Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Method
A study of lexical similarity aims to determine the indication of
mutual intelligibility of two languages. This surveys the degree of phonetic,
morphological and syntactic similarities. Statistics in lexical comparisons is
used to decide the branching order of languages in their presumed genetic
tree. Lexical comparison in a nutshell can build a broad phylogeny of large set
of languages.
In the Philippines, several languages were born in order to
communicate. Colonizers and traders brought with them their languages to our
country giving way to the birth of a new language called Chabacano. Camins
(1999) cited that Chabacano all started from our need to communicate with
the Spanish colonizers. He further discussed that Chabacano in Cavite and that
in Zamboanga are lexically and phonologically closer to the Spanish language.
The mixture of local and Spanish lexical items comprises the language corpus
of the two Chabacano varieties. However, despite the geographical and
time separation of both Chabacano languages, these varieties share typical
features.
There have been studies conducted about Zamboanga Chabacano.
Malbago (2000) who studied the language profile of Zamboanga City revealed
that Chabacano is still the dominant language of the city. Edding (2003) in her
research on Chabacano found out that the native and non-native Chabacano
speakers responses have significant differences in some lexicon in terms
of the socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity and educational qualification
of the respondents. Cruz (2005) in her study on the syntax of Zamboanga
Chabacano revealed, among others, that Zamboanga Chabacano follows
Verb-Subject-Object (VSO) Pattern. Olaers (2005) study on the non- Spanish
idiolect composition of Zamboanga Chabacano showed that the 30% of the
Zamboanga Chabacano lexes comes from the three languages: Tagalog,
Cebuano and Hiligaynon. Likewise, Cabangons (2006) thesis on the rural and
urban Zamboanga Chabacano revealed the importation of words from Bisaya,
Tagalog and English.
It should be noted that none of the aforementioned studies
compared or contrasted Zamboanga Chabacano with another type like the
Cavite Chabacano. Aside from that, no study has been conducted on the
phonological changes in the categories of vowel shift, assimilation/dissimilation
and epenthesis/aphesis. Hence, to have one is necessary to provide data
needed for the development of an English, Spanish, Cavite and Zamboanga
Chabacano Dictionary.
The study employed the qualitative research design utilizing the
manifest content analysis of the lexicon in both Cavite and Zamboanga
Chabacano found in the internet and in the published Chabacano Handbook
and Dictionary written by Camins (1999). Out of the total lexical entry of
about 16, 000 available on-line, the study got 2,126 lexical items on the basis
of the availability of Cavite Chabacano lexicon with Zamboanga Chabacano
equivalents.
The data gathering started with the downloading of the 2,126 Cavite
Chabacano lexical items from the Cavite Chabacano Glossary available on-line.
It was followed by the adding of the Zamboanga Chabacano translations and
their phonetic transcriptions (from Camins Chabacano Dictionary) of these
lexical items to the table with six columns having the headings of English,
Spanish, Cavite Chabacano, Cavite phonetic transcription, Zamboanga
Chabacano translation and Zamboanga phonetic of transcriptions in that
order. Lastly, the lexical items were rearranged alphabetically with English as
the basis, as shown in the table below.
18
Table 1
Spanish
a, an once un
Cavite
Phonetic
Chabacano Trans
Zamboanga Phonetic
Chabacano Trans
Un
un
un
un
abdomen
abdomen barriga
barriga
barriga
ba-RRI-ga
abdomen
vientre
bientre
Byentre
vientre
VIEN-tre
able
capaz
capas
Kapas
capas
ca-PAS
able
habil
puedi
pwede
puede
PUE-de
above
on top
encima
incima
insima
encima
en-CI-ma
The initial findings in code forms as SIM for similarities, DIF for
differences in phonological changes were placed on the seventh column of the
table. Other codes as VS for vowel shift, AD for assimilation/dissimilation
and EA for epenthesis/aphesis were also added. These codes were used to
cluster the findings together using an excel command FILTER. The clusters
were, then, placed in separate tables for further analysis.
