Teach yourself Rungus Tudukai-no di kondiri do Rungus
For years I have been communicating with young people in Malaysia, using either Rungus or English. Many more are just keeping on writing in Bahasa Melayu, as they had learnt in school, telling me that they do not know or are not used to use the language of their anchesters. Some even blame their parents having not tought them their own language. While encouraging them to make use of Rungus, (Gonsomon, Nulu and Tobilung have only a few alterations in pronouncing) I notice that one of the problems is the different way of writing (spelling) and speaking (pronouncing) a word. This is a problem, the colonial government brought to Malaysia.
In Malaya, children learning to read the Al Quoran, learned the Javi alphabet letters. Thne the English introduced Latin writing as used in England and taught the children the English ABC, even so it was written different from being pronounced. The problem was this difference between spelling and speaking (pronouncing).
A simple way of explaining what Phonology is about.
When in 1957 we started a Bible School at Sikuati, I noticed that also Majimil, Diyun, Osuman and Angkangon could read some Malay words, they used the Eenglish ABC saying, E,Bi,Si, Di, I, Ef, Ji, Etsh, Ai, Ka, El, Em, En, O, Pe, Kuw, Ar, Es, Ti, Yu, Fau, Doppleyou, Ex, Ypslinon, Zet, which fitted not at all to the written words in the Laubach Learner Book.
So we started again right from the beginning, giving with a picture a symbol for each letter):
A like agong (Gong), B like busul, bola, (bottom, ball), D like dalus, dohon, (sea shell, me) E like enggaton (pinang palm tree), G like godingan (Elephant, H like hakod (legs) I like idi, aki (mother, grandfather), K like kabang (open mouth), L like lasag (sail post), M like mato (eye- brow), N like nizu (coconut seedling) O like orod (arm or finger ring), P like pazas (Papaya), R like radu (plough), S like sinikit (flame burning), T like tungkat (walking stick), U like ulu (head), V like valai (house), Z like nizu, pazas, mozo, ozi, mizon ( coconut, Papaya, to follow, to like, to live at) and the diphtongs AI like vaig, dalai, (water, maize or corn), AU like anavau, (light), karabau (water buffalo), magazau (to cook) OI like oroloi (like) iokoi (we exclusive), OU like osilou (yellow), ikou (you plural),
with each letter being represented by a picture (a gong, bottom of a child, seashell) even finding for the letter G a godingan (elephant with the trunk).
So in the end each letter of the alphabet as used for all the Rungus words had the appropriate image. And being eventually copied, we had a little Primer for Rungus.
For the moment, I try to explain the use of what in English is called “vowel” [waul]
To show the difference between spelling and speaking (pronouncing) I use the brackets []
First Lesson: The vowels [wauls] I kiuni om piuni
Vowel means the letter itself produces a sound = i hurup di kiuni nga varo uni kondiri
a) I kinui vowel
There are five vowels a, e, i, o, u. Varo limo hurup a, e, i, o, u.
Iadino it uni ong “a” = agong, ama, amu, aki, magavang, avantang, avasih
ong “e” = enggaton, engin, elo, megol,
ong “i” = idi, inai, i valai, Dinihizan, iti, ino, iri
ong “o” = oho, Ozong, Orong, ongkukul,
ong “u” = ulu, ungkamang, uni, unopot, undiri,
b) Diphtongs -Piuni, two vowels (kiuni) are joined together as diphtongs (piuni), whereby the second kiuni is in the international alphabet often called as being not active or voiceless) It occurs in the second syllable. When used with suffix -an the second kiuni can change into “z” puvalazan or “h” kovosihan
ong “ai” = amai, inai, valai, sungkabai, dahai, anggai
ong “au” = karabau, dau, ginazau
ong “oi” = oroloi, iokoi,
ong “ou” = tokou, mangarazou but rozohon
For reading praxis read a little story: Arun and Asun in the kampong_
1. I Arun om i Asun
Varo duvo ot anak sompi kusai. I ngaran di keso dino i Asun. I ngaran di koduvo dino i Arun. I Asun om i Arun dino banalko mianggai. I Asun dino agazo-no. I Arun dino opodok-po.
Sumako i Asun sid karabau. Miombutul i Arun. Rumikot i karabau sid buvatan.
You notice that before every noun or name is a marker, in English called article. With lesson two we shall learn how to use such markers before of names and objects indicating the position of the noun or pronoun in the sentence.
Take Note: Any person all over the world will be able to read and pronounce this story without having knowledge of Momogun. He/she will be understood, as there is no difference between spelling and pronouncing. The person has only to keep in mind: One does not give any syllable a stress or emphasis.
