Tausūg (Bahasa Sūg, بَهَسَ سُوْغْ, , ) is an Austronesian language spoken in the province of Sulu in the Philippines and in the eastern area of the state of Sabah, Malaysia. It is widely spoken in the Sulu Archipelago (Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and Basilan), the Zamboanga Peninsula (Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga City), southern Palawan, Malaysia (eastern Sabah), and Indonesia (Tarakan and Nunukan Regency, province of North Kalimantan).
Tausūg has some lexical similarities or near similarities with Surigaonon language of the provinces Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Agusan del Sur and with the Butuanon language of Agusan del Norte; it has also some vocabulary similarities with Sugbuanon, Bikol languages, and with other Philippine languages. Many Malay language and Arabic words are found in Tausug language.
Sūg]] is the modern form of the older term Sulug (meaning "sea currents"), which was also the old name of the island of Jolo. It is derived from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *sələg (“flowing water, current”), and is a cognate of Cebuano language sulog]], Tagalog language silig]], and Malay language suluk.
Due to migration, the language is also spoken alongside other local languages in the Zamboanga Peninsula (e.g., Cebuano and Chavacano), which includes the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga City. It is also spoken in Southern Palawan, Eastern Sabah, Malaysia and in Tarakan and Nunukan Regency, North Kalimantan, Indonesia.
The vowel phonemes have a broad range of :
Tausūg has expectedly developed some variations in accent and vocabulary from one area to another, but there are two basic dialects characterized by differences with regard to vowel sounds. The "Gimbahanun" (literally means people from the farm) speakers, the residents of the out-of-town rural areas, use four vowels: /a/, /i/, /u/ and /ə/, the last vowel representing schwa sound or "obscure u", a retention from Proto-Philippine and Proto-Bisayan. The "Parianun", the residents of the urban areas, use only three vowel phonemes: /a/, /i/, /u/,; the loss of /ə/ is common in many Bisayan and other Philippine languages.
Medial gemination (of all non-glottal consonants) is phonemic.
Siyu?/Hisiyu? |
Unu? |
Diin? / Hariin? / Hāin? (contracted Hariin) / Haunu? (Ha+uuu) |
Mayta'? / Mahi? |
Ku'nu? |
Ka'nu? |
Biya'diin? |
Pila? |
The Arabic script used to write Tausūg differs in some aspects from the script used for Arabic and in the Jawi script used for Malay.
In Sulu, there is no separate letter for g. Whereas in Jawi, the sound g is represented with the letter غ (which has a pronunciation ɣ in Arabic) is reserved for Arabic loanwords, and sometimes the letter ݢ.
In Sulu, there is no differentiation between f and p. Whereas in Jawi, the letters ف and ڤ are used respectively, in Sulu the letter ف is used in all instances.
For the sound ɲ in the final position, in Sulu, the letter پ is used whereas in Malay Jawi, the letter ڽ is instead used. The letter پ is associated with the sound p in Persian alphabet and other scripts derived from Persian. In both Malay Jawi and Sulu the letter پـ/ڽـ is used in all other positions.
For the sound k in the final position, in Malay Jawi, the letter ک is used, having the same form as when in initial or medial positions. In Sulu, similar to Arabic, it is customary to use ك.
