⟩ | C⟨iy⟩V- | hi- | -an |
Affixes expressing ability:
| completed | progressive | contemplative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Actor focus | naka- | nakaka- | maka- |
| Patient focus | na- | na-CV- | ma- |
| Locative focus | kiya- -an | kiya-CV- -an | ka- -an |
| Instrument focus | kiya- | kiya-CV- | hika- |
| Tausug | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | isa / hambuuk | اِسَ |
| 2 | duwa | دُوَ |
| 3 | tū | تُوْ |
| 4 | upat | اُفَتْ |
| 5 | lima | لِيْمَ |
| 6 | unum | اُنُمْ |
| 7 | pitu | فِتُ |
| 8 | walu | وَلُ |
| 9 | siyam | سِيَمْ |
| 10 | hangpū' | هَڠْفُؤْ |
| 11 | hangpū' tag isa | هَڠْفُؤْ تَغِسَ |
| 20 | kawha'an | كَوْهَأَنْ |
| 30 | katlu'an | كَتْلُؤَنْ |
| 40 | kapatan | كَفَتَنْ |
| 50 | kay'man | كَيْئْمَنْ |
| 60 | kanuman | كَأْنُمَنْ |
| 70 | kapituwan | كَفِتُوَنْ |
| 80 | kawaluwan | كَوَلُوَنْ |
| 90 | kasiyaman | كَسِيَمَنْ |
| 100 | hanggatus / gatus | هَڠْغَتُسْ / غَتُسْ |
| 1,000 | hangibu / ibu | هَڠِيْبُ / إِيْبُ |
| 1,282 | hangibu tag duwang gatus tag kawaluwan tag duwa | هَڠِيْبُ تَغْدُوَڠْ غَتُسْ تَغْكَوَلُوَنْ تَغْدُوَ |
| 2,000 | duwa nga'ibu | دُوَ ڠَئِيْبُ |
| 10,000 | hangpu' nga'ibu | هَڠْپُؤْ ڠَئِيْبُ |
Tausūg is today primarily written using the Latin alphabet. Historically, it had previously been written using the Arabic alphabet. The script used was derived fromJawi used in writing theMalay language. The script is referred to asSulat Sug
The Arabic script used to write Tausūg differs in some aspects from the script used for Arabic and in the Jawi script used for Malay.[15]
In Sulu, there is no separate letter for [g]. Whereas in Jawi, the sound [g] is represented with the letterغ (which has a pronunciation [ɣ] in Arabic) is reserved for Arabic loanwords, and sometimes the letterݢ.
In Sulu, there is no differentiation between [f] and [p]. Whereas in Jawi, the lettersف andڤ are used respectively, in Sulu the letterف is used in all instances.
For the sound [ɲ] in the final position, in Sulu, the letterپ is used whereas in Malay Jawi, the letterڽ is instead used. The letterپ is associated with the sound [p] inPersian and other scripts derived from Persian. In both Malay Jawi and Sulu the letterپـ/ڽـ is used in all other positions.
For the sound [k] in the final position, in Malay Jawi, the letterک is used, having the same form as when in initial or medial positions. In Sulu, similar to Arabic, it is customary to useك.
