Chavacano

Chavacano or Philippine Creole Spanish is a Spanish-based creole language spoken in parts of the Philippines, especially in and around the city of Zamboanga, by over 600,000 people. There are also speakers of the Zamboanga dialect of Chavacano in Sempornah, Malaysia. It is the only Spanish-based creole in Asia and the only non-Austronesian language to have developed in the Philippines.

Chavacano combines vocabulary mainly from Spanish, with grammar mainly from Tagalog and Cebuano. There are two main varities of Chavacano in Zamboanga - a formal variety that contains more Spanish vocabulary, and an informal variety containing more vocabulary from Tagalog, Cebuano and other Philippine languages.

Chavacano is used primarily as a spoken language which dates back to 1635, when Zamboanga became a permanent Spanish stronghold with the construction of the San José Fortress. Recently a standard written form has began to emerge.

As a general orthographic rule, all words of Spanish/European and Mexican origin are spelt according to their original spelling in the Spanish alphabet. Words from Philippine languages are spelt in the native way along Spanish rules. For example: jendeh, meaning no or not, is not spelled as hinde because h is always silent in the Spanish alphabet, thus it is not spelled as in Tagalog.

There are six dialects of Chavacano, each with a number of different names:

Zamboanga dialect (about 360,000 speakers): Zamboangueño, Chavacano/Chabacano/Chabakano de Zamboanga
Cavite dialect (about 200,000 speakers): Caviteño, Chavacano/Chabacano/Chabakano de Cavite, Caviten, Linguaje di Niso, Tsabakano
Ermita dialect: Ermiteño or Ermitaño (practically extinct)
Ternate dialect (about 7,000 speakers): Ternateño Chabacano, Bahra, Linguaje di Bahra.
Davao dialect (about 18,000 speakers): Davaoeño, Davaweño, Davawenyo, Davawenyo Zamboangenyo, Abakay Spanish, Davao Chabacano/Chavacano/Chabakano.
Cotabato dialect (about 20,500 speakers): Cotabateño, Cotabato Chabacano/Chavacano/Chabakano.

Chavacano alphabet and pronunciation (Zamboanga dialect)

Notes

C = [s] when followed by e or i, and [k] when followed by a, o or u
G = [x] when followed by e or i, and [g] when followed by a, o or u

Sample text in Chabacano de Zamboanga

Todo'l maga ser humano nace libre e igual en dignidad y maga derecho. Dotado con ellos el razon y conciencia y debe ellos comporta fraternalmente con el maga uno con el maga otro.

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Sample text in Chabacano de Cavite

Todo el mga genti ya naci libre y igual na dignidad y derecho. Tieni ilos rason y conciencia y debi ilos trata cun uno y otro comu mga hermano.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Lord's Prayer in Common Chavacano of Zamboanga

Tata de amon talli na cielo,
bendito el de Usted nombre.
Manda vene con el de Usted reino;
Hace el de Usted voluntad aqui na tierra,
igual como alli na cielo.

Dale kanamon el pan para cada dia.
Perdona el de amon maga culpa,
como ta perdona kame con aquellos
quien tiene culpa kanamon.
No deja que hay cae kame na tentacion
y libra kanamon na mal.

Lord's Prayer in Formal Chavacano of Zamboanga

Nuestro Tata talli na cielo,
bendito el de Usted nombre.
Manda vene con el de Usted reino;
Hace el de Usted voluntad aqui na tierra,
igual como alli na cielo.

Dale con nosotros el pan para cada dia.
Perdona el de nuestro maga culpa,
como nosotros ta perdona con aquellos
quien tiene culpa con nosotros.
No deja que nosotros hay cae na tentacion
y libra con nosotros de mal.