Second Lesson: The marker or article, which points out and qualifies that a noun follows
There are two articles in English, a definite and an indefinite article or marker
a) indefinitive marker: a man, a woman, a house, a thing, a school, a tool, a pencil, a problem
in front of noun with an initial vowel, an “n” is added: an egg, an elephant, an apple, an animal b) the definite marker: The house, the boy, the girl, the door, the church, the office, the tree, which refers to a particular house, boy, girl, door or church...
The Rungus marker, ino-no i hurup di monuduk do mozo i pongoretan, i retan dot Adjective (ong English) i (it), di (dit), o (ot), do (dot) apakai pengkaa dino:
is “i” followed by a “t” before nouns with an initial vowel: i valai, it uva,
i riniba, i pomogunan, i kampong, i vulan, i pongitungan, i kavavalazan
but: it anak, it aki, i karabau, i pongitungan, i vusak, it uva, it ombuvoi, it ongkukul, ong kodung i pongoretan varo kiuni sid kotimpuunan.
Referring to any house uses the marker “varo” Varo valai sid himbaan, varo’t ulun sid sulap.
Different from English which only uses the article “the” and “a” for any noun, whether being the subject or object in the sentence, Rungus uses a marker “di/dit” and “do/dot” before the noun, when the noun/name is not the subject of the matter expressed.
It anak dot agazo, i valai dot ulun, it anggai di kuvo, i binatang do Barambangun
The difference between using “dit”and “dot” indicates the relationship being general or specific
i valai di Asun, it anggai di Parazin, i binatang di Lagan, it anak di Arun, it uva do paranggi.
Topot, ong valai do pagong i namgama, varo tukad,
Mangakan di parangi di Asun, magandaha di valai do Popot, monurat do surat sid di Daang
i mato dot adau, i Arun manabpo di hakod di Arun,
For reading praxis read the little story: Arun and Asun in the kampong
2. Modsu sid bavang
I Asun om i Arun tumuhun antad sid karabau. I Asun om i Arun kumaa sid bavang.
Rumikot ioti sid bavang. Mongidu-no ioti do soval, tu modsu sid bavang.
I Asun om i Arun dino banalko otomon. Ogorot ioti dino misingkavaro. Elo i asun tumosog.
Tumolong i Asun sid saralom. Mongingut i Asun di Arun. Rumosi i Arun, tu amu milo tumosog.
Lumusu i Asun, tu manabpo di hakod di Arun. Mongogizak i Arun. Tumindal i Arun.
Gumusa i Asun di Arun.
Take Note: Any person all over the world will be able to read and pronounce this story without having knowledge of Momogun. He/she will be understood, as there is no difference between spelling and pronouncing. The person has only to keep in mind: One does not give any syllable a special stress or emphasis.
3. Lesson The root /stem of words I gamut/puun dit ongopongoretan do Rungus
The European languages like English, French, German, Spaniol ko Italy in use today are a mixture of many languages of different tribes of the past, being influenced by further other languages over the centuries. While Latin, the language of the Roman Empire around the time, when Jesus was living in Palestine, has greatly influenced the European languages until today, these Latinism are today pronounced in different ways, often hardly recognizable as former Latin words. While many forms of words are used in a similiar way in these various langauges as nouns, adjectives, verbs and other parts of speech, most of them follow a certain pattern and can be explained with the same terms: nouns, adjectives, verbs, pronouns, Other languages in the world have often other forms and ways of building compound words (adjectives, verbs, nouns etc). Rungus belongs to this second group of langauges like Hebrew and Arab, Hindi om Kina and many other vernaculars, which use affixes to varify the meaning of an expression.
Yet all forms carrying the meaning of a particular idea (root/stem) derive from the main part of the expression used in communicating with one another. Like a tree which consists first of one root and stem or trunk, from which grow out branches into twigs, from which the leaves and fruitbearing flowers develope the product..
root/stem - branches - twigs - leaves and flowers bringing forward fruits. To explain this developement is called Morphology The developing of forms....
It inantadon dit ongoboros di tasantanid-tanid o harati, nga retanko gamut ko puun iadko i gamut do kazu. I kazu, nga varo laid i gamut antad di linsou dot uva, nga sumuni i linsou om sumurut i batang ko i puun om iri-ogi mimbulai it ongoraan dit apapak om it otiniu sampai mimbulai it ongoroun om it ongovusak do kazu di pembulai dit ongouva.
While English uses rather an additional term to explain something e.g. take = kumavid, take away = manganu, take back =posuri, take in = tumorima, take life = mamatai, take off= go away, take part = mamung sid gamaon ,
the German has similar prefixes like Rungus changing the meaning of the main idea:
i boros German mamakai do prefixes miabal do Rungus di monimban di harati do gamut
schneiden=momudung zuschneiden = mongogunting, abschneiden=momompod, verschneiden=momudung dit amu nokonong sampai osusa do pada di barang ko kumut, beschneiden-monunat, umschneiden=momompod, Schnitt= i kopudungan, Abschnitt= i nobi di kopudungan, Verschnitt= i nobi do kumut, Zuschnitt= i kumit di nosodia bahagi momukul, Schneiderei= i kadai do monombil do ongosulungan, Schneider= i tukang do monombil,.schneidern= monombil.
nga kavi- avi manarang ombo o gama kadapat mangagama ong mamakai do gunting.
