The Lord's Prayer in Ilokano

At a young age, I learned the Lords Prayer in Ilokano first then I learned it in English. A common prayer that is a lot of time taken for granted , The Lord's Prayer is not only spiritual but it is a helpful tool in learning the Ilokano language. Many of you already know this prayer in English/Tagalog by heart so it'll be easier for you to translate in your head as you read the Ilokano version.

The Lord's Prayer

"Amami"

(Ilokano Version)

Amami, nga adda sadi langit,

(Um-mah-mi  ngah  ad-dah  sah-dee  lah-ngeet)

Madaydayaw kuma ti Nagan mo.

(Ma-die-die-yao  koo-mah  tee  Na-gun moh)

Umay Kuma ti pagariam.

(Oo-my  koo-ma  tee  pah-gaar-yum)

Maaramid kuma ti pagayatam

(Mah-ah-rah-meed  koo-mah  tee  pah-gah-yah-tum)

Kas sadi langit kasta met ditoy daga.

(Kas  sah-dee  la-ngeet  met  dee-toi  dah-gah)

Itedmo kadakam ita ti kanenmi iti inaldaw.

(Ee-ted-moh kah-dah-kum ee-tah tee kah-nen-mee ee-tee ee-nal-dao)

Ket pakawanennakami kadagiti basol mi,

(Ket  pah-kah-wah-nen-nah-kum-mee  kah-dah-gee-tee  bah-sool  mee)

A kas met panamakawanmi kadagiti naka basol kadakami.

(Ah  kas  met  pah-nah-mah-kah-wun-mee  kah-dah-gee-tee nah-kah  bah-sool  kah-dah-kum-mee)

Ket dinakam iyeg iti pannakasulisog,

(Ket  dee-nah-kum  ee-yeg  ee-tee  pun-nah-ka-soo-lee-soog)

No di ket isalakannakami iti dakes.

(Noh  dee  ket  ee-sah-la-kun-nah-kum-mee ee-tee dah-kes)

Iti pagariam, iti Panakabalinmo, ken iti gloriam

(Ee-tee  pah-gaar-yum,  ee-tee  pah-nah-kah-bah-leen-moh, ken  ee-tee glor-ryam)

nga awan patinggana

(ngah ah-wun pah-teeng-gah-nah

Amen

And this is how it will translate in English, which is different from the English version of the Lord's Prayer.

Our Father who is in heaven,

May your name be honored

May your kingdom be ours

Your will be done,

Here on earth like it is in heaven

Give us now what we will eat everyday

And forgive us of our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us

Do not allow us into temptation

And deliver us from all evil

Because your is the kingdom,

The power and the Glory

that has no limit

Amen

Of course, 
here is the English version most people are familiar with.

Our Father, thou art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy Name. 

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth,

As it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive them that trespass against us.

And lead us not to temptation,

But deliver us from Evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

The power and the glory 

Forever and Ever.

Amen.

Happy Easter Everyone!

Inton maninsan manen! Until Next Time Again.

Happy Learning.

NOTES: These lessons are designed with the English Speakers in mind. The pronunciation is spelled out to emphasize sounds of the English language and alphabet to help the person say it correctly in sounds that they are familiar with. For Tagalog/Filipino readers seeking to utilize our lessons, read the words in your native tongue and do not follow the suggested pronunciation.

Quick Guide to Identifying Words

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.

Personal Suffixes

Any student of Filipino languages will quickly notice the variety of prefixes and suffixes in the many languages. Ilokano is no exception to this rule. Today's lesson will cover many of the common suffixes you will come across in regards to people and possession.

First is what Precy Espirtu refers to as the KO set. These are commonly used to show possession of something.

I - -ko, -k
You - -mo, -m
He/She/It- -na
We (2)- -ta

We (excluding listener)- -mi
We (including listener 2+)- -tayo
You (plural and/or formal)- -yo
They- -da

Examples of these are:
Sapatosko- My shoes.
Librom- Your book.
Balayda- Their house.

You will often notice when Ilokanos are speaking to someone older or in a respectful position they will use the plural "yo" instead of the singular "mo." This is a sign of respect and should be use when in doubt as to not offend anyone.

Another common set of suffixes is referred to as the AK set. These are subject pronouns that identify who is being described or is performing the action.

I - -ak
You - -ka
He/She/It- iso, isuna, left out
We (2)- -ta

We (excluding listener)- -kami
We (including listener 2+)- -tayo
You (plural and/or formal)- -kayo
They- -da

You may notice that when refering to a third person's actions the suffix may be left out. This will be covered in more detail in a future post.

Examples:
Mapanak gumatang ti sapatos. - I am going to buy some shoes.
Amerikanoka. - You are American.
Taga-anokayo? - Where are you from?

By learning these few suffixes you will have a firm foothold in identifying who and what are being spoken about during conversations. It's best to learn these early on as they will come up in most conversations you will have.

Until next time. Ditakayon.

Variations in Ilokano

As most of you know the Philippines is home to over 150 languages. Officially called dialects, but lets not fool ourselves. Within these languages exist true dialects that differ from area to area. Such is true with Ilokano.

Just looking at the books I referenced in one of my earlier you can see that they are using 2 different sets of Ilokano. "Let's Speak Ilocano" uses a more modern version of Ilokano that is easier understood by those who have a greater exposure to Tagalog. Whereas "Ilocano: Ilocano-English..." reflects more of what is generally referred to as "deep" Ilokano or that found primarily in the Ilocos Region.

This difference can cause some trouble with a new Ilokano learner. So what one must do is determine with whom you plan on speaking. If it is family from Pangasinan or friends in Hawaii than the more modern will get you by just fine. If instead it is family in the mountains of Abra then it would be better to focus on "deep" Ilokano.

So what are these differences? Some are in pronunciation of letters, other are differences in complete words or phrases. Examples are:

Letter E- in deep Ilokano the letter "e" is pronounced deep in the throat. Giving it almost a deep "Uh" sound.

Letter K- I have found that my family tends to pronounce the letter K from the back of the throat to the point it almost becomes silent. Yet other Ilokanos that I know do not stress "K" this way. I suggest listening to those you are going to talk to and mimic their pronunciation.

As for words, there are too many to name. "Let's Speak Ilocano" translates the word "dadakkel" as "parents". To the average Ilokano speaker "dadakkel" translates to "really big." My family had never heard dadakkel used in reference to parents.

The main crux of this post was just to make you aware that there will be differences in Ilokano. From barangay to barangay, province to province the language will shift. It is my hope that these tips on here will help give you a better understanding of the language no matter where or with who you speak.