+ Tausūg Alphabet (Bahasa Sūg Alipbā'tā') |
+ Tausūg Alphabet – Arabic Script |
alip |
bā' |
tā' |
sā(thā') |
nyā' |
jīm |
hā' |
khā' |
chā' |
dāl |
jāl |
rā' |
jā' |
sīn |
sīn |
sād |
dād |
tā' |
lā' |
'ayn |
gayn |
ngā' |
pā' |
kāp |
kāp |
lām |
mīm |
nūn |
hā' |
wāw |
yā' |
hamja |
alip with hamja above |
wāw with hamja above |
yā' with hamja above |
lām alip |
What is your name? | Unu in ngān mu? / Siyu in ngān mu? | |
My name is Muhammad. | In ngān ku Muhammad. | |
How are you? | Maunu-unu na kaw? | |
I am good. | Marayaw da isab. | |
Where is Ahmad? | Hariin hi Ahmad? | |
He is in the house. | Yadtu siya ha bāy. | |
Thank you! | Magsukul kaymu! |
Some examples of Arabic words in Tausug are
Adab | manners | أدب | adab | manners |
Ahirat | hereafter | آخرة | ākhirah | hereafter |
Ajayb | amazing | عجيب | 'ajīb | amazing |
Akkal | intelligence | عقل | 'Aql | intellect |
Alam | universe | عالم | 'ālam | world |
Allāh | God (Allah) | الله | Allāh | God (Allah) |
Amānat | message | أمانة | amānah | trust |
Ammal | use | عمل | 'amal | to make |
Awal | origin | أوّل | awwal | first |
Awliya | ascetic | أولياء | wali | ascetics |
Ayat | verse | آية | āyah | verse |
Ayb | shame | عيب | 'ayb | shame |
Barawi | Desert robber | بدوي | badawī | bedouin |
Batāl | unclean | باطل | bātil | void |
Bilāl | Muezzin/caller to prayer | بلال | Bilāl | Bilal ibn Rabah |
Daawa | excuse/alibi | دعوة | da'wah | invitation |
Duhul | extremity | دخول | dukhūl | entrance |
Daira | city | دائرة | dā'irah | area |
Dayyus | cuckold | ديّوث | dayyūth | cuckold |
Dunya | earth | دنيا | dunyā | world |
Duwaa | prayer | دعاء | du'ā | prayer/supplication |
Habal | news | خبر | khabar | news |
Hadas | impurity | حدث | hadath | impurity |
Hakīka | birth ritual | عقيقة | aqīqah | birth ritual |
Hakīkat | truth | حقيقة | haqīqah | truth |
Hatīb | speaker | خطيب | khatīb | speaker |
Hawa | Eve | حواء | Hawā' | Eve |
Hidāyat | announcement | هداية | hidāyah | guidance |
Hikmat | wisdom | حكمة | hikmah | wisdom |
Hukum | judge | حكم | hukm | ruling |
Humus | alms | خمس | khums | fifth |
Hutba' | sermon | خطبة | khutbah | sermon |
Hurup | sound of a letter | حروف | hurūf | letters |
Ibilīs | demon | إبليس | Iblīs | devil |
Ihilās | sincerity | إخلاص | ikhlās | sincerity |
Ijin | blessing | إذن | idhn | permission |
Ilmu' | knowledge | علم | 'ilm | knowledge |
Imān | forbearingness | إيمان | īmān | faith |
Intiha' | end | إنتهى | intihā | end |
Irādat | determination | إرادة | irādah | determination |
Islām | Islam | إسلام | Islām | Islam |
Istigapar | to beg pardon | إستغفار | istighfār | to beg pardon |
Instinja | pure | إستنجاء | istinjā' | to clean one's self |
Jabūr | Psalms | زبور | zabūr | Psalms |
Jāhil | foolish | جاهل | jāhil | ignorant |
Jakāt | tithe | زكاة | zakāh | tithe |
Jamāa | congregation | جماعة | jamā'ah | congregation |
Jamān | clock | زمان | zamān | time |
Janāja | bier | جنازة | janāzah | funeral |
Jāt | appearance | ذات | dhāt | self |
Jaytūn | olive | زيتون | zaytūn | olive |
Jin | spirit | جنّ | jinn | demon |
Jinā | adultery | زنا | zinā | adultery |
Juba | garment | جبّة | jubbah | garment |
Jubul | anus | دبر | dubr | anus |
Junub | pollution | جنوب | junūb | dirty |
