Wináray
Waray
Austronesian (Visayan)
Waray (Wináray, also Samar-Leyte) is the principal language of the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines, including the islands of Samar and northern Leyte, with ~2.5M speakers. Closely related to other Visayan languages (Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Surigaonon) but with notable phonological and lexical distinctions — Waray has a particle pattern and vocabulary distinct from Cebuano. Recognized as one of the major regional languages of the Philippines. Verb-initial Philippine-type morphosyntax with focus/voice system, substantial Spanish loanword stratum from 350 years of colonization. Latin orthography. Historically also written in Baybayin.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Waray
Water
tubig
/tubiɡ/
Fire
kalayo
/kalajɔ/
Sun
adlaw
/ʔadlaw/
Moon
bulan
/bulan/
Mother
nanay
/nanaj/
Father
tatay
/tataj/
Eat
kaon
/kaʔon/
Drink
inom
/ʔinɔm/
Love
gugma
/ɡuɡma/
Heart
kasingkasing
/kasiŋkasiŋ/
Tree
kahoy
/kahɔj/
House
balay
/balaj/
Dog
ayam
/ˈʔajam/
Cat
misay
/misaj/
Hand
kamot
/kamɔt/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hello
kumusta
/kumusta/
Thank you
salamat
/salamat/
One
usa
/ʔusa/
Good
maupay
/maʔupaj/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Visayan) languages
| Meaning | Waray | Hiligaynon | Cebuano | Bikol Central | Iriga Bicolano | Tagalog | Old Tagalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | tubig /tubiɡ/ | tubig /tubiɡ/ | tubig /tubiɡ/ | tubig /tubiɡ/ | tubig /tubiɡ/ | tubig /tubiɡ/ | ᜆᜓᜊᜒᜄ᜔ /tubiɡ/ |
| Fire | kalayo /kalajɔ/ | kalayo /kalajɔ/ | kalayo /kalajo/ | kalayo /kalajo/ | kalayo /kalajɔ/ | apoy /ʔaˈpoj/ | ᜀᜉᜓᜌ᜔ /apuj/ |
| Sun | adlaw /ʔadlaw/ | adlaw /ʔadlaw/ | adlaw /adlaw/ | aldaw /aldaw/ | aldəw /aldəw/ | araw /ˈʔaɾaw/ | ᜀᜇᜏ᜔ /araw/ |
| Moon | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulən /bulən/ | buwan /buwan/ | ᜊᜓᜏᜈ᜔ /buwan/ |
| Mother | nanay /nanaj/ | nanay /nanaj/ | inahan /inahan/ | nanay /nanaj/ | ina /ina/ | ina /ʔiˈna/ | ᜁᜈ /ina/ |
| Father | tatay /tataj/ | tatay /tataj/ | amahan /amahan/ | tatay /tataj/ | ama /ama/ | ama /ʔaˈma/ | ᜀᜋ /ama/ |
| Eat | kaon /kaʔon/ | kaon /kaʔɔn/ | kaon /kaʔon/ | kakanon /kakanon/ | kaən /kaʔən/ | kumain /kumaˈʔin/ | ᜃᜁᜈ᜔ /kain/ |
| Drink | inom /ʔinɔm/ | inom /ʔinɔm/ | inom /inom/ | inumon /inumon/ | inum /inum/ | uminom /ʔumiˈnom/ | ᜁᜈᜓᜋ᜔ /inom/ |
| Love | gugma /ɡuɡma/ | gugma /ɡuɡma/ | gugma /ɡuɡma/ | pagkamoot /paɡkamoʔot/ | pagkaibəg /paɡkaʔibəɡ/ | pag-ibig /paɡʔibiɡ/ | ᜁᜊᜒᜄ᜔ /ibiɡ/ |
| Heart | kasingkasing /kasiŋkasiŋ/ | tagipusoon /taɡipusɔʔɔn/ | kasingkasing /kasiŋkasiŋ/ | puso /puso/ | puso /puso/ | puso /puˈsoʔ/ | ᜉᜓᜐᜓ /puso/ |
| Tree | kahoy /kahɔj/ | kahoy /kahɔj/ | kahoy /kahoj/ | kahoy /kahoj/ | kahoy /kahɔj/ | puno /puno/ | ᜃᜑᜓᜌ᜔ /kahoj/ |
| House | balay /balaj/ | balay /balaj/ | balay /balaj/ | harong /haɾoŋ/ | baləy /baləj/ | bahay /bahaj/ | ᜊᜑᜌ᜔ /bahaj/ |
| Dog | ayam /ˈʔajam/ | ido /ʔidɔ/ | iro /iɾo/ | ayam /ajam/ | ayam /ajam/ | aso /ˈʔaso/ | ᜀᜐᜓ /aso/ |
| Cat | misay /misaj/ | kuting /kutiŋ/ | iring /iɾiŋ/ | ikos /ikos/ | kuting /kutiŋ/ | pusa /pusa/ | ᜉᜓᜐ /pusa/ |
| Hand | kamot /kamɔt/ | kamot /kamɔt/ | kamot /kamot/ | kamot /kamot/ | kamət /kamət/ | kamay /kamaj/ | ᜃᜋᜌ᜔ /kamaj/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | ᜋᜆ /mata/ |
| Hello | kumusta /kumusta/ | kamusta /kamusta/ | kumusta /kumusta/ | kumusta /kumusta/ | kumusta /kumusta/ | kamusta /kamusta/ | ᜋᜊᜓᜑᜌ᜔ /mabuhaj/ |
| Thank you | salamat /salamat/ | salamat /salamat/ | salamat /salamat/ | dios mabalos /dios mabalos/ | dyos mabalos /djos mabalos/ | salamat /salamat/ | ᜐᜎᜋᜆ᜔ /salamat/ |
| One | usa /ʔusa/ | isa /ʔisa/ | usa /usa/ | saro /saɾo/ | əsad /əsad/ | isa /ʔiˈsa/ | ᜁᜐ /isa/ |
| Good | maupay /maʔupaj/ | maayo /maʔajɔ/ | maayo /maʔajo/ | marhay /maɾhaj/ | marhəy /maɾhəj/ | mabuti /mabuti/ | ᜋᜊᜓᜆᜒ /mabuti/ |
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