Towards a Reconstruction of the Pronominal Systems of Proto-Cordilleran, Philippines.

Abstract

In an earlier paper (Reid 1974) evidence was presented for a subgroup of Philippine languages labeled Central Cordilleran. This group consisted of the following languages: Isinai, Ifugao, Balangao, Bontok, Kankanay, Kalinga, and Itneg. The Central Cordilleran group (CC) forms part of a much larger subgroup of Philippine languages which is spoken over most of Northern Luzon. This larger subgroup is labeled Cordilleran,2 and in addition to the Central group mentioned above comprises also a Southern Cordilleran subgroup, and a Northern Cordilleran subgroup. The Southern group (SC) consists of Pangasinan, Inibaloi, Karaw, and the various dialects of Atipulu, Amduntug, Kala- nguya, Kallahan, Kayapa, and I-wak spoken in the provinces of Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya and subsumed here under the name Kallahan. SC probably also includes Ilongot. Northern Cordilleran (NC) consists of at least the following languages: Ibanag, Gaddang, Yogad, Isneg, Malaweg, Itawis (also called Itawit), Ilokano, and the languages of the various Negrito groups of Cagayan, Isabela, and Aurora provinces, labeled variously as Agta, Atta, and Dumagat. The purpose of this paper is to examine the pronoun systems of these three groups (SC, CC, and NC) and to attempt reconstruction of the pronominal systems of the meso-languages and the parent language—Proto-Cordilleran (PC).