A phono-lexicostatistical analysis of Bikol-Sorsogon varieties

Abstract

This descriptive-comparative research analyzed eleven Bikol-Sorsogon varieties. A word list of 200 basic vocabulary words served as instrument in gathering the data through semi-structured interviews. This study used purposive sampling in selecting twenty two participants based on the criteria that screened for Bikol-Sorsogon native speakers. Phono-lexicostatistics finalized the data analysis which comprised of phonetic and lexical comparison, phonetic and lexical similarity calculation, and data interpretation with regard to the relationship between the speech varieties. The percentages of apparent cognates revealed four main groups among the eleven Bikol-Sorsogon varieties. This relationship also validated the findings of preceding researches which classified Bikol-Sorsogon varieties into four subgroups. Thus, phono-lexicostatistics proved to be a systematic and effective method in analyzing several language varieties with only limited data available. With the dearth of literature and studies in Bikol-Sorsogon varieties, this research should serve as starting point for a more exhaustive linguistic investigation.