Philippine E-Journals

Te Discourse Grammar of Sinurigao

Francis Tom A. Paredes

 

Abstract:

Sinurigao is not widely studied and its speakers in the province of Surigao del Norte, Philippines are slowly decreasing due to the intrusion of major languages (Dumanig & Jubilado, 2006). Te informants are Surigaonons in Siargao Island, Surigao City and Mainit, Surigao del Norte. Using mixed-method research: discourse and sociolinguistic analyses with Transitivity Hypothesis and Stem-based Affixations Analysis of Nolasco (2005), this research examined the Sinurigao morphology, syntax, phonology, and semantic features. This study also delineated the effect of the contact of Sinurigao with other Philippine Languages (PLs). Modification on subject-verb agreement was made to suit the condition of Sinurigao language. Te results reveal that Sinurigao morphology has <ag> afx for intentional, <a> for unintentional, <u> for usual statement(s), glottal visarga has written form like the -h- in tigmatahay to join the affix –ay to the stem. It also has unwritten form as observed in mata[h] and ba[h]ta`. Aside from possibility, ability and necessity, modality of doubt, dismay and shock are observed in Sinurigao. Furthermore, the study found out that economic crisis caused by colonization and neo-colonization affect Sinurigao and that social belonging forced speaker to shift own language to social language and frequent contacts of different languages affect the minor languages like Sinurigao. These results justify the generation of Sinurigao Yare Ameliorator Grammar Establisher Theory (SYAGET).