Bagobo conversation

 

Let's look at some simple Bagobo conversation.

Agawe and Ayong talking as they walk home together.

Agawe:  Inná mudan ngan-ni. [It looks like it will rain today.]
Ayong: Diri pa mudan ni... ago kani dukilim pò. [It will not rain yet... maybe tonight.]
Agawe: Madiggir gó ka mudan kani dukilim… anda din wayig to tangke ko. [It’s good if it rains tonight. There is no water in my tank anymore.]
Ayong: Sunnod manggo masirap ka anda udan. Agad to dram ko anda din wayig.  [It’s very hard when there’s no rain. Even my drum does not have water.]
Agawe (reaches home): Nah, ad-ding ka pa. (It’s an invitation to come into his house which is usually just a formality.)
Ayong: Be-e din. Muli a din pagsik. [Don’t bother. I am also going home.]

*****


Mother talking to daughter.

Mother:  Omeng ka din, mapon din. [You cook now, it’s already late in the afternoon].
Daughter: In-na, anda bag-gas ta. [Mother, we don’t have rice.]
Mother: Dun ig bal-le to ammà no baní. Sil-lig no dun. [Your father bought some yesterday. Look for it there.]
Daughter: O, dini kan-nè. Anda ko ig kita. [O, it’s here. I did not see it.]
Mother: Yan manggo tog kagin ko kaniko. Sil-lig no pò… yaka dig kagi anda. [That’s what I am telling you. Look for it first … don’t just say there’s none.]
Daughter: Ay, in-na… yaka din manggog kasuko. Momeng ad. [Ay, mother… don’t get angry anymore. I am going to cook now.]

*****

Vocabulary:
1. Mudan (from the root word udan meaning rain) - it's going to rain
2. Dukilim (Duki-lm) - evening or night
3. Madiggir (Madi-gr) - good
4. Wayig - water
5. Tangke - water tank
6. Sunnod - very
7. Masirap - difficult
8. Pagsik - also
9. Omeng - to cook
10. Bag-gas - rice
11. Bal-le - to buy
12. Baní - yesterday
13. Anda - none, did not, no more
14. Sil-lig - to look
15. Kagi - to say

Again, if there are those from the Bagobo Tagabawa Community who find mistakes in my rough translation of this tribal dialect, please let me know.