Showing posts with label Waray Words and Meanings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Waray Words and Meanings. Show all posts

Waray Words -- Edru and Yatot

Edru. I've always loved the sound of this Waray word -- especially when you roll the R a little longer than usual.

tomrichmond.com

Not everyone gets the chance to ride an edru. In many places, only those who can afford it have the luxury of traveling by air. What is an edru, you ask? It's the Waray word for airplane.


sangrea.net

And here's a little contrast I've always found amusing: Edru means airplane, and yatot means rat in Waray. While one soars through the sky, the other scurries on the ground. "Pobre pa sa yatot"  (I'm even poorer than a rat.), we often hear this as a joke. The rich may have the means to fly, while those of us with simpler means crawl along -- well, figuratively speaking. A light, silly thought, but language quirks like these always make me smile.


How Do We Say DON'T WORRY in Waray?

Hello, my dear friends. I made a video tutorial for this topic on my YouTube channel where I explained how we say "Don't worry" in Waray. On the video, you will hear how to pronounce the words correctly. I also gave some sentences in Waray.


How the Warays Greet Each Other on New Year's Day

The truth is, it is very rare to hear a Waray speaker greet his/her fellow Waray on New Year's Day using the local language. We just say "Happy New Year" to each other. The usual answer is "Happy New Year gihap" or "Happy New Year liwat." Both responses mean "Happy New Year, too." (The second version is how we say it in Northern Samar.)

How to Say Good Morning, Good Afternoon, and Good Evening in Waray

Hi everyone! This post is for those who want to learn how to say some greetings -- and to pronounce them correctly -- in the Waray language. I have started making voice clips for you, my dear friends. I hope you will find them useful.


The Other Meaning of Kubkob



Today, 28 October 2013, I will exercise my right to suffrage. Like many Filipinos, I still believe that any electoral process can do wonders for this country.  I have always claimed that right -- to choose the leaders who I think are capable, qualified, and committed to serve their constituents -- since I turned 18. However, this is not the only reason why I always look forward to the Election Day. There is one aspect of elections that has piqued my interest since the day I was able to vote: the Waray vocabulary associated with elections. Number one on my list is the word kubkob.

The Months of the Year in Waray


Hello. I'm making this quick post for those who are looking for this particular information -- the months of the year in Waray language. (Yes, I got your feedback.) Hope this helps.

January
Enero
February
Pebrero
March
Marso
April
Abril
May
Mayo
June
Hunyo
July
Hulyo
August
Agosto
September
Septembre/Setyembre
October
Oktubre
November                  
Nobyembre
December
Disyembre

Kinalasan Waray Style VS. Kinalasan Baybay Style


The first time I heard the word "kinalasan" in Baybay, I thought it was similar to our "kinalasan" in Waray. But I was wrong. Baybayanons (the people of Baybay, Leyte), by the way, speak Cebuano. AWKWARD -- that was what I thought of the way my friends used the word. For example:
Kinalasan ko sa amo nga mga magsuon. 
Kinalasan ko nga ning-abot.
Kinalasan ko nga ninghatag sa ako amot. 
Kinalasan ko nga contestant.

At the time, I only knew the most basic Cebuano terms and this was how I interpreted the sentences:
I was startled about us (my siblings and me).  
I was startled as I arrived (at the venue).
I was startled as I gave my contribution.
I was the contestant who was startled. 
They did not make any sense to me. But I persevered: I studied the sense of each sentence.  Finally, I noticed a pattern  and I figured out how to translate them correctly. I realized that they sounded awkward to me only because I was mixing Cebuano and Waray while trying to understand the following sentences:
I am the youngest in the family. 
I was the last to arrive.
I was the last to give a contribution. 
I am/was the last contestant.  

What is kinalasan in Waray? It means "to be startled"; hence, my translation of the above-mentioned sentences. On the other hand, kinalasan in Baybay is the result of combining the Cebuano prefix kina, the English word "last", and the Cebuano suffix an:  kina + last + an. The letter "t" is, however, dropped to give way to the newly-coined word, kinalasan.

