Wikijunior:Languages/Kapampangan

What writing system(s) does this language use?
Kapampangan and almost all of the languages in the Philippines are written using the Latin alphabet. However, Kapampangan phonology lacks the sound of the letter H as in hat.

The Kapampangan alphabet includes all of the same letters we use in English, along with 'Ñ' (enye), which the Filipinos borrowed from the Spanish, and 'Ng', a digraph already available as a single character in Baybayin.

How many people speak this language?
As of 2008, there are 2.8 million native speakers of Kapampangan language.

Where is this language spoken?
Kapampangan is an Austronesian language, and one of the eight major languages of the Philippines. It is the primary and predominant language of the entire province of Pampanga and southern Tarlac, on the southern part of Luzon's central plains geographic region, where the Kapampangan ethnic group resides. Kapampangan is also spoken in northeastern Bataan, as well as in the provinces of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, and Zambales that border Pampanga. It is further spoken as a second language by a few Aeta groups in the southern part of Central Luzon.

What is the history of this language?
Kapampangan is an Austronesian Language. It was thought that the Austronesian language came from Taiwan and migrated southwards through sailing. They first reached Batanes islands, by around 2200 BCE.

Soon after the Age of Contact came and the Philippines started trading with other people like Persians, Arabs, Malays, Indians, Japanese, and Chinese. The people who traded with the Filipinos also introduced their language and culture, and soon after the Filipinos started using words from their languages and dressed, ate, and lived like them.

The Spaniards came and introduced Spanish, taught the Filipinos Spanish, and soon after many Spanish words entered the Language. The Americans came and introduced English and encouraged the use of English, so English words also entered Kapampangan. Kapampangan therefore is one of the most diverse languages of the world, with Sanskrit, Malay, Javanese, ../Mandarin Chinese/, Nahuatl, Persian, ../Arabic/, ../Japanese/, ../Spanish/, and ../English/ loanwords.

Who are some famous authors or poets in this language?

 * Juan Crisóstomo Caballa Soto was a poet, dramatist, journalist and newspaperman. He was also known as Crissot, the “Father of Pampango Literature.” Soto was born in Santa Inés, Bacolor, Pampanga to Santiago Soto and Marciana Caballa.

What is a simple song/poem/story that I can learn in this language?
Atin Ku Pung Singsing is a Kapampangan folk song. This song is simple and has many rhymes.

And here's the English translation of it.