Paragamit:Crystal East

Karl Basallote from Bicol Region

Atong Ang

Pluralizing Verbs

Verbs are pluralized by placing after the first syllable of the verb base a syllable consisting of «r-» plus the vowel that appears in the first syllable of the base. Pluralization can be used to indicate the plurality of the object of the verb as in "I bought a pencil" --> "I bought pencils", or to pluralize the subject as in "He walked to the market" --> "They walked to the market". There is no morphological distinction between these two forms of pluralization.

Pluralization of the object

• binakal ↔ binarakal
• pinundo ↔ pinurundo

If the base verb begins with an L, then the plural infix is prefixed to the base.

• naglakaw ↔ nagralakaw
• nagkurahaw ↔ nagkururahaw

Repeated Action

To express a repeated action, the affix «pára-» is used. This roughly translates to "he keeps doing it".

• taram ↔ nagparataram
• higda ↔ nagparahigda

Nominals

Occupation Forms

The prefix «para-» can be added to a verb base to create an occupational form. These nouns refer to a person who keeps doing the action contained in the verb base (as for a job).

• kanta ↔ parakanta (sing --> singer)
  
• tahi↔ paratahi (sew --> taylor/ seamstress)
  

General Nominal «pang-»

The prefix «pang-» can be added to certain verb bases to form nouns. The meaning conveyed with these nouns is that their sole function is for the action of the verb base from which they are derived.

• sipit ↔ pansipit (fasten --> clothes pin): Sain mo ibinugtak an pansipit = Where did you put the clothes pin?
  
• bakal ↔ pambakal (buy --> fee): pambakal an kwartang ini = This money is for groceries.

Adjectives

Adjective Phrase

The adjective phrase is composed of two parts: an adjective affix and an adjective base. The adjective phrase may consist of a single word or a series of words.

There are three kinds of adjective bases.

Those which take the «ma-» affix

• gayon ↔ magayon
• siram ↔ masiram

Those which take the «ha-» affix (usually words related to height, length, and depth)

• langkaw ↔ halangkaw
• rarom ↔ hararom

Those which take no affix (including but not limited to colors and numbers)

• pula ↔ pula
• duwa ↔ duwa

Superlatives

Superlatives are formed by placing the prefix «pinaka-» in front of the adjective phrase (which includes its adjective affix).

«ma-» class

• gayon ↔ pinakamagayon
• kanos ↔ pinakamakanos

«ha-» class

• langkaw ↔ pinakahalangkaw
• halawig ↔ pinakahalawig

«∅-» class

• dakula ↔ pinakadakula
• sadit ↔ pinakasadit

Pluralizing Adjectives

There are two ways to pluralize adjectives, depending on their prefixes.

If the adjectives takes the prefix «ha-» or no prefix, the plural is formed the same way as in verbs (by placing after the first syllable of the verb base a syllable consisting of «r-» plus the vowel that appears in the first syllable of the base).

• langkaw ↔ haralangkaw
  
• dakula ↔ darakula

If the adjectives requires the «ma-» prefix, then the plural is formed by reduplicating the first syllable of the verb base.

• gayon ↔ magagayon
• siram ↔ masisiram

Verbs from Adjective Bases

When using an adjective base as a verb, one adds the prefix «mag-». This then makes the word act as an intransitive verb base.

• dakula ↔ nagdakula (big --> grew big)
• askad ↔ nagaskad (salty --> became salty)