Onhan language

Onhan
Loocnon, Inonhan
Native to	Philippines
Region	Romblon
Native speakers	86,000 (2000)[1]
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Philippine Central Philippine Bisayan Western Bisayan Onhan
Language codes
ISO 639-3	loc
Glottolog	inon1237
Inonhan language map based on Ethnologue

Onhan is a regional Western Bisayan language spoken, along with the Romblomanon and Asi languages, in the province of Romblon, Philippines.^[2] The language is also known as Inunhan and Loocnon.

• The Onhan language has three variants – those spoken in the municipalities of Santa Maria and Alcantara use /l/ instead of /r/. Example: kararaw is kalalaw, and other speakers change /r/ or /l/ to /d/ as in run or lun to dun.

Specifically, Onhan is spoken on the following islands within Romblon:

• Tablas: the municipalities of San Andres, Santa Maria, Alcantara, Ferrol, Looc, and Santa Fe and some upland sitios in Odiongan,.
• Carabao: the sole municipality of San Jose.

As a variant of the Kinaray-a language, some speakers are found on the island of Boracay in Aklan province as well as parts of the island of Panay, specifically in the following municipalities: Malay, Nabas and Buruanga. In the provinces of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, migrant Onhan speakers from Tablas Island brought the language to the following municipalities: San Jose, Magsaysay, Bulalacao, Mansalay, Roxas, and some parts of Bongabong. As such, it is very much related to Kinaray-a and Kuyonon.

Grammar

Pronouns

Numbers

Literature

The New Testament was translated into Bisaya-Inunhan by Eldon Leano Talamisan and published in 1999.

The Harrow (Ang Singkaw), an official publication of Romblon State University, publishes Inunhan poems, stories and other genres of literature.

References