What is kinalasan in Baybay? Apparently, there is an attempt at making a superlative adjective out of the superlative "last"; hence, the last of the last.

P.S.
Would you like to read this blog post in Waray? Here's Kinalasan sa Baybay (A Waray Post)

What is Kalamay Pa?

Kalamay from Bohol
According to a Wikipedia article: "Kalamay is a sticky sweet delicacy that is popular in many regions of the Philippines. It is made of coconut milk, brown sugar, and ground glutinous rice. It can be eaten alone but is usually used as a sweetener for a number of Filipino desserts and beverages."

There is also another kalamay that's popular among us, the Waray speakers of Northern Samar. To be exact, it's "Kalamay pa."   Our kalamay is different from the kalamay of Bohol. Whenever a Waray speaker says "Kalamay pa", it doesn't always mean "More kalamay, please."  Ours is neither tangible nor   edible. Ours is an expression that is used when one is exasperated, disappointed, hurt, or excited.

This is our version of kalamay:
Kalamay pa, kabuwaon mo. 
Oh please, you're such a liar.
Kalamay pa, karasa sini!           
Oh my gosh! This is so delicious!
Kalamay pa, late ka inabot.
Gosh, I can't believe you're late.
Kalamay pa, kabaltok mo.
I am so amazed at how smart you are.  
"Kalamay pa" has no exact English translation. I have no idea for how long our kalamay has been in existence. All I know is that, this kalamay is part of our everyday life; of our everyday language.

Kalamay pa, binabasa mo ini! (OMG, I can't believe you're reading this blog!)

Waray Words that Start with the Letter K

Kahataas sini nga kahoy. (This tree is tall.)
Antipolo (Artocarpus blancoi)
kaalo
shame
kabutlaw (katanglay, N. Samar)
weariness; tiredness
kadarako
big
(may) kaditu-ditoan or (may) kadituy-ditoyan (N. Samar)
mentally unstable; psychologically sick
kagahusan
bold; unafraid; audacious
kagutiay (kaditoy, N. Samar)
small
kakuri 
difficult
kalo
hat
kamahal 
expensive
kamutangan
condition; circumstance; situation
kulang (N. Samar, stress on the second syllable)
toilet
For a more comprehensive list of Waray words, you may visit this blog's Waray dictionary.

The Waray Word ALADAW in Two Sentences

"Aladaw" is a Waray word that functions as a transitional device, specifically, a subordinating conjunction.  It is used to introduce a subordinate clause and cannot stand on its own.  I guess there is no exact English translation for this word. "Instead" is the closest word that I can think of at this moment.

"Aladaw" may be dropped when a Waray sentence is translated into English. For example:
"Nagkikinaturog ka la; aladaw, panhugasi ito mga hugasan." 
"You've been sleeping the whole day. Why don't you wash the dishes?"

Let's have another example:
"Ayaw pag-inayara im kwarta; aladaw, ibutang lugod sa bangko."
"Don't hoard your money. Put it in the bank instead." 
or
 "Put your money in the bank instead of hoarding it."

A Waray subordinate clause that starts with "aladaw" cannot be placed in front of a main clause. Simply put, "aladaw" is usually never placed at the beginning of a sentence.

For a more comprehensive list of Waray words, you may visit this blog's Waray dictionary. Thanks! :-)