Jurriyat | lineage | ذرية | dhurriyyah | offspring |
Kahawa | coffee | قهوة | qahwah | coffee |
Kāpil | disbeliever | كافر | kāfir | disbeliever |
Karāmat | miracle | كرامة | karāmah | miracle |
Kawwāt | power | قوّة | quwwah | force |
Kubul | grave | قبور | qubūr | graves |
Kudarat | Power of God | قدرة | qudrah | ability |
Kulbān | sacrifice | قربان | qurbān | sacrifice |
Kuppiya' | male head covering | كوفيّة | kūffiyah | kefiyyeh |
Kupul | disbelief | كفز | kufr | disbelief |
Lidjiki' | blessing | رزق | rizq | sustenance |
Maana | meaning | معنة | ma'nah | meaning |
Magrib | sunset | مغرب | maghrib | sunset |
Magsukul | Thanks | شكر | shukr | thanks |
Mahluk | human | مخلوق | maklūq | created |
Maksud | purpose | مقصود | maqsūd | intended |
Makbul | fulfilled | مقبول | maqbūl | accepted |
Malak | Beautiful | ملك | malak | Angel |
Maruhum | deceased | مرحوم | marhūm | deceased |
Masrik | east | مشرق | mashriq | east |
Matakaddam | parable | متقدّم | mutaqaddam | preceding |
Mayat | corpse | ميت | mayt | dead |
Mujijat | mystery | معجزة | mu'jizah | miracle |
Mulid | pupil | مريد | murīd | pupil |
Munapik | hypocrite | منافق | munāfiq | hypocrite |
Murtad | apostate | مرتد | murtad | apostate |
Muskil | uncommon | مشكل | mushkil | problem |
Mustahak | lawful owner | مستحقّ | mustahaqq | deserving |
Mustajab | occurred | مستجاب | mustajāb | answered |
Muwallam | scholar | معلّم | mu'allim | teacher |
Nabī | prophet | نبي | nabī | prophet |
Najal | promise | نذر | nadhar | vow/promise |
Najjis | filth | ناجس | nājis | filthy |
Napas | breath | نفس | nafas | breathe |
Napsu | desire | نفس | nafs | ego/desire |
Nasihat | advice | نصيحة | nasīhah | advice |
Paham | familiarity | فهم | fahm | understanding |
Pardu' | legislation | فرض | fard | compulsory |
Piil | action | فعل | fi'l | action |
Pikil | think | فكر | fikr | thought |
Pir'awn | Pharaoh | فرعون | fir'awn | Pharaoh |
Rahmat | blessing | رحمة | rahmah | mercy |
Rasūl | messenger | رسول | rasūl | messenger |
Ruku' | bow | ركوع | rukū' | bowing |
Rukun | precept | ركن | rukn | pillar |
Sabab | because | سبب | sabab | reason/cause |
Sahabat | follower | صحابة | sahābah | companions |
Saytān | Satan | شيطان | shaytān | Satan |
Sual | discussion | سؤال | su'āl | question |
Subu | dawn | صبح | subh | dawn |
Sunnat | female circumcision | سنّة | sunnah | tradition/sunnah |
Takabbul | arrogant | تكبّر | takabbur | arrogance |
Takwīm | calendar | تقويم | taqwīm | calendar |
Tallak | divorce | طلاق | talāq | divorce |
Tarasul | Tausug poem | تراسل | tarāsul | correspondence |
Tasbi | prayer beads | تسبيح | tasbīh | praise |
Ummul | age | عمر | 'amr | age |
Wajib | compulsory | واجب | wājib | compulsory |
Wakap | pause | وقف | waqf | pause |
Waktu | time | وقت | waqt | time |
Tausūg words derived from Sanskrit
Guru | teacher | गुरु | guru | teacher | |
Naga | dragon | नाग | nāga | serpent | |
Āgama | religion | आगम | āgama | religion | |
Lahu' | eclipse | राहु | rāhu | eclipse | |
Lupa | appearance | रूप | rūpa | appearance | |
Dukka | grieve | दुःख | duḥkha | suffering | |
Sutla' | silk | सूत्र | sūtra | to sew/thread | |
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