THE ACCENTS.
The orthographical accent is an important sign in Bisayan, in order to give to the words their proper pronunciation, and, consequently, their proper meaning.
Of the emission of the voice in pronouncing the Bisayan vowels, there are two ways: one is the ordinary way, like that of the English vowels, as in
| baga | (red-hot coal or wood), |
| dinhi | (here), |
| olo | (head), |
and the other is by a guttural suspended emission of the voice, like
| the last a in bagà | (lungs), |
| the last i in dirì | (not or no), and |
| the last o in torò | (drop). |
This guttural pronunciation is only used in the endings of words.
From the various combinations of these ways of pronouncing the vowels and the force with which they are pronounced, it follows that a vowel, no matter which one it is, has four different sounds:
- 1st. As ordinarily, and without any particular force.
- 2nd. As ordinarily, but with force in its pronunciation.
- 3rd. By a guttural suspended emission of the voice, and without force.
- 4th. By a guttural suspended emission of the voice, and with force.
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The first way does not need any orthographical sign. But the last three ones require a special orthographical accent in each ease.
When a vowel is pronounced as ordinarily, but with more force than others in the same word, the proper accent is the acute (´).
When a vowel is pronounced with a suspended guttural sound, but without any force, the corresponding accent is the grave (`).
And when a vowel is pronounced with a suspended guttural sound with force, its accent is the circumflex (ˆ), which is simply the combination of the two foregoing accents, as this last represents a sound that is the combination of the two sounds, suspended guttural and with force.
Therefore, in writing the word quita, for example, in its three different meanings and according to its three different pronunciations, it must be as follows:
| quitá | (we) | quità | (see) | quitâ | (look at). |
RULE. There are three different accents in Bisayan: the acute (´); the grave (`); and the angular, which we may call improperly circumflex (ˆ).
The acute is located wherever it is needed, either at the beginning or in the middle or at the ending of the word. Examples:
| úpa | (reward) | upá | (rice chaff). |
The grave and angular, by their nature, are only used upon words ending in a vowel, and then only upon the last vowel. Examples:
| dacò | (large), | dacô | (larger) |