Visayan languages

The Visayan languages (or Bisayan languages) of the Philippines, along with Tagalog and Bikol, are part of the Central Philippine languages. Most Visayan languages are spoken in the Visayas region but they are also spoken in the Bicol Region (particularly in Masbate), islands south of Luzon such as those that make up Romblon, most of the areas of Mindanao, and the province of Sulu located southwest of Mindanao. Some residents of Metro Manila also speak Visayan.

Over thirty languages constitute the Visayan language family. The Visayan language with the most speakers is Cebuano, spoken by 20 million people as a native language in Central Visayas, parts of Eastern and Western Visayas and most of Mindanao. Two other well-known Visayan languages are Hiligaynon, spoken by 7 million in most of Western Visayas and Waray-Waray spoken by 3 million in Eastern Visayas.

The Visayan languages are further divided into five subfamilies. The list below is by no means exhaustive. Asi, Surigaonon, and Cebuano constitute their own subfamilies. Asi spoken in towns on Tablas Island as well as the islands of Banton, Simara, and Maestro de Campo in Romblon province. It is known officially as Bantoanon language. Cebuano includes Boholano, Leytehanon, Mindanao Cebuano and Mindanao Visayan dialects. Surigaonon (including Jaun-Jaun). May be closest to Cebuano

Central Visayan includes Hiligaynon, Waray-Waray, Romblomanon which includes Sibuyan various dialects of Cajidiocanon, San Fernando-Azagra Sibujanon and the MagdiwangEspana Sibuyanon variety, Ati, Capiznon, Masbatenyo, Porohanon, the Bisakol languages of Sorsogon and Northern Samar, and others. Western Visayan includes Kinaray-a (the major language of Antique), Aklan languages (Aklanon, Malaynon), Onhan or Loocnon (Tablas), Caluyanon, Cuyonon, Ratagnon, and others. Tausug spoken in Jolo, Sulu; Palawan; Basilan; Tawi-Tawi; and Zamboanga City and environs. Also spoken in Indonesia (Kalimantan), and Malaysia (Sabah). It has been suggested to be more closely related to the Mansakan languages than to Visayan.

A total of 36 varieties are listed below. Individual languages are marked by italics. Visayan 1. South (spoken on the eastern coast of Mindanao) Butuan-Tausug Tausug Butuanon Surigao Surigaonon (possibly the same language as Kamayo)

2. Cebuan (spoken in Cebu, Bohol, western Leyte, northern Mindanao, and eastern Negros) Cebuan Cebuano Boholano

3. Central (spoken across most of the Visayan region) Warayan Waray-Waray Gubat (South Sorsogon) Masbate Sorsogon
Peripheral Masbateo Hiligaynon (Ilonggo) Capiznon Porohanon Ati Romblon Romblomanon

4. Banton (spoken in northwestern Romblon Province) Bantaonan (possibly the same language as Inonhan) 5. West Aklan (spoken in northern Panay) Inakeanon Aklanon Kinarayan Kinaray-a (spoken in Panay) North-Central (spoken on Tablas Island and the southern tip of Mindoro) Inonhan (possibly the same language as Bantoanon) Kuyan (spoken in the archipelagos west of Panay and Romblon as well as the southern tip of Mindoro) Ratagnon Cuyonon Caluyanon Caluyanon