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Tausūg (Tausūg: Bahasa Sūg, Malay: Bahasa Suluk, Tagalog: Wikang Tausug, Cebuano: Tinausug) is a language spoken in the province of Sulu in the Philippines, in Malaysia, and in Indonesia by the Tausūg people.

It is widely spoken in the Sulu Archipelago (Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi), Zamboanga Peninsula (Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga City), Southern Palawan and in Sabah (Malaysia). It is very closely related to the Butuanon language of northeastern Mindanao.

The name of the language in Tausūg is Bahasa Sūg which means language of the Sūg where Sūg is taken to mean the area in which it is spoken (i.e. Sulu). The word Tausūg is the name used colloquially where Tau means 'person' and hence Tausūg means person of Sūg (Sulu).

Sounds

Consonants

Features: Gemination of all non-glottal consonants

• b [b] or [β] when between vowels^[2]
• d [d]
• g [ɡ] or [ɣ] when between vowels^[2]
• h [h]
• j [dʒ]
• k [k]
• l [l]
• m [m]
• n [n]
• ny [ɲ]
• p [p]
• r [r]
• s [s]
• t [t]
• w [w]
• y [j]

Vowels

Features: Vowel lengthening (e.g. bāy ‘house’). Stress: Nonphonemic stress on final syllable.

• a/ā [a] and [aː]
• i/ī [i] and [iː]
• u/ū [u] and [uː]
• ü [ɜ]

• The letters o and e are used in loan words and names from other languages.

Diphthongs: aw, uy, ay, iw^[3]

Arabic Script

The Tausūg language was previously written with the Arabic alphabet. The script used was inspired by the use of Jawi in writing the Malaysian language.

An example of the Arabic alphabet in writing the Tausūg language:

• Latin script – Wayruun tuhan malaingkan ha Allāh, hi Muhammad in rasūl sin Allāh

• Arabic script – وَيْـرُٷنْ تُـهَـنْ مَـلَـيِـڠْـكَـن هَالله، هِـمُـحَـمَّـدْ ئِـڠ رَسُـولْ سِـڠ الله

• English translation - There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah

The Arabic script used to write the Tausug language differs in some aspects to the script used for the Arabic language and in the Jawi script used for Malay languages. One of the main differences is in the way that word-initial vowels are written.

In the Arabic language the way write /in/ is (إن), in Jawi (Malay) it is (ان) however in Tausug it is (ئِن). The Tausug Arabic script utilises the letter yā' with a hamza to represent a short vowel. If a kasra (ِ) is added it becomes an 'i' sound, if a fatha (َ) is added it becomes an 'a' sound and if a damma (ُ) is added it becomes a 'u' sound.

Letters

Grammar

Pronouns

Personal

Demonstrative

Enclitic Particles

Existential

Interrogative Words

Examples

Loan Words

Many Tausug words derive from the Arabic language.

Some examples of Arabic words in Tausug are

Tausug words derived from Sanskrit

Numbers

See also

• Languages of the Philippines
• Bikol
• Cebuano
• Chabacano
• Filipino
• Hiligaynon
• Kapampangan language
• Ilokano
• Pangasinan
• Visayan languages
• Waray-Waray

External links

• Publications in Tausūg and other Philippine languages
• In Bahasa Sug: An Introduction to Tausug by Christopher Sundita
• Tausug Language by Dr. Carl G. Rubino
• Bansa.org Tausug Dictionary
• Tausug Lessons by Languagelinks.og
• Tausug English Glossary Search for common Tausug Words

References

• Sundita, Christopher Allen (2002). In Bahasa Sug: An Introduction to Tausug. Lobel & Tria Partnership, Co.. ISBN 971-92226-6-2. 

Languages of the Philippines and Philippine languages National language Filipino Official languages Filipino • English Recognized regional languages Bikol • Cebuano • Chavacano (Spanish-based creole) • Hiligaynon • Ilokano • Kapampangan • Kinaray-a • Maguindanao • Maranao • Pangasinan • Tagalog • Tausug • Waray-Waray Recognized auxiliary languages Arabic • Spanish Language groups Borneo-Philippines • Northern Philippine {Northern Luzon (Batanic) • Northern Cordilleran • South-Central Cordilleran} • {Central Luzon (Sambalic)} • Central Philippine {Bikol (Coastal • Inland • Pandan) • Visayan (Aklan • Bisakol)} • Southern Philippine