WARAY-WARAY MORPHOLOGY:

I. Pronouns
The table below shows the summary of pronouns of Waray-waray.
Singular 1st
2nd
3rd
Plural
1st person
(inclusive)

Nominative
aku
ikaw
hija
kita

1st person kami

(exclusive)
2nd person kamu
3rd person hira

Objective
ku
mu
nija
natun

Possessive
akun
imu
iya
atun

namun

amun

niyu
nira

iyu
ira

To make a clearer understanding, each pronoun is used in a sentence.

A. Nominative
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

malipajun aku
malipajun ka
malipajun sija
maghahamis kita
maglilinis kami
malipajun kamu
malipajun hira

I am happy
You are happy
S/He is happy
We will clean
We will clean
You are happy
They are happy

B. Objective (Ergative)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

ginhamisan ku an sulud
ginhamisan mu an sulud
ginhamisan nija an sulud
hamisan natun an sulud
ginhamisan namun an sulud
ginhamisan niju an sulud
ginhamisan nira an sulud

The room was cleaned by me*

The room was cleaned by you*
The room was cleaned by him/her*
Let us clean the room
The room was cleaned by us*
The room was cleaned by you*
The room was cleaned by them*

C. Possessive (Oblique)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

mahamis an akun sulud

mahamis an imu sulud
mahamis an ija sulud
mahamis an atun sulud
mahamis an amun sulud
mahamis an iju sulud
mahamis an ira sulud

My room is clean
Your room is clean
His/Her room is clean
Our room is clean
Our room is clean
Your room is clean
Their room is clean

*The sentences are in passive voice to show the objective case of pronouns.

II. Word Formation Strategies

A. affixation
1. prefixing and deletion
The /n/ in the verb prefix pan- is deleted and replaced by a nasal sound when it is
followed by the verb which starts with any sounds: /p, b, k, t, d, s/.
a. [p, b] [m]
pamati
pan-bati
IMP-greet
greet
pamarigu
pan-parigu
imp-bathe
bathe
b. [k] []
paaun
pan-kaun
IMP-eat
eat
paahuj
pa-kahuj
IMP-hew
hew
c. [t, d, s] [n]
panagu
pan-tagu
IMP-hide
hide
panalagan
pan-dalagan
IMP-run
run
pa na jaw
pan-sajaw
IMP-dance
dance

d. The /n/ in the verb prefix pan- is deleted and /g/ is replaced if the prefix is followed by
the verb that starts with /l/sound.
[l] g + [l]
pagliwan
pag-liwan
IMP-to put on clothes
put on clothes
pagluksu
pag-luksu
IMP-hop
hop
2. prefixing
The /n/ in the verb prefix pan- remains /n/ and no changes with any sounds of the verbs
which have any initial sounds of /g, h, w/.
a. [g] n + [g]
pangabut
pan-gabut
IMP-pull out
pull out
b. [h,w] n + [h, w]
panhuja
pan-huja
IMP-lean
lean
panwadas
pan-wadas
IMP-shake
shake
3. infixation
pinalit
p-in-alit
p-PST-alit
buy PST
bought

4.

suffixing
a. apuj
apu-j
grandchild-NSUF
grandparent
b. higdaan
higda-an
lie on-NSUF
bed
c. ujasan
ujas-an
play-NSUF
toy

B. reduplication
1. partial:
Aside from putting prefix, the present (progressive) and future tense of the verb is
formed by repeating the initial syllable of the root word.
a. nagbubunak
nag-bu-bunak
PRES-initialRED-wash clothes
wash clothes
b. maghahamis
mag-ha-hamis
FUT-initialRED-clean
will clean
2. full
gawas gawas
RED-gawas
always in and out
III. Typology:
The Waray-waray language, most of the times, is fusional. Though, it is sometimes
identified as isolating and agglutinating. The following data show their distribution.
fusional

fusional

aku

hi

1SG

NMK

isolating

hajmi kampaniru
Jaime Campanero

I am Jaime Campanero

fusional

fusional

an

akun

isolating

agglutinating

idad

DET 1SINGPOSS age

I am fifty-six years old

agglutinating

igin

kalim

an

fifty

linker

fusional

fusional

aku

ha

anak

PSTPASS BORN
1SINGPOSS
NMKR
I was born in General Mc Arthur Eastern Samar

fusional

an

isolating

fusional

aran

han

kag

six

isolating

isolating

fusional

an

aran

han

isolating

isolating

fusional

jana

hahani

aku

fusional

butu
town

fusional

fusional

akun

NMKR
name
NMKR
1SINGPOSS-NMKR
The name of my mother is Felisa Campenero

General Mc Arthur Eastern Samar

PREP

amaj
father

General Mc. Arthur Eastern Samar

fusional

hi
NMKR

isolating

Conrado Campanero
Conrado Campanero

isolating

fusional

inaj

hi

Felisa Campanero

NMKR

Felisa Campanero

mother

agglutinating fusional

naukuj

isolating

ha

isolating

akun

NMKR
name
NMKR
1SINGPOSS-NMKR
The name of my father is Conrado Campenero

fusional

unum

ha

isolating

isolating

NPC Village Tandang Sora Quezon City

ADV
ADV
1SINGNOM PRES-reside PREP
NPC Village Tandang Sora Quezon City
I am currently residing here in NPC Village Tandang Sora, Quezon City