Morphological Variations of the Cebuano and Hiligaynon-Visayan Languages in the Local Dailies of Negros Island

Abstract

The study seeks to analyze morphological variation in Cebuano and Hiligaynon as used in local newspapers and magazines on Negros Island. Employing a descriptive linguistic analysis grounded in morphological theory, the study analyzes selected articles from local dailies on Negros Island between 2017 and 2018. A significant research gap exists in the detailed morphological analysis of Cebuano-Visayan and Hiligaynon-Visayan languages within the context of Negros Island's local dailies. Although phonological, lexical, and contextual aspects have been studied, research on morphological structures— such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs—in published media remains scarce. This gap limits our understanding of how these languages function in contemporary, real-world communication. The study analyzed a corpus of 30 local newspaper articles (approx. 20,000 words) published between 2017 and 2018, sourced from NewsRecord (15 articles), Pikpik sa Abaga (10), and other regional dailies (5), with individual articles ranging from 300 to 1,200 words and selected for their language use, cultural relevance, and a 100-word minimum length. The findings show that although there is significant lexical overlap between the two languages, there are also clear morphological distinctions, particularly in word formation, stress patterns, and affixation. The study highlights that although CV and HV share similar linguistic origins, they nevertheless exhibit distinct morphological traits shaped by regional and cultural factors. These results highlight the importance of preserving regional languages and expanding our understanding of the linguistic diversity in the Philippine context. The study's implications extend beyond classroom instruction to language preservation, documentation, and promotion, all of which are integral to cultural heritage management.