Binukid consists of twenty segmental phonemes and one suprasegmental phoneme.[4] The syllable is the basic unit of word structure, and each syllable consists of one vowel and one or two consonants only, arranged in the following patterns: CV, CVC and, in some instances, CCV (which is found mostly in Spanish loanwords). A word consists of one or more of these syllables.
The phoneme [ɾ] is sometimes trilled which is used in intervocalic position or in Spanish loanwords by some speakers. All consonants except [h] are found in initial and final position in the syllable; [h] is found only syllable-initial.
There is a suprasegmental phoneme of stress which usually falls on the penultimate syllable. Stress give contrast to words of the same segmental phonemes; for example beleng[ˈbɘlɘŋ] means 'surprise' while beléng[bɘˈlɘŋ] means 'drunk'. Long words may have more than one stress: balángkawítan[bäˌläŋkaˈwitän] 'rooster'. Stress commonly shifts when suffixes are added to the word (as in kahibeléngan 'mysterious') or when the speaker wishes to emphasize the word.
Grammar
Pronouns
The following set of pronouns are the pronouns found in the Bukid language. The /d/-final allomorphs of the vowel-final NOM or GEN pronouns are used almost exclusively before en ('already'), a bound adverbial.[5]
Binukid pronouns
NOM or GEN free
NOM bound
GEN bound
OBL free or bound
1st person singular
siak
a(d)
ku(d)
kanak
2nd person singular
sikaw
ka(d)
nu(d)
ikaw
3rd person singular
Ø
Ø
din
kandin
1st person dual
sikit
ki(d)
ta(d)
kanit
1st person plural inclusive
sikuy
kuy
taw
kanuy
1st person plural exclusive
sikay
kay
day
kanay
2nd person plural
sinyu
kaw
nuy
inyu
3rd person plural
siran
siran
dan
kandan
Writing system and orthography
The Latin script is used in writing the language. In the dictionary by the LSP and SIL (1992:x–xi), the alphabet employed consists of the following letters which correspond to one phoneme. Word-initial and word-final glottal stops are not written but glottal stops following a consonant is marked by a hyphen. Example: hab-ung[ˈhäbʔuŋ] 'mildew'. The phoneme [ŋ] is represented by a digraph ⟨ng⟩, which is sometimes considered a separate letter.
Letter
Aa
Bb
Kk
Dd
Ee
Gg
Hh
Ii
Ll
Mm
Nn
Pp
Rr
Ss
Tt
Uu
Ww
Yy
Phoneme
ä
b
k
d
ɘ
g
h
i
l
m
n
p
ɾ
s
t
u
w
j
Other letters, such as c, f, j, q, and z, are used in proper nouns or loanwords that have not had their spellings altered.
Suprasegmental phonemes and glottalization are featured in writing Binukid.[6] Stress can be indicated by an acute accent ⟨′⟩. A grave accent ⟨`⟩ can be marked over syllable- or word-final vowel to indicate a following glottal stop. If stress is shown on the final letter and there is a following glottal stop, a circumflex accent ⟨ˆ⟩ can be used. There is no marking for words whose stress falls on the penultimate syllable and without a secondary stress.
Examples:
sala[ˈsälä] 'living room'
salà[ˈsäläʔ] 'small cut'
salâ[säˈläʔ] 'sin'
pahid[ˈpähid] 'to wipe'
pahíd[päˈhid] 'shrub'
balángkawítan[bäˌläŋkaˈwitän] 'rooster'
talètè[täˈlɘʔtɘʔ] 'lizard'
The plural particle marker manga is written mga, following accepted Philippine usage.