Like in other tongues there is in Bisayan a distinction between proper and common nouns. Tacloban, Catbalaógan, [30]Ilong̃-ílong̃ (Iloilo), Espanya (Spain), Pedro (Peter), Guillermo (William), etc., are proper nouns; bucad (flower), bató (stone), áyam (dog), etc., are common.

The Bisayan language has also familiar names for persons. As

Among the names of places, there are a few formed by the preposition can (which means possession or property), and the particles ca (which denotes abundance), and guin (which conveys the idea of past passive action), as

NOTE.—The names of persons among the Bisayan people are all Christian at the present time. Many of the surnames are Spanish, many others being of Bisayan origin as Lágbas, Pócpoc, Macasáit, Cabaobao, Balasbas, Yagomyom, etc.

To indicate relationship, as the English papa, mamma, and respect, confidence, or tenderness, there are a number of Bisayan nouns, which show by themselves the relation between the speaker or writer and the person to whom the noun is applied. Examples:

• for papa, tátay or tatáy, tátang̃ or tatáng̃, itáy, or itáng̃;
• for,, mamma, nánay or nanáy, nánang̃ or nanáng̃, ináy, or ináng̃.

There are others applied to grandfathers and grandmothers, and also to those persons who act or are considered as fathers or mothers. Examples:

• Mano, manóng, mamo, mamoy, babay, dudoy, dudù inco, tutoy, yuyu, iyô (applied to elder brothers, uncles or elder male relatives of any degree, even to persons not related to but respected by the speaker or writer).
• Mana37 manang, manáy, mama, mamay. manding, duday, duda, insi tutay, yuya, tuta (applied to elder sisters, aunts or elder female relatives of any [32]degree, even to women not related to, but respected by the speaker or writer).
• Tío, or tí, tia or tí (applied as á form of politeness and respect, respectively to men or women not related to or unknown by the speaker or writer).
• Idoy, íntoy, budóy, busóy, and idáy, inday, udáy, idíng, iyíng, bididay, nonay, neneng, (applied with tenderness to boys or girls respectively).

NOTE.—The word cuán (so and so), not meaning anything by itself, is applied to persons or things whose names the speaker or writer does not know, or venture, or wish to express. As the phrase “so and so”, it helps a great deal in a conversation, and is used also instead of the verbs and other parts of speech.

The words inín (contracted of iní nga) and adâ (I guess, perhaps) are also used in the conversation, as auxiliary particles, they being then equivalent to the English why.

Examples:

• Question.—“¿Guinsorat mo na an balos?” (Have you already written the answer?)
• Answer.—“Oo guincoan co na gad” (Yes I already have).
• Q.—¿Háin an basahón? (Where is the book?)
• A.—Inin … aadto ada ha ac solód (why … I guess it is in my room)
• Q.—Mapiráu, ¿ano in bubuhaton co? (I am sleepy, what shall I do?)
• A.—Ada … catúrog (Why … to sleep).

As in other languages, there are three degrees for adjectives, also used for substantives in Bisayan. These degrees are positive, comparative and superlative.

Nothing particular needs be observed about the positive degree, except what is mentioned in the foregoing paragraphs: [33]

The comparatives are formed exactly in the same way as the figuratives38, the number of syllables being disregarded, as if all has more than two syllables.

In the formation of adjectives prefixed with ma, this particle is preferably disregarded, as if such particle did not exist, as

There is another form of comparative consisting in the use of the combined particles labi (more) and ca, as

This last form is sometimes used for superlatives.

The superlatives are of three classes:

Those which do not admit any comparison, and which we call absolute or supreme superlatives, as

those which are not so absolute, and which we call ordinary superlative, as,

and those which convey the idea of excess, and which we call excessive superlatives, as [34]

As is seen from the preceding examples, the supreme supertive is formed by adding to the beginning of the primitive the prefix gui and by appending to said primitive the affíx i. The first syllable of the primitive may be doubled as use permits. As,

The first form is also adopted for the substantives to show the highest degree of identity as in this phrase:

• An guiaamáyi mo gud an natauág ha imo
• (It is your very father who calls you).

The ordinary superlative is formed with the particles capin ca or labí ca placed before the primitive, or with the particles caópay, ng̃a capin, or hin sogong̃ put after the primitive. As,

Some of the adjectives formed with particle ma, have another form for ordinary superlative, in doubling their root and disregarding the prefix ma, as from “masiróm” (dark), “masiromsiróm”41 (very dark).

The excessive superlative is formed with the particle [35]uraúra ca placed before the primitive, or the particle ng̃a uraúra located after the root. As,

The idea of the excessive superlative is also expressed sometimes with the particles “lapás ca” (excessively), or with the phrase “dirí sonô hin ca” or “dirì socól hin ca” (out of measure), placed before the primitive, as

• lapás ca maasín
• dirì sonô hin ca maasín
• dirì socól hin ca maasín.