Waray Expressions Using the Word DIRI

Diri is the Waray equivalent of the Tagalog word "hindi".  It means "no" or "not".  Below are some expressions containing the word "diri".
diri andam
not ready
diri angay
not fit (as in not fit for the job)
diri babayaan
will not be left behind 
diri ginrerespeto
not respected
diri halot
unselfish
diri harumamay
not easy (What I went through was not easy.)
diri hinatag
not given
diri human
not finished; unfinished
diri ighahatag
will not be given
diri kinasingkasing
not sincere
diri maapi
will not participate
diri mao
incorrect; improper
diri mabubuhi
cannot live; will not live
diri madidipara
will not be noticed
diri mahibabaro
will not know
diri mahibabaruan
will never be known
diri magbabag-o
will not change
diri magbabasul
will not regret
diri mag-iimod
will not watch
diri magikan
will not leave
diri maglalabot
will not meddle
diri maglalaum
will not hope
diri magsasaad
will not promise
diri magsasari
will not try
diri magsasarit
will not ask permission
diri magtitikang
will not start
diri mahinatagon
ungenerous
diri mahingangalimot
will not forget; will not be able to forget
diri mahingangalimtan 
will not be forgotten
diri makakag-imod
will not be able to watch
diri makakalauy
will not be able to visit
diri makuri
not difficult
diri malilibuan
cannot be cheated on; cannot be swindled  
diri malilikayan
cannot be avoided
diri marururespeto
not deserving of any respect 
diri masayon
not easy (The test was not easy.)
diri mautro
will not do it again
diri mauutro
will not happen again
diri na
not anymore
diri nabulig
does not help
diri naeskuyla
does not go to school
diri nagbabasul
does not regret
diri nagbubuwa
does not lie; is not lying 
diri naglalaum
does not hope
diri nagtitikang
does not start
diri nagugutom
not hungry
diri nahahadok
unafraid
diri nahatag
does not give; ungenerous
diri nahigugugma
not in love
diri nahingangalimot
cannot forget
diri nahingangalimtan
cannot be forgotten
diri nahingangaturog
not sleepy
diri nahimumurayaw
uneasy; restless
diri nahimumutang
same with diri nahimumurayaw
diri nakakabulig 
does not help; cannot help
diri nakakakaturog
cannot sleep
diri nakakasabot
cannot understand
diri nakaon
does not eat
diri narespeto
does not respect
diri naruruyag
does not like
diri nasabot
does not understand
diri nasari 
does not try
diri nasarit
does not ask permission
diri nasasabtan 
cannot be understood
diri uutruhon
will not do it again
diri pa
not yet
diri pinapasaylo
not forgiven
diri tangkod
dishonest
diri tangpos
unfinished
diri tinuyo
unintentional












Common Expressions Using the Word "Waray"


Masuna ngan waray uran yana nga aga didi sa VSU.  [It's a bright rainless morning here at VSU (Visayas State University).]

The word Waray does not only refer to the Waray-speaking people or to the Waray language, but it also refers to one particular Waray word, "waray", which means "nothing", "none", or "not".  Here's a list of common expressions using the word "Waray".



(1)
Waray ak labot.                                                  
I don't care. 
waray aram
uneducated
waray batasan
lacking good manners
waray buot
innocent; childish
waray duda
no doubt
waray gamit
useless


(2)
Waray ka labot.
It's none of your business.
waray pagkakapoy 
untiring   
waray kapagalan (N.Samar)/ waray kapaglanan (N.Samar)/ waray pagkatanglay (N.Samar)
untiring
waray kaluoy
ruthless
waray kinabuhi
lifeless
waray makakatupong
unequaled; incomparable

 

(3)
waray pagkahadlok/ waray pagkahadok (N. Samar)
fearless
waray paglubad
unfading
waray pagruhaduha 
no second thoughts
waray sarabutan
no idea


(4)
waray tango (N. Samar)/ waray ngipon
toothless
waray tingug-tingog
quiet/ no comment (e.g., My friend was very quiet the whole time we were there.)
waray upay
worthless; no good
waray utang
debt-free
waray kalipay
no happiness


(5)
waray utang nga buot/ waray utang nga kaburut-on
ungrateful
waray dum-it 
pure; innocent; inexperienced
waray katapusan/ waray katangposan/ waray pagkatangpos
endless

MABARA-BARA -- Another Way of Describing Objects or Conditions in Waray

Common examples of Waray adjectives are mahusay (beautiful), mabara (ugly), mataba (plump), mahugos (thin/skinny), maduas (pale), mabusag (having the quality of being white), mabaga (having the condition of being red), mapili (having the condition of being black), bulaw (brown), maupay (good), marasa (delicious), mabaho (stinky/smelly), and mahumot (fragrant).

