A History of the Philippines

by David P. Barrows

“The vowels are three; but they serve for five, and are,

ᜀ	ᜁ	ᜂ
a	e, i	o, u

The consonants are no more than twelve, and they serve to write both consonant and vowel, in this form. The letter alone, without any point either above or below, sounds with a.

ᜊ	ᜃ	ᜇ	ᜄ	ᜑ	ᜎ
Ba	ca	da	ga	ha	la
ᜋ	ᜈ	ᜉ	ᜐ	ᜎ	ᜌ
ma	na	pa	sa	ta	ya

Placing the point above, each one sounds with e or with i.

ᜊᜒ	ᜃᜒ	ᜇᜒ	ᜄᜒ	ᜑᜒ	ᜎᜒ
Bi	qui	di	gui	hi	li
be	que	de	gue	he	le
ᜋᜒ	ᜈᜒ	ᜉᜒ	ᜐᜒ	ᜎᜒ	ᜌᜒ
mi	ni	pi	si	ti	yi
me	ne	pe	se	te	ye

Placing the point below, it sounds with o or with u.

ᜊᜓ	ᜃᜓ	ᜇᜓ	ᜄᜓ	ᜑᜓ	ᜎᜓ
bo	co	do	go	ho	lo
bu	cu	du	gu	hu	lu
ᜋᜓ	ᜈᜓ	ᜉᜓ	ᜐᜓ	ᜎᜓ	ᜌᜓ
mo	no	po	so	to	yo
mu	nu	pu	su	tu	yu

For instance, in order to say ‘cama,’ the two letters alone suffice.

ᜃ	ᜋ
ca	ma