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Table 2
The data were, then, analyzed using the following theories as bases:
Greenbergs (2004) new statistical technique, the Mass Lexical Comparison
, where one simply compares a large sample of words from Language A with
Language B. Looking for similar sound patterns was used in analyzing the
lexical similarities between Cavite and Zamboanga Chabacano.
Clus
ter
N u m b e r Examples
of Lexical
English
I t e m s
having
similarities
Holmes (1994) Theory of Lexical Diffusion was used in analyzing the lexical
differences in terms of phonological changes between Cavite and Zamboanga
Chabacano. The theory stated that lexical differences involve change that
may spread word for word, through different words one by one, or may first
occur in one word and then later in another word.
310
S
C
Spanish
Cavite
Chabacano
Transcrip
tion
Zambo
a n g a
Chabacano
Transcrip
tion
tablet (n)
tableta
tableta
tableta
tableta
TAB-ble-ta
145
sad (adj)
triste
triste
triste
triste
TRIS-te
140
cabbage
(n)
c o l
repollo
repollo
repolyo
repollo
Re-POLLO
94
package
(n)
paquete
paquete
pakete
paquete
pa-QUE-te
89
backward
(adj)
atras
atras
atras
atras
a TRAS
66
dagger
(n)
pual/
daga
pual
punyal
pual
Pu-AL
62
l a b o r
strike(n)
huelga
huelga
hwelga
huelga
HUEL-ga
61
waist (n)
cintura
cintura
sintura
cintura
cin-TU-ra
59
face (n)
cara/faz
cara
kara
cara
CA-ra
52
gallon
galon
gallon
ga-LON
49
hair (n)
pelo
pelo
pelo
pelo
PE-lo
47
race (n)
carrera
carrera
karrera
carrera
CA-rre-ra
37
madam
seora
ora
nyora
ora
O-ra
36
I (pron)
Yo
Yo
Yo
Yo
Yo
30
occasion occasion
(n)
occasion
okasion
occasion
o-ca-SION
26
economy
/thrift
(n)
economia
economia
economya
economia
e-co-noMIA
25
name (n)
nombre
nombre
nombre
nombre
NOM-bre
Others 147
Total
20
1,475 (69.39%)
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Results regarding phonological changes came in three categories:
vowel shift, assimilation/dissimilation and epenthesis/aphesis.
In the category of vowel shift, the data in Table 3 revealed that out of
the 2,126 lexical items understudy, 267 (12.56%) showed lexical differences.
Then, out of the 267 showing lexical differences in vowel shift, 157 lexical
items showed vowel shift from I in Cavite Chabacano to E in Zamboanga
Chabacano as in dibati (to debate) in Cavite Chabacano to debate
in Zamboanga Chabacano. Sixty (60) lexical items underwent the change
from U to O as in the word, cumpania (company) in Cavite Chabacano
to compania in Zamboanga Chabacano. Eleven (11) lexical items showed
vowel shift differences from IE in Cavite Chabacano to IE in Zamboanga
Chabacano as in pitati (mat) to petate. Six (6) underwent UO to IE change
as in kumpuni (to fix) in Cavite Chabacano to compone in Zamboanga
Chabacano, and 5 lexical items showed A to E vowel shift; an example is the
term basa (basis) in Cavite Chabacano to base in Zamboanga Chabacano.
Table 3
In terms of lexical differences through assimilation and dissimilation,
the data in Table 4 revealed that out of the 2,126 lexical entries understudy,
there are 216 (10.16%) lexical items that show assimilation and dissimilation.
The spelling differences in assimilation show sounds in Cavite
Chabacano that become more similar to the sounds in Zamboanga Chabacano,
and these are reflected in the 63 items of P-F; 60 of B-V; 21 of S-Z; 14 of K-C;
8 of L-R,; 5 each for H-J and P-F, I-E, P-F; 4 of J-H; 3 of R-L; 2 each for
K-C, I-E and H-J, S-Z; lastly, 21 others for the rest of the spelling differences
on K-C, U-O , B-C, B-P and S-C.