By repeating the root word, a new meaning is created:
mahusay-husay
almost beautiful
mabara-bara
slightly ugly
mataba-taba
chubby
mahugos-hugos
slightly thin/ slightly skinny  
maduas-duas
slightly pale
mabusag-busag
slightly white/ whitish
mabaga-baga
slightly red/ reddish
mapili-pili
slightly black/ blackish
bulaw-bulaw
slightly brown/ brownish
maupay-upay        
slightly good
marasa-rasa
slightly delicious
mabaho-baho
a bit stinky/smelly
mahumot-humot
slightly fragrant

What is Mayumo?

Mayumo is a Waray word which means "soft" in English. There's also a more popular Waray word for "soft" -- mahumok -- that is widely used in the Waray-speaking areas. Any Cebuano speaker will be able to immediately recognize the latter because it's almost similar to the Cebuano word humok which also means soft.

This post, however, will focus on this not-so-famous adjectivemayumo.  This word is basically used in the Northern Samar region and can be used in the following expressions:
mayumo nga tinapay
soft bread
mayumo nga kasing-kasing
soft heart
mayumo nga lingkuran
soft chair
mayumo nga sinarungsong
soft sinarungsong (a native delicacy of Northern Samar)
mayumo nga pagkiwa
soft movement
mayumo nga panit
soft skin
mayumo nga panapton
soft cloth

Sinarungsong from San Roque, Northern Samar.
Made of ground rice, coconut milk, and sugar,
sinarungsong is well-known for its soft texture.

When used as a modifier, the connector NGA is placed between mayumo and the noun word. When used in a sentence, mayumo needs other words like demonstrative pronouns (e.g., ini, sini) and possessive pronouns (e.g., imo, kanya).
Mayumo ini nga tinapay.
This bread is soft.
Mayumo an imo kasing-kasing.
You have a soft heart.
Mayumo ini nga lingkuran.
This chair is soft.
Mayumo ini nga sinarungsong.
This sinarungsong is soft.
Mayumo an kanya pagkiwa.
She moves softly.
Mayumo an imo panit
You have soft skin.
Mayumo ini nga panapton
This cloth is soft.
The word kayumo may be alternately used with mayumo. Notice how kayumo is used in the following sentences:
Kayumo sa tinapay.
This bread is soft.
Kayumo sa imo kasing-kasing.
You have a soft heart.
Kayumo sini nga lingkuran.
This chair is soft.
Kayumo sini nga sinarungsong
This sinarungsong is soft.
Kayumo sa kanya pagkiwa.
She moves softly.
Kayumo san imo panit.
You have soft skin.
Kayumo sini nga panapton.
This cloth is soft.
To get a list of Waray words, you may check this site's online Waray dictionary

Asking Questions in Waray -- A Series of Who, Whom, Whose Questions


Here's one question that I'd like to answer through a blog post: How do you say "Who is he?" in Waray? There are two ways of asking that question in the Waray language: you may either say (1) Hin-o hiya? or (2) Sin-o siya? Notice that the two interrogative sentences differ slightly because of the letters H and S.

These two variations of Waray are usually referred to by Waray language speakers as the H-Waray and the S-Waray. S-Waray is spoken in Northern Samar, Calbayog City in Samar, and Abuyog, Leyte.

While the H-Waray speakers use words like hin-o, ha, hiton, hiya, S-Waray speakers, on the other hand, use sin-o, sa, siton, siya, among others. These two Waray varieties (I'm talking especially about the S-Waray speakers of N. Samar) also differ in how they translate the English word whose: one says kanay, while the other says kunay.


This post does not only give a series of  Who questions but also includes Whom and Whose questions. For your convenience (especially if you're here looking for Waray translations), I have included the H-Waray and S-Waray versions alongside the English questions.

