Aldames Language: Its Landscapes and Topographies

Abstract

The Philippines is composed of almost 200 languages and dialects, more or less, and eight (8) of these are considered major languages, namely: Bikolano, Cebuano, Hiligaynon (Ilonggo), Ilocano, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Tagalog, and Waray. However, there are still varied languages which are not yet recognized, and one of these is Aldames, a variety of the Cebuano language. The purpose of this study was to determine the origin, the characteristics, and the unique features of the Aldames language. This study used the qualitative approach in which the data were gathered through actual interviews and conversations from the speech community. Recorded interviews and conversations were then transcribed and categorized into themes. It was found out that the “Aldames” language is a modified version of the English alphabet because the language has corresponding letters in English. However, changes occur in most consonants (b/v-m, c/k-n, d-p, f.p-d, g/ng-r, k/c-n, l-ll/ly, m-b, n-k/c, p-d, q/kyu-nyu, r-g/ng, s-t, y/eks-ent, z/s-t) while all vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and few consonants (h, w, and y) are retained except for “j” which has no Aldames equivalent. Also, it emerged because the elders would not want their secrets to be revealed by the young and would only be understood by a few. Hence, today, the residents who are not exposed to the language in the area are confused in learning the language because before one can speak well, he/she should be familiar with the appropriate consonants-substitutes. It is recommended that the language must be recognized and be included in the list of languages in the Philippines. Moreover, the said language has to be spoken every day, so it will be preserved.