In the first five groups of lexical differences, Cavite Chabacano shows
the use of P, B, S, K and L in words like PECHA (date), BIENTRE (abdomen),
BRASO (arm), KUAGO (owl) and PILMI(frequent) while Zamboanga Chabacano
shows the use of F, V, Z, C and R in words like FECHA, VIENTRE, BRAZO,
CUAGO and PIRMI.
In addition in Table 4, 5 lexical items show dissimilation in spelling
whereby a consonant like /L/ in Cavite Chabacano is converted to /R/ in
Zamboanga Chabacano. This is shown in the term jilbi (to boil) in Cavite
Chabacano which becomes irbi in Zamboanga Chabacano.
Examples
English
Spanish
Cavite Chab
Transcription
I-E
maybe (adj)
quiza
siguro [siguro]
seguro [se-GU-ro]
157
U-O
company (n)
compania
cumpania
[kumpanya]
compania[com-paNIA]
60
IE-IE
mat (n)
estera/petate
pitati [pitati]
petate [pe-TA-te]
11
UO-IE
to fix, repair
(v)
kumpuni
c u m p u n i
[kumpuni]
compone [com-poNE]
A-E
basis (n)
basa
basa [Basa]
base [BA-se]
E-A
air (n)
aire
eire
E-U
powder (n)
rolvera
p u l b e r a
[pulbera]
[eyre]
pulvura [pulvura]
aire
[aire]
I-A
to debate ( v)
debater
dibati [dibati]
debata [debata]
IE-BV
to evade (v)
evitar
ibita [ ibita]
evita [e-vi-TA]
Others
20
Total
267
22
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Table 4
English
Spanish
Cavite Chab
Transcription
Zamboanga
C h a b /
Transcription
Subtotal
P-F
date (n)
Fecha
pecha [pecha]
fecha [FE-cha]
63
B-V
abdomen (n)
Vientre
bientre
[byentre]
vientre [VIENtre]
60
S-Z
arm (n)
Brazo
braso [braso]
brazo [BRA-zo]
21
K-C
affected (adj)
Afectado
apektaw
[apektaw]
afectao
[apectao]
14
L-R
frequent (a
(adj)
frecuente
pilmi [pilmi]
pirmi [PIR-mi]
H-J
game,
play(n)
Juego
huego[hwego]
juego [JUE-go]
fiesta (n)
Fiesta
piesta [Pyesta]
fiesta [FIES-ta]
J-H
to kneel (v)
Hincarse
jinca [hingka]
hinca [hingCA]
R-L
estimate (n)
Calcular
carcula
[karkula]
calcula [CALcu-la]
fever (n)
Fiebra
kalintura
[kalintura]
calentura [calen-TU-ra]
K-C, I-E
O t h e r s
showing
assimilation
Dissimilation
in L-R
Grand Total
21
to boil (v)
Bullir
jilbi [hilbi]
irbi [ir-BI]
5
216 (10.16%)
Regarding lexical differences through addition or epenthesis/deletion
or aphesis, the data in Table 6 revealed that Cluster E shows phonetic dropping
in the Cavite Chabacano word IMPLEAO (Employee), the shorter version of
the word EMPLEADO in Zamboanga Chabacano which is also the same word
in Spanish. The phoneme D is dropped making the word shorter. In Cluster
F, phonetic addition can be observed by comparing the lexical entries from
Cavite Chabacano to their Spanish origin. Zamboanga Chabacano shows
phonetic addition of /t/ in the word MIEDUT, and a conversion of to to rat
in the word CHARAT from CHATO. Phonetic change is also observed in the
Chabacano word ESPONJA from the Spanish and Cavite Chabacano word
ESPUMA. The change is from -uma to onja.
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Research Journal January 2011 - June 2011
Cluster G shows aphesis or phonetic deletion in Cavite Chabacano
for the word INGIBRE (GINGER). The original Spanish spelling is JENGIBRE.
Zamboanga Chabacano translates this word as JENIBRE. The original ng
phoneme is now replaced with n minus the J in the initial position. The
second lexical item in Cluster G, on the other hand, HIJADA-AJIJADA (God
Daughter) shows phonetic deletion of A in the Cavite Chabacano translation.