For more Waray words, you may visit the online Waray dictionary of this site.

WHO

Who?  Hin-o?/Sin-o?
Who am I? Hin-o ako?/ Sin-o ak?
Who are they? Hin-o hira?/ Sin-o sira?
Who are you? Hin-o ka?/Sin-o ka?
Who are your (plural) friends? Hin-o an iyo mga sangkay?/ Sin-o an iyo mga sangkay?
Who are your (singular) parents? Hin-o an imo mga kag-anak? / Sin-o an imo mga kag-anak?
Who ate the bread? Hin-o an nagkaon han tinapay?/ Sin-o an nagkaon san tinapay?
Who came to the wedding? Hin-o an kinmadto ha kasal?/ Sin-o an nagpakadto sa kasal?
Who cleaned the house? Hin-o an naglimpyo ha balay?/ Sin-o an naglimpyo sa balay?
Who is coming with us? Hin-o an maupod ha aton?/ Sin-o an maupod sa at?
Who is coming with you? Hin-o an maupod ha imo (sing)/ iyo (pl)? / Sin-o an maupod sa im/ iyo?
Who is Jimmy? Hin-o hi Jimmy? / Sin-o si Jimmy?
Who is she/he? Hin-o hiya?/ Sin-o siya?
Who is sitting behind you? Hin-o an nalingkod ha imo luyo? / Sin-o an nalingkod sa imo luyo?
Who is sitting beside you? Hin-o an nalingkod ha imo tupad? / Sin-o an nalingkod sa imo tupad?
Who is sitting in front of you? Hin-o an nalingkod ha imo atubangan?/ Sin-o an nalingkod sa imo atubangan?
Who is with you? Hin-o an imo upod?/ Sin-o an imo upod?
Who is your friend? Hin-o an imo sangkay? / Sin-o an imo sangkay?
Who is your mother? Hin-o an imo nanay? /Sin-o an imo nanay?
Who loves me? Hin-o an nahigugma ha akon?/ Sin-o an nahigugma sa ak?
Who said that? Hin-o an nagsiring?/ Sin-o an nagsugad?
Who sells cakes? Hin-o an nagbabaligya hin keyk?/ Sin-o an nagbabaligya sin keyk?
Who sold the house? Hin-o an nagbaligya han balay?/ Sin-o an nagbaligya sa balay?
Who will help me? Hin-o an mabulig ha akon?/ Sin-o an mabulig sa ak?
Who will love me? Hin-o an maghihigugma ha akon?/ Sin-o an maghihigugma sa ak?
Who will sell the house? Hin-o an magbabaligya han balay?/ Sin-o an magbabaligya sa balay?
Who will sit behind me? Hin-o an malingkod ha akon luyo?/ Sin-o an malingkod sa ak luyo?
Who will sit beside you? Hin-o an malingkod ha imo tupad?/ Sin-o an malingkod sa im tupad?
Who will love me? Hin-o an maghihigugma ha akon?/ Sin-o an maghihigugma sa ak?


