Abakada

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Abakada is the indigenized Latin alphabet of most Philippine languages (Meso Philippine languages) and was the original alphabet of the Wikang Pambansâ na Batay sa Tagalog (lit. Tagalog-Based National Language, now known as Filipino) or simply Wikang Pambansâ (lit. National Language).^[1] The abakada is made up of 20 letters.

[edit] History

Before the arrival of the Spanish, most Philippine languages were written using the Baybayin syllabary. The Spaniards introduced the Latin script to the Philippines and, until the first half of the 20th century, Philippine languages were widely written in a variety of ways based on Spanish orthography.

When the Philippine languages were first written in the Roman alphabet, they used Spanish orthography. This alphabet was called the abecedario, which variously had either 28, 29, 31, or 32 letters. Notably missing from the abecedario were the letters k and w, which are both used extensively in most Philippine languages today. Relics of this can still be seen in the way "Castilianized" indigenous and Chinese-origin surnames are written, such as Macasáquit, Guanzón, Dimaculañgan, and others. Many indigenous place names are also written using Spanish orthography, often either coexisting or competing with their "native" forms if they exist (Bulacán/Bulakan, Caloocan/Kalookan, Taguig/Tagig, etc.). Parañaque would be written in the native system as Paranyake, but the latter spelling is so far unaccepted if at all heard of. It was José Rizal who, years ago, first proposed the indigenization of Philippine writing.^[2].

When the Wikang Pambansâ na Batay sa Tagalog was introduced, grammarian Lope K. Santos created a new alphabet consisting of 20 letters called Abakada in school grammar books called balarilà. Based on Rizal's indigenization proposal, the abakada became the alphabet for both Tagalog and the Tagalog-based national language, and was eventually adopted by other Philippine languages, including, but not limited to Cebuano, Hiligaynon, and Kapampangan.

At present, these languages may be written using the Abakada, or the modern Filipino alphabet, which includes all the letters of the Abakada.

[edit] Collation

The Baybayin script, featuring the equivalent of each of the 20 letters of the Abakada

Abakada is arranged this way. Inside the quotation marks are the names of the letters.

A - "A"

B - "Ba"

K - "Ka"

D - "Da"

E - "E"

G - "Ga"

H - "Ha"

I - "I"

L - "La"

M - "Ma"

N - "Na"

Ng - "Nga"

O - "O"

P - "Pa"

R - "Ra"

S - "Sa"

T - "Ta"

U - "U"

W - "Wa"

Y - "Ya"

[edit] Notes

1. Kautusang Pangkagawaran Blg. 7

[edit] See also

• Baybayin, the pre-Hispanic Philippine writing system
• Filipino alphabet
• Filipino orthography