Bikol/Particles

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A particle is a word that has a grammatical function but does not fit into the main parts of speech (i.e. noun, verb, adverb). Particles do not change. The infinitive 'to' in 'to fly' is an example of a particle, although it can also act as a preposition, e.g. 'I'm going to the Philippines next week'.

Lists: Bikol has a rich set of discourse particles.


 * bagá – (Tagalog: diba/nga) used for emphasis determined by context
 * bayâ – giving a chance to someone; polite insisting
 * daa – (Tagalog: daw) quoting information from a secondary source
 * pati - emphasizing the condition that intensifies the difficulties. (Mauranon pati)
 * daw – (Tagalog: ba/kaya) interrogative particle
 * dawà/maski - (Tagalog: kahit) although
 * dángan - (Tagalog: tapos) then
 * garó – (Tagalog: mukhang, parang) likeness or similitude. English: 'It looks like, it's as if'.
 * gáyo – 'exactly'
 * daing gáyo – 'not exactly, not really'
 * gayód – (Tagalog: bakâ) 'maybe, could be'
 * giráray/liwát – (Tagalog: [m]uli) 'again'
 * kutâ (na) – 'I hope (something did / did not happen' ; 'If only ...' (conditionality of past events)
 * lámang, lang/saná – (Tagalog: lang) 'only, just'
 * lugód – hoping that something will happen, or expressing surrender/assent
 * man – (Tagalog: din, rin) 'also' or 'ever' (such as ano man 'whatever' and si isay man 'whoever')
 * malà - 1. relenting or agreeing (Mala, dumanan mo siya kun iyan an gusto mo) 2. one is yielding (Mala ta nagpahunod na siya.) 3. stating what actually happened (Mala iyan, inabotan mi sindang huruba.)
 * mûna/ngûna – (Tagalog: muna) 'first' or 'yet'
 * na – (Tagalog: na) 'now' or 'already'
 * naman – (Tagalog: naman) 'again'
 * nanggád – (Tagalog: talaga, nga) 'really, truly, absolutely' (adds a sense of certainty)
 * niako – 'I said'
 * nganì – expresses fate ("This is helpless") or a plea for others not to insist
 * ngántig – indicates to a person what they should say to another (Ini ngantig an dapat gibohon niya.)
 * ngápit – 'in the future', 'later' (span of time)
 * ngayá – expresses a hypothetical event/situation (Ini man ngaya an taguan ninda.)
 * pa – (Tagalog: pa) 'still'
 * palán – (Tagalog: pala) expresses surprise or sudden realization
 * tabì – (Tagalog: po) politeness marker; po in some Bikol dialects due to the influence of Tagalog.
 * harambili – 'lest' (Akuon ko na sana an ayuda kan barangay, harambiling makamati nin gutom. I'll just accept the help of the barangay, lest I will get hungry).
 * túlos – (Tagalog: agad) 'immediately, right away'
 * talagá – (Tagalog: talaga) 'really', 'truly'

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