Manobo languages

The Manobo languages are a group of languages spoken in the Philippines. Their speakers are primarily located around Northern Mindanao, Central Mindanao (presently called Soccsksargen ) and Caraga regions where they are natively spoken. Some outlying groups make Manobo geographically discontiguous as other speakers can be located as far as the southern peninsula of Davao Oriental, most of Davao Occidental and coastal areas of Sultan Kudarat. The Kagayanen speakers are the most extremely remote and can be found in certain portions of Palawan.

Languages

 * Central
 * East: Dibabawon, Rajah Kabunsuwan, Agusan
 * South: Ata, Matigsalug (Tigwa); Obo
 * West: Western Bukidnon, Ilianen
 * North: Binukid, Kagayanen, Higaonon, Kinamigin
 * South: Tagabawa, Sarangani, Cotabato

Classification
Elkins (1974:637) classifies the Manobo languages as follows.


 * Manobo
 * Northern
 * Cagayano (of Cagayancillo Island)
 * Kinamigin (of Camiguin Island), Binukid (of central Mindanao)
 * Southern
 * Tagabawa
 * Sarangani Manobo
 * Tasaday, Cotabato Manobo
 * East-West-Central
 * Western
 * Obo
 * Ilianen Manobo
 * Western Bukidnon Manobo, Livunganen (a dialect spoken in Libungan, north of Midsayap, Cotabato)
 * East-Central
 * Eastern
 * Agusan Manobo
 * Dibabawon Manobo
 * Central
 * Ata of Davao
 * Matig Salug, Tigwa Manobo
 * Matig Salug, Tigwa Manobo

Reconstruction
Elkins (1974) includes a reconstruction of Proto-Manobo, along with 197 reconstructed etyma.

The Proto-Manobo phonemes are (Elkins 1974:616):


 * Consonants


 * Vowels