Ong Rungus: Imot= i gama mamakai dit mato. (imot, sirot, impa)
Adjective : o-imot =emot, visible
Verb mo-imot= memot see, mongemot look
past tense minemot saw miongimot looked nokemot have seen
imatan seeing kematan, kinematan, sight, past sight
noun pongimatan sight kopongimatan, intense look
intention mokimot wish to see, past tense minokimot,
to make pemot, to make see pinemot- pongemot, past of showing
tiimot, Desire to see or inspect, mokipopokotemot Wishing if possible to visit past minokipopokotimot.... Imat-imatan-po Wait and see
Varo vokoni do sampai labaan do 150 ot uva di gamut imot. There are ore than 150 alterations in using one stem(root).
Note: With the following lessons I shall try to explain along the English Grammar Adjective, noun, verb etc. And add how the Rungus Grammar works. For there is a big difference between English and Rnngus and is not very easy at each time to explain to and fro which language rule is prevailing. By using the technical Terms of Linguistics, therea are three steps to be described:
Phonology, the way the singe letters are pronounced
Morphology how the various affixes give the stem/root various meanings
Syntax how sentences are put together expressing matters, actions and aims ...
It is necessary at this stage to move to and fro following the two language rules.
Manjadi sid ongolesson vagu mongiim-oku do manarang, isuhut di vaza manarang ong English Grammar Adjective, noun, verb om vokon-i, om iri-ogi kopiamung-po i vaza di hoturan do Boros Rungus. Sabap banalko tanid i hoturan do boros English om Rungus, apagon ngaran do misoguli-guli pogili om manarang ombo it ahatuli.
Ong mamakai dit ongopongoretan do Linguistics mad varo tolu o tungkat manarang, ino-no Phonology i tudukan do mumbongot dit ongohurup
Morphology i tudukan do popitalad dit tasantanid-tanid o pongoretan di mutolid antad sid gamut/puun ko stem or root
iri-ogi Syntax i tudukan do popiamung dit ongopamarasan di manarang ombo o hal om kobuatan sampai i panangan om it siombo o kojodizan.
Ino dino ituduki, isuhut di hoturan do Rungus om vokon di dang Inggeris.
For reading praxis read the little story : Arun and Asun in the kampong
3. Mindakod sid nizu
Kemot i Asun do nizu. Migusa ioti tumangkus rumikot sid puun do nizu. Mindakod i Asun sid nizu. I Arun dino minud sid puun do nizu. Amu milo i Arun mindakod, tu amu opinit iosido. Asapou it uva do nizu. Mongupu i Asun dot uva. Mindahu vagu i Asun. Ogorot ioti mangakan do nizui dit omulok. Opongo-po mangakan, orualan do tizan i Arun om i Asun.
4. Lesson Nouns Pongoretan
There are different kinds of nouns :
common nouns the cat - it uzing, the dog -it asu the house - i valai the head - it ulu,
the foot i hakod, the knive i pisau the book - i buuk the boat - it alud, the tree - i kazu, the walk - i panau, the wall - i rinding
proper nouns or names Asun, Arun, Kudat, Asia, with initial Capital Rungus, Ubian, Dayak, Kudat, Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu, Tenom
abstract nouns the fear i korosizan, the joy i kohigakan the rule i hoturan
Plural of nouns ongo- The dogs, it ongoasu, the houses it ongovalai, the days
it ongoadau or it inadahan If concerning long past days
the men (man) it ongokusai, the women it ongoondu (ongondu) the thoughts =
it ongopongitungan, the longhouses it ongobinatang The teeths it ongonipon.
5. Pronouns
Personal pronouns representing the nouns: Arun likes koliabas I Arun tiakan do koliabas
He picks koliabas iosido mongupu do koliabas
“he” refers to Arun who likes guava he picks them from the tree
English and Rungus use three personal pronouns for single persons, matters, nouns and
three pronouns for more then one
1st person singular I together with the marker i-oku = ioku The marker is joined to the pronoun. When the pronoun is suffixed to a verb, no “i” Marker is needed
I go =mamanau-oku or with emphasis Ioku o mamanau
2nd person YOU I-kau= ikau You go mamanau-ko ko ikau o mamanau
3rd person HE /it Ialo/ izau he goes mamanau ialo ko izau o mamanau
Plural More than one many
1st person we go, mamanau tokou or emphasized i tokou o mamanau
2nd person you go mamanau-kou Or emphasized ikou o mamanau
3rd person they go mamanau iolo, ioti or emphasized Iolo o mamaanau ko ioti o m..
