Uniqueness and Distinction
Rinconada Bikol or Rinconada is rampantly using short or unstressed letter "i" sound. In fact, most root words with letter "i" are unstressed. However, not all words with "i" should be read and pronounced as such since there are words that have stressed " ī " in them, especially loanwords, e.g. sīli (chili). Native words with stressed "ī" are very rare.
The language retains the proto-Philippine schwa vowel /ə/ that has been disappeared in most Philippine languages like Cebuano, Tagalog and even the neighboring Coastal Bikol language. In Nabua, Camarines Sur (where the language was originated), the vowel was also lost via the normal development and evolution. However, before this happened, the vowel/sound was taken to the mountainous area around Mount Iriga (formerly called Mount Asog) by the people migrated from Nabua due to severe flooding. As a result, the vowel only survived in Highland dialect or Sinabukid speakers. People who are new to the highland accent may find it sounds like Ilokano or Pangasinense. The vowel can also be found in towns and cities speaking the Albay Bikol group of languages. The native word for this vowel in Rinconada is "gəpə". The vowel has divided the language into two dialects – Sinabukid or Highland (with /ə/) and Sinaranəw or Lowland (without /ə/).
Aside from the vowel /ə/, the other interesting thing in Rinconada language is the occurrence of an extra consonant phoneme /ɣ/. This consonant bears the sound of mixed letters "h, y and "w". The neighboring language of Buhinon also uses this sound - a clear evidence of close ties between the two languages. Unfortunately, this phoneme neither has a corresponding letter in Philippine alphabet nor an equivalent character on Philippine standard keyboard. Thus, Rinconada Bikol speakers are left no other option but to use "h" as an alternative letter. However, in the spoken Sinaranəw dialect, the consonant /ɣ/ and the vowel /ə/ are often replaced by the letters "w" and "o" respectively.
Read more about this topic: Rinconada Bikol Language
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