WHOM

Whom are you going to invite? 
Hin-o an imo (sing)/ iyo (pl) iimbitaron? / Sin-o an imo/ iyo iimbitaron? 
Whom did you invite? Hin-o an imo / iyo gin-imbitar?/ Sin-o an imo/ iyo gin-imbitar?
Whom will she choose? Hin-o an iya pipilion? / Sin-o an kanya pipilion?
Whom did she choose? Hin-o an iya ginpili? / Sin-o an kanya ginpili?
Whom will I trust? Hin-o an akon tatapuran? /Sin-o an ako tatapuran?
Whom did I trust? Hin-o an akon gintapuran? / Sin-o an ako gintapuran?
To whom will they give the letter? Kan kanay nira ighahatag an surat?/ Kan kunay nira ighahatag an surat?
To whom did they give the letter? Kan kanay nira iginhatag an surat?/ Kan kunay nira iginhatag an surat?
To whom will we sell the house? Kan kanay naton igbabaligya an balay?/ Kan kunay nato igbabaligya an balay?
To whom did we sell the house? Kan kanay naton iginbaligya an balay?/ Kan kunay nato iginbaligya an balay?
With whom are you (singular) going? Kan kanay ka maupod?/ Kan kunay ka maupod?
With whom are you (plural) going? Kan kanay kamo maupod? Kan kunay kam maupod?
Whom will you meet? Hin-o an imo pakikigkitaan?/ Sin-o an imo pakikigkitaan?
Whom did you meet? Hin-o an imo ginpakigkitaan?/ Sin-o an imo ginpakigkitaan?
To whom will she be introduced? Kan kanay hiya igpapakilala?/ Kan kunay siya igpapakilala?
To whom will they be introduced? Kan kanay hira igpapakilala?/ Kan kunay sira igpapakilala?
To whom was she introduced? Kan kanay hiya ginpakilala?/ Kan kunay siya ginpakilala?
To whom were they introduced? Kan kanay hira ginpakilala?/ Kan kunay hira ginpakilala?


WHOSE
Whose house is this?Kan kanay ini balay? / Kan kunay ini balay?
Whose house is that?Kan kanay iton balay?/ Kan kunay iton balay?
Whose letter is this?Kan kanay ini surat? / Kan kunay ini surat?
Whose letter is that?Kan kanay iton surat? / Kan kunay iton surat?
Do you (sing) know whose book this is?Maaram ka kon kan kanay ini libro? /Maaram ka kon kan kunay ini libro?
Do you (pl) know whose book this is?Maaram kamo kon kan kanay ini libro? / Maaram kam kon kan kunay ini libro?
Does she know whose book this is?Maaram hiya kon kan kanay ini libro?/ Maaram siya kon kan kunay ini libro?
Do they know whose book this is?Maaram hira kon kan kanay ini libro?/ Maaram sira kon kan kunay ini libro?

Waray Sentences and Phrases and Greetings in Waray


How do you say, "Good morning" or "Good afternoon" in Waray? Good morning is Maupay nga aga; Good afternoon, Maupay nga kulop. You'll notice that most of my entries have two or three suggestions in Waray. The first suggestion is the usual way of saying the English sentence in the Waray language. The second or the last suggestion -- the one that comes after the slash (/) -- is how we say it using the Ninorte-Samarnon Waray.

In case you might need a list of Waray words or Waray adjectives, this site has also an online Waray dictionary.

Aim high.Pangandoy hin hataas./ Pangandoy sin hataas.
A merry Christmas and a bountiful New Year!Malipayon nga Pasko ug mabungahon nga Bag-o nga Tuig!
A prosperous New Year to everyone!Mauswagon nga Bag-o nga Tuig ha kada usa!/ Mauswagon nga Bag-o nga Tuig sa tagsa-tagsa!
Don't worry.Ayaw kabaraka.
Good afternoon. Maupay nga kulop.
Good afternoon to all of you. Maupay nga kulop ha iyo ngatanan./ Maupay nga kulop sa iyo ngatanan.
Good afternoon to you, too.Maupay gihap nga kulop ha imo./ Maupay liwat nga kulop sa im.
Good day.Maupay nga adlaw.
Good day to all of you.Maupay nga adlaw ha iyo ngatanan./ Maupay nga adlaw sa iyo ngatanan.
Good evening. Maupay nga gab-i.
Good evening everyone.Maupay nga gab-i ha kada usa. or Maupay nga gab-i ha kada tagsa./

Maupay nga gab-i sa tagsa-tagsa.
Good evening to all of you.Maupay nga gab-i ha iyo ngatanan./ Maupay nga gab-i sa iyo ngatanan.
Good evening to you, too.Maupay gihap nga gab-i ha imo./ Maupay liwat nga gab-i sa im.
Good morning. Maupay nga aga.
Good morning to all of you. Maupay nga aga ha iyo ngatanan./ Maupay nga aga sa iyo ngatanan.
Good morning to you, too. Maupay gihap nga gab-i ha imo./ Maupay liwat nga gab-i sa im.
Good night.Maupay nga pagkaturog.
Happy birthday. Malipayon nga pagsalin-urog han imo adlaw nga natawhan./

