Visayan languages
| Visayan languages | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Spoken in |
Philippines | |
| speaker | More than 33 million | |
| Linguistic classification |
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The Visayan languages are from the Philippine ethnic group of the Visaya spoken.
The Visayan languages include 21 languages, including the largest language with 20 million speakers, Cebuano , which is itself also known as Bisaya or Visayan, Hiligaynon with 7 million and Wáray-Wáray with 3 million speakers.
In addition to the Visayas Islands, the language is also spoken in the Bicol region , especially on Masbate , the islands south of Luzon such as Romblon , large parts of Mindanao and in the Sulu Archipelago .
The Visayas languages, together with Tagalog and Bikol, belong to the Central Philippine languages .
Subdivision
The Visayan languages are divided into five subfamilies; important languages are:
- Asi or Bantoanon is spoken on the islands of Tablas , Banton , Simara and Maestro de Campo (in the Romblon province ).
- Cebuano including Boholano, Leytehanon and Mindanao Visayas.
- Surigaonon including Jaun-Jaun is the closest to Cebuano.
- Central Visayas including Hiligaynon , Waray-Waray , Romblomanon with the Sibuyan dialects Cajidiocanon, San Fernando-Azagra Sibujanon and Magdiwang-Espana Sibuyanon, Ati, Capiznon, Masbatenyo, Porohanon, the Bisakol languages of Sorsogon and Northern Samar.
- Western Visayas including Kinaray-a, Aklan languages (Aklanon, Malaynon), Onhan or Loocnon (Tablas), Caluyanon, Cuyonon, Ratagnon.
- Tausug is spoken in Jolo , Sulu , Palawan , Basilan , Tawi-Tawi and Zamboanga, as well as in Kalimantan (Indonesia) and Sabah (Malaysia).