Balanguingui Sama

Language information: Balanguingui Sama is used by the predominantly Muslim Balanguingui people that inhabit parts of the Greater Sulu Archipelago and southern and western coastal regions of the Zamboanga peninsula in Southwestern Philippines. Having a history of maritime nomadism, this ethno-linguistic group tends to be considered a part of the larger group of Sama-Bajau (or Sama-Badjao) maritime nomads. Furthermore, despite considerable cultural and linguistic diversity within this broad category, the Balanguingui people tend to be linked with other Southeast Asian “sea gypsies,” such as the Orang Laut (“ocean people”) of Indonesia’s Riau Islands and parts of Malaysia’s coast, the Moken or Urak Lawoi of Thailand and the Salon of Myanmar (Burma). Certainly as far as language is concerned, they are probably correctly considered belonging to the group of Bajau (or Badjao) communities of parts of Malaysia (Sabah, Sarawak and the east coast of the mainland), Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia (coastal Sulawesi) and the Southwestern Philippines. Most Balanguingui people live in the Philippines, but there are some Balanguingui communities in Sabah as well. They are officially recognized neither in the Philippines nor in Malaysia. They tend to consider themselves ethnically separate, although they do at least superficially adapt to other Sama speakers as well as to Tausug and Yakan communities with which they mingle. Their language, Balanguingui Sama, is to various degrees mutually intelligible with other Sama varieties of the Philippines and Sabah. [Click here to read more about Sama.]
     There are the following dialects:
     · Balanguingui Proper, mostly on and around Balanguingui Island
     · Daongdung (Daungdung) of Daongdung (between Jolo and Pata Panggan)
     · Kabinga’an on and around Cabingaan Island
     · Lutangan (Lutango) on and around Olutangga Island
     · Sibuku (Sibuco-Vitali) on and around Sibuco Island
     · Sibugey (Batuan) mostly on Zamboanga (Sibuguey) Pensinsula, Mindanao Island

Although it is globally not a household name, Balanguingui Island offers the type of scenery people everywhere associate with “paradisical”.

     Among the Sama varieties, the Balanguingui dialects are perhaps those that are most intensively influenced by Chabacano and Tausug. Syllable contraction, such as -ala- > -aa- (-ā-), is a widespread feature among Visayan and Southern dialects, such as in Cebu City, Bohol, Southern Leyte, Cebuano, Surigaonon, Butuanon, Tausug and Sama-Bajau.
     The majority of Balanguingi people are Muslim. Many of them are not only proficient in neighboring and dominant languages (such as Tagalog, Cebuano, Malay and English) but have some command of Arabic as well.
     Balanguingui Sama is usually considered an unwritten language. However, when it is written, the traditional method is to use a variety of Jawi which is based on the Arabic script.
     Balanguingui Sama language samples are very difficult to obtain. For this reason we feel particularly privileged to be able to present a Balanguingui Sama translation of the theme story.

Genealogy: Austronesian > Malayo-Polynesian > Western > Sama-Bajau > Sulu-Borneo > Sulu Sama > Inner

Historical Lowlands language contacts: English

    Click to open the translation: [Click]

    Other Philippine language varieties: [Click]