Ilokano is one of those nice languages that makes identification of words somewhat easy, especially in writing. If you are following the
Barry Farber method of language learning then chances are you have begun to
read something in Ilokano. Today's post is just a quick, rough guide to identifying what a word might be when reading.
First are the verbs. The things to look out for to identify verbs are:
- Ag- : agbasa, agadal
- Ma- : maturog
- Mang-: mangala, mangan
- Um- or -um-: uminom. gumutang
Next are adjectives, many will start with "Na". So if a word starts with "na" and comes before a noun then there is a good chance it may be an adjective.
Last are places. Ilokano is unique in that most verbs can be converted into a place.
- Pag- -an: pagbasaan, pagadalan
- Pang- -an: pangalaan, panganan
This is far from a definitive list of identifiers nor is it absolute. There are many words that do not fit nicely into these rules, as well as instances where these rules won't apply. This is simple a quick rough guide for helping you identify certain words.
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