The third pair HIEl-YEL shows phonetic dropping in the Zamboanga translation
of the English word GALL.
The lexical items under Cluster H also show phonetic deletion both
in Cavite and Zamboanga Chabacano. ALTURA - ALTOR, GUJERO AGUJERO
show the deletion of A in Zamboanga Chabacanos ALTOR and the phonetic
dropping of A in GUJERO from the Chabacano lexical translation of HOLE.
On the contrary, Cluster I shows phonetic addition called Epenthesis.
It takes place when there is a sound being added to the original form of
the word. The Cavite Chabacano word DILANTE from the Spanish word
DELANTE (IN FRONT) has Zamboanga Chabacano translation of ADELANTE.
It shows the addition of Phoneme A at the beginning of the Spanish term. This
deviation is called regional variations created by the speakers of Zamboanga
Chabacano themselves. There is also a phonetic change from the E to I in
the pair DELANTE-DILANTE which is common to a lot of lexicon in Cavite
Chabacano.
The lexical items under Cluster P show phonetic deletion or aphesis
in Zamboanga Chabacano. The word PAR is a shortened version of PAREJA,
the Spanish and Cavite Chabacano term of the English PAIR; -eja is deleted.
In the second word BARRA from the Spanish and Cavite term BARRETA
(pickaxe), et is deleted.
In Cluster T, the first pair, CRASCA-CASCA (to peel) from the Spanish
word CRASCAR, shows phonetic dropping of R to form the Zamboanga
Chabacano term. The second pair, SIMBRA-SIEMBRA from the Spanish word
SIEMBRAR shows phonetic dropping of E in the lexical unit of Cavite. The
third pair, IMPUJA-REMPUJA (to push) from the Spanish word EMPUJA shows
phonetic addition of R in the Zamboanga Chabacano lexis. There is a vowel
change in Cavite Chabacano from E to I. However, Zamboanga Chabacano
added R.
The next pairs, MARRA-AMARRA (to tie), PAGA- APAGA (to put
out), MULA-AMULA (to sharpen) and NAMURA-ENAMORA (to court) from the
Spanish words, AMARRAR, APAGAR, AMOLAR and ENAMORAR show phonetic
dropping of A and E in the Zamboanga Chabacano lexes to form the Cavite
Chabacano equivalents.
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The remaining pairs of Cavite-Zamboanga Chabacano terms show
phonetic addition of I in TAJA TAJIA; the adding of DE/N in MUSTRADEMONSTRA; the addition of AD in PALMIA-PALMADIA; the dropping of H in
MAMA-MAMAH and the adding of E in TRUNA-TRUENA.
Table 5
(continued)
Cluster
Table 5
Phonetic Addition /Epenthesis and Deletion /Aphesis in Cavite Zamboanga
Chabacano
N=2,126
Zamboanga
Chabacano
Phonetic
Difference
impleao[implyaw]
empleado[em-pleA-do]
D Dropped
Miedo
miedu [myedu]
miedut [mie-DUT]
T Added
flat nose
(adj)
Chato
chato [chato]
charat [cha-RAT]
TO - RAT
foam (n)
Espuma
ispuma [ispuma]
esponja [ es-PONja]
-UMA to
-ONJA
ginger (n)
Jenibre
ingibre[inghibre]
jenibre[e-NIB -re]
-N to NG
goddaughter
(n)
Ahijada
hijada [ihada]
ajijada [a-ji-JAda]
A deleted
Hiel
hiel [yel]
yel [YEL]
HI to Y
height
Altura
altura [altura]
altor [al-TOR]
A deleted
hole (n)
Agujero
gujero [guhero]
agujero [a-guJE-ro]
A deleted
in front,
before (adv)
Delante
dilante [dilante]
adelante [a-deLAN-te]
A added
Cluster
E
English
Spanish
employee (n)
Empleado
fear, afraid
(adj)
gall (n)
Cavite Chabacano
pair (n)
pareja/par
pareja [pareha]
par [PAR]
-EJA deleted
pickaxe (n)
Barreta
barreta [barreta]
barra [BA-rra]
ET deleted
to peel (v)
Crascar
crasca [krasca]
casca [CAS-ca]
R deleted
to plant (V)
Sembrar
simbra [simbra]
siembra [Si-YEMbra]
I added
to push (v)
Empujar
impuja [impuha]
rempuja [rempu-JA]
Initial R
Added
to tie (v)
Amarrar
marra [marra]
Amarra [A-maRRA]
A deleted
26
English
Spanish
Phonetic
Difference
Apagar
paga [paga]
apaga [a-pa-GA]
A deleted
to sharpen (v)
Amolar
mula[mula]
amula [a-mu-LA]
A deleted
to woo (v)
cortejar/
enamorar
namura
[namura]
enamora [e-namo-RA]