| Letter | A | B | D | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Alip | bā' | dāl | gā' | hā' | ī | jīm | kāp | lām | mīm |
| IPA | /a/ | /b/,/β/ | /d/ | /ɡ/,/ɣ/ | /h/,/ɦ/ | /i/ | /dʒ/ | /k/ | /l/ | /m/ |
| Letter | N | Ng | P | R | S | T | U | W | Y | ' |
| Name | nūn | ngā' | pā' | rā' | sīn | tā' | ū | wāw | yā' | hamja |
| IPA | /n/ | /ŋ/ | /p/ | /r/,/ɹ/ | /s/ | /t/ | /u/ | /w/ | /j/ | /ʔ/ |
| Character | Isolated | Initial | Medial | Final | Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ا | ﺍ | ﺎ | alip | ||
| ب | ب | بـ | ـبـ | ـب | bā' |
| ت | ﺕ | ﺗ | ـﺘ | ـﺖ | tā' |
| ث | ث | ثـ | ـثـ | ـث | sā(thā') |
| پ | پ | پـ | ـپـ | ـپ | nyā' |
| ج | ﺝ | ﺟ | ـﺠ | ـﺞ | jīm |
| ح | ح | حـ | ـحـ | ـح | hā' |
| خ | خ | خـ | ـخـ | ـخ | khā' |
| چ | چ | چـ | ـچـ | ـچ | chā' |
| د | د | ـد | dāl | ||
| ذ | ذ | ـذ | jāl | ||
| ر | ﺭ | ـر | rā' | ||
| ز | ز | ـز | jā' | ||
| س | ﺱ | ﺳ | ـﺴ | ـﺲ | sīn |
| ش | ش | شـ | ـشـ | ـش | sīn |
| ص | ص | صـ | ـصـ | ـص | sād |
| ض | ض | ضـ | ـضـ | ـض | dād |
| ط | ط | طـ | ـطـ | ـط | tā' |
| ظ | ظ | ظـ | ـظـ | ـظ | lā' |
| ع | ع | عـ | ـعـ | ـع | 'ayn |
| غ | ﻍ | ﻏ | ـﻐـ | ـﻎ | gayn |
| ڠ | ڠ | ڠـ | ـڠـ | ـڠ | ngā' |
| ف | ﻑ | ﻓ | ـﻔ | ـﻒ | pā' |
| ق | ق | قـ | ـقـ | ـق | kāp |
| ك | ك | كـ | ـكـ | ـك | kāp |
| ل | ﻝ | ﻟ | ـﻠ | ـﻞ | lām |
| م | ﻡ | ﻣ | ـﻤ | ـﻢ | mīm |
| ن | ﻥ | ﻧ | ـﻨ | ﻦ | nūn |
| ه | ﻩ | ﻫ | ـﻬ | ﻪ | hā' |
| و | ﻭ | ـو | wāw | ||
| ي | ﻱ | ﻳ | ـﻴـ | ﻲ | yā' |
| ء | ء | ء | hamja | ||
| أ | أ | ـأ | alip with hamja above | ||
| ﺅ | ﺅ | ـﺆ | wāw with hamja above | ||
| ئ | ئ | ئـ | ــئـ | ـئ | yā' with hamja above |
| لا | لا | لا | ــلا | ــلا | lām alip |
Below some examples of Sulu in both Latin and Arabic scripts:[15]
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(April 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| English | Tausūg Latin Script | Tausūg Arabic Script |
|---|---|---|
| What is your name? | Unu in ngān mu?[b] / Siyu in ngān mu? | اُنُ اِنْ ڠَانْ مُ؟ / سِيُ اِنْ ڠَانْ مُ؟ |
| My name is Muhammad. | In ngān ku Muhammad. | اِنْ ڠَانْ كُ مُحَّمَدْ. |
| How are you? | Maunu-unu na kaw? | مَؤُنُ اُنُ نَكَوْ؟ |
| I am good. | Marayaw da isab. | مَرَيَوْ دَ اِسَبْ. |
| Where is Ahmad? | Hariin hi Ahmad? | هَرَينْ هِ اَحْمَدْ؟ |
| He is in the house. | Yadtu siya ha bāy. | يَدْتُ سِيَ هَ بَايْ. |
| Thank you! | Magsukul kaymu! | مَغْسُكُلْ كَيْمُ |
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(May 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Many Tausug words derive from the Arabic language.