Malipayon nga pagsalin-urog sa imo adlaw nga natawhan.
Happy Easter.Malipayon nga Pasko ha Pagkabanhaw./ Malipayon nga Pasko sa Pagkabanhaw.
Happy Hearts' Day. Malipayon nga pagsalin-urog sa adlaw sa mga kasing-kasing.
Happy New Year.Malipayon nga Bag-o nga Tuig or Maupay nga Bag-o nga Tuig.
Merry Christmas.Malipayon nga Pasko or Maupay nga Pasko.
Stand up.Tindog./ Tugbos. (N.Samar)
Take care.Paghinay.
Thank you.Salamat.
Thank you very much. Damo nga salamat ha imo./ Damo nga salamat sa im.
Thank you very much to all of you.Damo nga salamat ha iyo ngatanan./ Damo nga salamat sa iyo ngatanan.
Welcome home. Maupay nga pag-abot.
You're welcome. Waray sapayan.                                                                                


Plural Adjectives in Waray

While there is no such thing as plural adjectives in the English language -- attractives, cutes, beautifuls, uglies -- it is common for Waray language speakers to express Waray adjectives in plural form.

digtoy nga sapatos (tiny shoes)

The letter "G" plays a very important role here because a word (adjective) changes its meaning whenever it (G) is inserted to any singular adjective. Let's start with the simplest Waray adjectives:

ditoy nga balay (a small house)
digtoy nga mga balay (small houses)
dako nga tamsi (a big bird)
dagko nga mga tamsi (big birds)
hataas nga kahoy (a tall tree)
hagtaas nga mga kahoy (tall trees)
habubo nga lingkuran (a low chair)
hagbubo nga mga lingkuran (low chairs) 

In the same manner, add the letter "G" to the following adjectives and you'll have them in plural form.


magdakmol ngan magnipis nga mga libro

mahugos nga bata (a skinny child)
maghugos nga mga bata (skinny children)
marasa nga pagkaon (a delicious food)
magrasa nga mga pagkaon (an array of delicious food)
mahumot nga bukad (a fragrant flower)
maghumot nga mga bukad (fragrant flowers)
mahusay nga daraga (a beautiful lady)
maghusay nga mga daraga (beautiful ladies) 
mabaysay nga balay (a lovely house)
magbaysay nga mga balay (lovely houses)
madakmol nga libro (a thick book)
magdakmol nga mga libro (thick books)
manipis nga libro (a thin book)
magnipis nga mga libro (thin books)


There may be some exceptions to this rule, but if you're new to the language this lesson will bring you a long way. Hope this helps.

How Plural Ideas Are Expressed in Waray

There are two ways of expressing plural ideas in the Waray language. The first one is easier -- you just add the word "mga" (ma-nguh) before any word. Take a look at these examples:

pagkaon (food)

bata (child) - mga bata (children)
kahoy (tree) - mga kahoy (trees)
harok (kiss) - mga harok (kisses)
sangkay (friend) - mga sangkay (friends)
bugto (sibling) - mga bugto (siblings)
lalaki (man) - mga lalaki (men)
babaye (woman) - mga babaye (women)
daraga (unmarried/young lady) - mga daraga (unmarried/young ladies)
ulitawo (unmarried/young man) - mga ulitawo (unmarried/young men)
urupod (relative) - mga urupod (relatives)
patud (cousin) - mga patud (cousins)
mananap (insect) - mga mananap (insects)


mga pagkaon

The second way of doing it is by adding a prefix and a suffix to the root word. Normally, the prefix KA and the suffix AN are added to the word; hence, bata becomes kabataan and kahoy becomes kakahoyan. Harok (kiss), however, cannot be expressed in plural form using this style. You either say harok or mga harok, but NOT kaharokan.