E deleted
to slice (v)
Tajar
taja [taha]
tajia [ta-JIA]
I added
to show (v)
Mostrar
mustra [mustra]
demonstra [deMONS-tra]
DE/N added
to slap (V)
Palmear
palmia [palmya]
palmadia [palma-DIA]
AD added
to suck (v)
Mamar
mama [mama]
mamah [maMAH]
R to H
to thunder (v)
Tronar
truna [truna]
truena [true-NA]
O to UE
R deleted
Total
24 (1.13%)
Discussion
Both Cavite and Zamboanga Chabacano show lexical items that
are Spanish in origin. This shows a strong manifestation of the Spanish
substrate appearing in the Chabacano Language. This finding is supported
by Greenbergs Theory of Phylogeny which explains similarities in the Lexical
Mass. This concept explains that the origin of both languages contributes to the
development of their lexicon. Language maintenance is also evident. Despite
the time and geographical separation among the speakers of Chabacano, the
lexical items found in the Chabacano Websites show a strong lexical similarity
not only in spelling but in word origin as well. Lexical similarity can be used
to evaluate the degree of genetic relationship between two languages.
Percentages higher than 85% usually indicate that the two languages being
compared are likely to be related "dialects".
Chaudenson (2004) posits that the feature of a creole can be
explained by the influence of its base languages. In the case of Chabacano,
Spanish appears as the base influence on its lexicon. Other linguists use
the Relatedness Hypothesis to explain obvious similarities between words
belonging to different languages or dialects assuming that these languages
are related.
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On the other hand, results regarding lexical differences in the
categories of vowel shift, assimilation/dissimilation and epenthesis/aphesis
between Cavite and Zamboanga Chabacano lexicon can be explained through
Holmes Lexical Diffusion Theory. Holmes (1999) describes the changes of
vowel spelling as Lexical Diffusion. Sound changes spread from one word
to another. She further explains that vowel changes such as in the variants
of Chabacano are typical evolutionary stages of a creole language. The
differences may not be seen entirely in all lexical items but the spread will be
gradual. Taking in consideration of the geographical distance between Luzon
and Mindanao, vowel changes are most likely to happen.
Moreover, the finding on the spelling differences in assimilation and
dissimilation between the two varieties of Chabacano implies sound change.
Redford (1998) presented two hypotheses to explain the sound change.
The Rate Hypothesis suggests that change occurs abruptly or gradually
depending on how much an existing system is destabilized by social and
cultural forces. The second explanation for this observed phenomenon is the
Variation Hypothesis. This hypothesis suggests that a greater diversity of
sound structures emerge from abrupt change than gradual change because
selection occurs on large amounts of variation in more destabilized systems.
Based on the main finding revealing strong similarity rate (69%)
between the two Chabacano varieties, the study concluded that Cavite and
Zamboanga Chabacano came from the same source which is Spanish. The
slight lexical differences are still related in terms of lexical structure. In other
words, Spanish is the substrate language of both Cavite and Zamboanga
Chabacano. It recommended, therefore, that an English, Spanish, Cavite and
Zamboanga Chabacano Dictionary be published.
References
Briscoe, E. J. (1998). Language as a complex adaptive system: Coevaluation
of language and of the Language Acquisition Device. Proceedings of
the 8th Meeting of Computational Linguistics in the Netherlands (pp.
3-40). Rodopi, Amsterdam.
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