Some examples of Arabic words in Tausug are
| Tausūg Word | Meaning (Tausūg) | Arabic Word | Pronunciation | Meaning (Arabic) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adab | manners | أدب | adab | manners |
| Ahirat | hereafter | آخرة | ākhirah | hereafter |
| Ajayb | amazing | عجيب | 'ajīb | amazing |
| Akkal | intelligence | عقل | 'Aql | intellect |
| Alam | universe | عالم | 'ālam | world |
| Allāh | God (Allah) | الله | Allāh | God (Allah) |
| Amānat | message | أمانة | amānah | trust |
| Ammal | use | عمل | 'amal | to make |
| Awal | origin | أوّل | awwal | first |
| Awliya | ascetic | أولياء | awliyā' | ascetics |
| Ayat | verse | آية | āyah | verse |
| Ayb | shame | عيب | 'ayb | shame |
| Barawi | Desert robber | بدوي | badawī | bedouin |
| Batāl | unclean | باطل | bātil | void |
| Bilāl | Muezzin/caller to prayer | بلال | Bilāl | Bilal ibn Rabah |
| Daawa | excuse/alibi | دعوة | da'wah | invitation |
| Duhul | extremity | دخول | dukhūl | entrance |
| Daira | city | دائرة | dā'irah | area |
| Dayyus | cuckold | ديّوث | dayyūth | cuckold |
| Dunya | earth | دنيا | dunyā | world |
| Duwaa | prayer | دعاء | du'ā | prayer/supplication |
| Habal | news | خبر | khabar | news |
| Hadas | impurity | حدث | hadath | impurity |
| Hakīka | birth ritual | عقيقة | aqīqah | birth ritual |
| Hakīkat | truth | حقيقة | haqīqah | truth |
| Hatīb | speaker | خطيب | khatīb | speaker |
| Hawa | Eve | حواء | Hawā' | Eve |
| Hidāyat | announcement | هداية | hidāyah | guidance |
| Hikmat | wisdom | حكمة | hikmah | wisdom |
| Hukum | judge | حكم | hukm | ruling |
| Humus | alms | خمس | khums | fifth |
| Hutba' | sermon | خطبة | khutbah | sermon |
| Hurup | sound of a letter | حروف | hurūf | letters |
| Ibilīs | demon | إبليس | Iblīs | devil |
| Ihilās | sincerity | إخلاص | ikhlās | sincerity |
| Ijin | blessing | إذن | idhn | permission |
| Ilmu' | knowledge | علم | 'ilm | knowledge |
| Imān | forbearingness | إيمان | īmān | faith |
| Intiha' | end | إنتهى | intihā | end |
| Irādat | determination | إرادة | irādah | determination |
| Islām | Islam | إسلام | Islām | Islam |
| Istigapar | to beg pardon | إستغفار | istighfār | to beg pardon |
| Instinja | pure | إستنجاء | istinjā' | to clean one's self |
| Jabūr | Psalms | زبور | zabūr | Psalms |
| Jāhil | foolish | جاهل | jāhil | ignorant |
| Jakāt | tithe | زكاة | zakāh | tithe |
| Jamāa | congregation | جماعة | jamā'ah | congregation |
| Jamān | clock | زمان | zamān | time |
| Janāja | bier | جنازة | janāzah | funeral |
| Jāt | appearance | ذات | dhāt | self |
| Jaytūn | olive | زيتون | zaytūn | olive |
| Jin | spirit | جنّ | jinn | demon |
| Jinā | adultery | زنا | zinā | adultery |
| Juba | garment | جبّة | jubbah | garment |
| Jubul | anus | دبر | dubr | anus |
| Junub | pollution | جنوب | junūb | dirty |
| Jurriyat | lineage | ذرية | dhurriyyah | offspring |
| Kahawa | coffee | قهوة | qahwah | coffee |
| Kāpil | disbeliever | كافر | kāfir | disbeliever |
| Karāmat | miracle | كرامة | karāmah | miracle |
| Kawwāt | power | قوّة | quwwah | force |
| Kubul | grave | قبور | qubūr | graves |
| Kudarat | Power of God | قدرة | qudrah | ability |
| Kulbān | sacrifice | قربان | qurbān | sacrifice |