bata (child) - kabataan (children)
kahoy (tree) - kakahoyan (trees)
bugto (sibling) - kabugtoan (siblings)
sangkay (friend) - kasangkayan (friends)


kadaragan-an ug kaulitawhan (young ladies and young men)

There is a slight variation with how the words lalaki, babaye, and daraga are expressed in plural form in Waray. Instead of the suffix AN, the letter N is added to the root word before adding AN: kalalakin-an, kababayen-an, kadaragan-an.

lalaki (man) -kalalakin-an (men)
babaye (woman) - kababayen-an (women)
daraga (unmarried/young lady) - kadaragan-an (unmarried/young women)

ulitawo (unmarried/young man) - kaulitawhan (unmarried/young men)
patud (cousin) - kapaturan (cousins)
urupod (relative) - kaurupdan (relatives)
mananap (insect) - kamamanampan (insects)

With ulitawo, the letter "O" is replaced with letter "H" before adding the suffix AN: kaulitawhan. Moreover, "D" in patud is dropped and is replaced with the letter "R" before the suffix AN is added. "O" is likewise dropped in urupod when expressed in plural form. The way mananap, changes to its plural form is even more complicated. "M" is inserted between the two final letters (A and P); hence, mananap becomes kamamanampan.

One piece of advice: if you think the second style is complicated, you just stick to the simpler one: add "mga" to any Waray noun (place it before the word) and you will have it in plural form.

Two Waray Words -- Ohataw and Ipo

Ohataw is a food container. It's a concave vessel with a round shape. In some parts of Samar and Leyte, it is called yahong. An ohataw is typically used as a soup bowl.
tabatchnik.com


Ipo is another Waray word for misay/misai. It’s also called idingiringmisay, or uding by other Waray speakers. All these five nouns Waray terms for cat.




carricaturesbysusan.com

I know my mother tongue very well, yet I haven't come across a specific Waray word for kitten. Whether it's a cat or a kitten, it's always called ipo. To refer to a kitten, Waray speakers -- especially those from Northern Samar -- usually say anak sa ipo (a cat's offspring).




Waray Tutorial -- What is Iroy?

Knowing that Cebuano-speakers think of "iroy" as a swear word, I am not and will never be comfortable using the word in front of a Cebuano-speaker. To use the phrase, "an im' iroy" is rude. It is, in this case, a swear word. This side of iroy, is what most of my Cebuano-speaking friends know.

To refer to our mothers, we lovingly say: "Siya an ako nanay" (She is my mother). I would be offended if a friend suddenly asks me, "Hain an im iroy?" (Where is your mother?). Nanay and iroy are synonymous, but we use them in different ways and in different occasions. In ordinary conversation, we refer to our mothers as nanay, not iroy. The latter suggests disrespect for the person (mother).


shutterstock.com

It’s interesting to note that we use the same word (iroy) when we want to be dramatic or when we are emphatic, particularly when delivering a siday or lowa (poetry). Kanta Para Sa Akon Iroy ( ASong for my Mother) and Mga Rayandayan San Akon Iroy (My Mother's Wealth) are acceptable because they can pass as titles for a literary work. The Philippines is not our nanay nga tuna. We always refer to it as iroy nga tuna (motherland) as in “An iroy nga tuna matam-is pagpuy-an.” ("How sweet it is to live in our motherland!). The same word is used in reference to Mary as in, "Santa Maria, Iroy sa Diyos"  ("Holy Mary, Mother of God") and in, "Maghimaya ka Rayna, Iroy san Kaluoy" ("Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy").

Nanay is conversational and informal; hence, we use it in everyday language and in ordinary discourse. Iroy, on the other hand, is formal. While it is true that “iroy” is a swear word, it is also the literary term for mother.

Would you like to know how to pronounce the words nanay and iroy correctly? I made a video for you. I also provided subtitles.