NOTE.—The particles “labi” and “capin” take sometimes the affix an, as

The cardinal adjectives are the following:

As it is noticed above, the cardinals are formed by the preposition “cag” (and), the prefix “ca” (which means collection) and the affix “an”, added to the primitives “usá, duhá, tuló, upáo, lima, unóm, pitó, ualó, siyám, napulo, gatós, yocót, ribo”, the phonetical reasons being taken in consideration. Thus we say:

• caruhaán, not caduhaán,
• catloan, not catuloán,
• cap’atán not caupatán,
• calim’an not calimahán,
• caúnman, not caunoman.

The word “usa” is frequently contracted, especially in familiar language, by the supression of the last vowel. Thus:

[37]

In reading the numbers, the English way is followed, the particles “uga may” being sometimes employed especially in cases of large amounts. Thus, to read this number

987654321,

we would say:

“Casiyamán cag ualó cayocót, pitó cagatós caúnman cag limá caribo, ng̃a may upát ca yocót, tuló ca gatós caruhaán cag usá.”

NOTE—In Bisayan, there is no word corresponding to the English zero (0). However, its figure is used in Bisayan. It is suggested that the word “lung̃ág” (empty), or “uaráy” (nothing) be adopted as corresponding to the word “zero” which is derived from modern Latin zephiram from Arabic cafrun, cifrun or sefer (empty).

The ordinals are formed by employing the particles “ica” (which bears the idea of order), placed before the cardinal. As

• ica usá,
• ica napulò
• ica calim’an
• ica upat ca gatós
• ica siyam ca yucót
• icá pito ca ribo.

The ordinal of usa has also simple forms, as siyahan, siyapá, and frequently admits the particle icag instead of ica, as icag usá.

The partitives have exactly the same form, as the ordinals, except in that the ordinals cag usa, siyahan and siyapá are never used as partitives; and that there is the form tung̃â and its variants catung̃â, tung̃â or catung̃â hin or ng̃a (half), employed instead of icaduhà.

The phrase ca bahín (part) is frequently used in the partitives to avoid confusion. Thus [38]

The particle ica is sometimes contracted into caas “catung̃a” (half), “cauróg” (most).

The distributives are formed by adding to the cardinals the particle tag (which conveys the idea of distribution). As

When the distributive bears the meaning of portion, the particle iquina is combined with tag. As

The collective nouns are formed by adding at the beginning of the primitive the prefix ca (which bears the idea of collection or reunion) and the affix an. As,

These forms are very frequently used to make the plural of the nouns, as of the singular batá we make the plural.

NOTE—The particle ca is also employed to express abstract ideas, as

The particle pag is sometimes added at the beginning of the particle, as

The collectives take also the form of the figuratives with or without the particles ca and an, as the use may permit, as [39]

NOTE.—There is another class of nouns which may be called depreciative. They are limited in number. The following belong to such class:

for batà (child),

• nagbobóto (a being born thru an explosion)
• lumátud (person of big abdomen)
• lugtuc,46
• motatô47
• motó, from botó (report of a gun, explosion);

for anác (son or daughter)

• nahólbot (past participle of “hólbot” to pull out of a hole);

for baba (mouth)

• nasárag (of “sárag” to put something in the mouth);

for camót (hand)

• camrauón (from “cámram”, what an eagle does with its fingers);

for tiil (foot)

• sincádol48 etc.

There are despectives derived from their primitives, as,

• for húbya (lazy), “húbsac”49

The variations to which the Bisayan names are subject, are: gender, number, and cases. [40]

The gender is scarcely regarded. We have however for few nouns the natural and grammatical genders.

Examples of natural gender:

Examples of gramatical gender:

The plural is determined by the particle mga or by those for collectives as formerly seen53, or by the interfix g among the adjectives. Examples:

• of táuo (man) “mg̃a táuo,” or “catauóhan” (men),
• of dacò (large), dagcò (large, plural). [41]
• of matam-is (sweet), magtam-is (sweet, plural),
• of hatáas (high), hagtáas (high, plural).

When the noun is preceded by numeral adjectives, the singular keeps its form, as

• usá ca táuo (one man), napulò ca tauo (ten men),
• usá ng̃a baláy (one house), calim’an ng̃a baláy (fifty houses).

Some adjectives do not admit the interfix g, for euphonical reason, as

• of hubyà (lazy), mg̃a hubya, not húgbyà, etc.

There is no inflection for Bisayan nouns to distinguish their different cases, as in Greek and Latin. The cases are determined by the prepositions and by variable parts of speech preceding the noun.

There are great many Bisayan nouns composed of the same letters, but which have different meanings according to the accent they bear. Of these are the following: