Asi’ (Bantoanon)

Situated north of Romblon Province’s main islands Tablas, Romblon and Sibuyan, the relatively small island district of Banton can be seen from Simara Island.

Language information: The Asi’ language is also referred to as Bantoanon, by some also by specific localities such as Calatravanhon, Odionganon, Sibalenhon or Simaranhon, or generalized as Bisaya (Visayan). It is the Visayan variety of the relatively small Banton island district of the Philippines’ Romblon Province, a province that consists entirely of smaller islands within the Visayan chain in the center of the country. Banton is situated in the north of the province, a short distance north of Sibuyan Island, the pride of Romblon Province. Aside from Banton, Asi’ is used on Tablas (Odiongan and Calatrava Municipalities), Simara (Corcuera Municipality) and on Maestre de Campo (or Sibale).
     Asi’ is used by a good 200,000 people, only a few of which are monoglots. Most Asi’ speakers know Tagalog as well, many also Romblomanon and English.
     While, like most other languages of the Philippines, it is lexically fairly innovative, Asi’ has some archaic phonological features. For instance, what in Tagalog has developed into d is r in Asi’, which is also attested in Old Tagalog. However, what in Tagalog is l corresponds to y in Asi’, and this may be an innovation. An interesting lexical item is Bisaya meaning ‘speech’ or ‘language’, while Bisaya’ (with a final glottal stop) refers to the people of Visaya.

Genealogy: Austronesian > Malayo-Polynesian > Western > Philippines > Central > Visayan

Historical Lowlands language contacts: English

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