Lexical Variation of the Cebuano Language in Southeastern Philippines

Abstract

Language variation studies increasingly focus on lexical differences, emphasizing the uniqueness of language in specific areas. These variations, especially at the lexical level, highlight the uniqueness of a language in a specific area. This paper describes the lexical variation of Cebuano in Davao del Norte, Southeastern Mindanao, using descriptive and dialectological methods, along with lexicostatistics and dialect geography to determine the cognate percentage. Data were collected through interviews with 330 informants using a modified Swadesh 200-Word List. Results showed that Cebuano in Davao del Norte is a dialect of the same language, with a cognate range of 89.2% to 97.5%. There were 30 dispersed isogloss sets found within the province, and the lexical distribution can be categorized into four groups: AB-, AB+, AZ-, and AZ+. This indicates that the Cebuano language in Southeastern Mindanao, particularly in Davao del Norte, is a dialect of the broader Cebuano language, as it demonstrates high mutual intelligibility, even in distant areas. It can thus be classified under the L-simplex category according to dialect continua, where the variation occurring between regions does not disrupt other areas but runs parallel to each other. The findings of this research can advance linguistic theory, language preservation and documentation, and language policy by providing insights into Cebuano’s variety, linguistic features, sociolinguistic contexts, and its potential for revitalization. This research could also influence curriculum development and language policy by considering Cebuano’s linguistic features, as well as future studies on language contact and comparative language analysis.