Note: It is a nonsense writing this marker “i” combined with the pronouns with a “y”. This “I” is one phoneme and should not be alternating with “y”. It is a matter of Momogun spelling, not following either the English spelling or BM spelling. ioku, ikau ialo, iolo, iokoi, i tokou....ioti. (Compare how English spelling uses the letter “y”.Learning English means learing each word sepeartely only, why, whisky, yacht, Yankee, year, yes)
Dual form: We two go mamanau kito emph. I kito o mamanau
(Rungus is one of a few languages which uses DUAL forms)
Possesive pronouns My house valai-ku Our house valai-za ko valai di tokou
emphasized i dohon do valai di tokou do valai inclusive) exclusive dahai do valai
2nd person your house i valai-nu your house (plural) valai dikou ko i dikou do valai
3rd Person his/her house i valai dau their house i valai diolo/dioti
Demonstrative pronouns point to something which is close by, further away or locally and in matters of time very distant: This Iti, that ino. that far away ilo, In time iri
these pronouns use like the marker a final “ti” before a vowel-initial noun. Emphasis repeats the pronoun afterthe noun
This house Iti valai diti, that house ino valai dino, that house far off ilo valai dilo,
that house some time ago Iri valai diri
Lokative pronouns explain the direction or distance of the noun by adding a initial “s” to the demonstrative pronoun siti, sino, silo, sori, siri
the house here iti valai siti, the house over there ino valai sino, ilo valai silo, iri valai siri
if indicating the place of the object (noun, person) the locator sid changes to sitid, sinod, silod, soirid, sirid We meet at this house Minsamung-okoi sitid valai, the hospital is sorid Ranau
that war took place at Iraq i rumpak dino nokosunu sorid Iraq.
For reading praxis read the little story 4. Mangagama do kurita
I Asun om i Arun miupakat mamanau sid govuton. Mogihim ioti di gamaon do kurita. I Asun om i Arun nokemot do kazu do kidalid dot alaab. Mitabang ioti momudung. Manganu ioti do hakod do kurita. Nopongo-po, mongovit i Arun om i Asun di kurita sid takad.
Sumako ioti sid kurita. Alangkas i kurita dino rumuhuk. Kodondtol i kurita sid kazu.
Kotubpo ioti sid sibak. Mogihad ioti. Nokinis i soval di Arun. Obutak i Asun, tu naratu sid lolobuhon do karabau.
5. Lesson Adjective Panarangan di kobuatan ko kogunaan do barang, hal (noun)
The adjective is a word which explains the form, quality, use or relation of nouns. In English it precedes the noun in question The big house The long house The tall tree
I panarangan di kobuatan do barang manarang di kogunaan om kapakazan ko i buatan di nunu-nopo. Vokon nga ogulu di noun, vokon-no ong kosuhut di pongoretan
The big house i valai dot agazo it agazo o valai the tall person it ulun dit anaru it anaru ot ulun
the fast car i kurita di alangkas it alangkas o kurita
the clear explanation i panarangan dit atalahas it atalahas o panarangan
the little food i kakanan dit okudik it okudik o kakanan
All adjectives in Rungus use a prefix A or O according to the first vowel of the root word
and are formed from the root word consisting of
a-langkas fast o-doot slow
o-orod=orod round a-lavis pointed
a-sakau dirty a-alus=alus clean
a-naru long o-nibak short
a-vagat heavy a-gaan light
a-gazo big, large o-podok small, little
This is the English way of describing different functions of a word: Adjectives, nouns, pronouns, adverbs, gerundives, prepositions, conjunctions, verbs in their different use.
For reading praxis read the little story
5. Manganu do kouvaan
I Asun om i Arun mirimpanau sid kabun om sid govuton. Mogihim ioti do kouvaan.
Ampalam, burungan, lansat, ratu, pulutan, imadang, bundu, koliabas, bongkurungan, matan, bonsiku, mogiton, rangalau, bambangan ko puvak.
I Asun dino om i Arun mogihim-nopo do kouvaan o tomodon dioti. Ogorot ioti mangakan do kouvaan. Oginisan o kouvaan ot ihimon dioti. Assot engkod dioti mivozo-vozo.
Nakatanga ioti sid himbaan. Kemot ioti do rangalau. Mindankod i Arun. I asu-nopo om sid tana. Manahau iosido dit uva. Tutuon di Arun i raan do rangalau. Ogumu o rumato it uva.
I rangalau dino mansak-no banal. Asapaou it uva. Noponu it obubut di Asun om i di Arun.
Avagat it obubut. Muli-no ioti sid valai. Otomon-no it idi om it ama di Asun om i di Arun. Mangakan ioti sokoviai
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