| Kuppiya' | male head covering | كوفيّة | kūffiyah | kefiyyeh |
| Kupul | disbelief | كفز | kufr | disbelief |
| Lidjiki' | blessing | رزق | rizq | sustenance |
| Maana | meaning | معنة | ma'nah | meaning |
| Magrib | sunset | مغرب | maghrib | sunset |
| Magsukul | Thanks | شكر | shukr | thanks |
| Mahluk | human | مخلوق | maklūq | created |
| Maksud | purpose | مقصود | maqsūd | intended |
| Makbul | fulfilled | مقبول | maqbūl | accepted |
| Malak | Beautiful | ملك | malak | Angel |
| Maruhum | deceased | مرحوم | marhūm | deceased |
| Masrik | east | مشرق | mashriq | east |
| Matakaddam | parable | متقدّم | mutaqaddam | preceding |
| Mayat | corpse | ميت | mayt | dead |
| Mujijat | mystery | معجزة | mu'jizah | miracle |
| Mulid | pupil | مريد | murīd | pupil |
| Munapik | hypocrite | منافق | munāfiq | hypocrite |
| Murtad | apostate | مرتد | murtad | apostate |
| Muskil | uncommon | مشكل | mushkil | problem |
| Mustahak | lawful owner | مستحقّ | mustahaqq | deserving |
| Mustajab | occurred | مستجاب | mustajāb | answered |
| Muwallam | scholar | معلّم | mu'allim | teacher |
| Nabī | prophet | نبي | nabī | prophet |
| Najal | promise | نذر | nadhar | vow/promise |
| Najjis | filth | ناجس | nājis | filthy |
| Napas | breath | نفس | nafas | breathe |
| Napsu | desire | نفس | nafs | ego/desire |
| Nasihat | advice | نصيحة | nasīhah | advice |
| Paham | familiarity | فهم | fahm | understanding |
| Pardu' | legislation | فرض | fard | compulsory |
| Piil | action | فعل | fi'l | action |
| Pikil | think | فكر | fikr | thought |
| Pir'awn | Pharaoh | فرعون | fir'awn | Pharaoh |
| Rahmat | blessing | رحمة | rahmah | mercy |
| Rasūl | messenger | رسول | rasūl | messenger |
| Ruku' | bow | ركوع | rukū' | bowing |
| Rukun | precept | ركن | rukn | pillar |
| Sabab | because | سبب | sabab | reason/cause |
| Sahabat | follower | صحابة | sahābah | companions |
| Saytān | Satan | شيطان | shaytān | Satan |
| Sual | discussion | سؤال | su'āl | question |
| Subu | dawn | صبح | subh | dawn |
| Sunnat | female circumcision | سنّة | sunnah | tradition/sunnah |
| Takabbul | arrogant | تكبّر | takabbur | arrogance |
| Takwīm | calendar | تقويم | taqwīm | calendar |
| Tallak | divorce | طلاق | talāq | divorce |
| Tarasul | Tausug poem | تراسل | tarāsul | correspondence |
| Tasbi | prayer beads | تسبيح | tasbīh | praise |
| Ummul | age | عمر | 'amr | age |
| Wajib | compulsory | واجب | wājib | compulsory |
| Wakap | pause | وقف | waqf | pause |
| Waktu | time | وقت | waqt | time |
Tausūg words derived fromSanskrit
| Tausūg Word | Meaning (Tausūg) | Sanskrit Word | Pronunciation | Meaning (Sanskrit) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guru | غُرُ | teacher | गुरु | guru | teacher |
| Naga | نَغَ | dragon | नाग | nāga | serpent |
| Āgama | آغَمَ | religion | आगम | āgama | religion |
| Lahu' | لَهُؤْ | eclipse | राहु | rāhu | eclipse |
| Lupa | لُفَ | appearance | रूप | rūpa | appearance |
| Dukka | دُكَّ | grieve | दुःख | duḥkha | suffering |
| Sutla' | سُتْلَأْ | silk | सूत्र | sūtra | to sew/thread |
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link){{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link), with supplementary sound recordings.
Authority control databases: National |
|---|
