Kabalian language
Kinabalian (also Cabalianon or Kinabalianon) is a Warayan language spoken by about 14,000 people in San Juan, a town in Southern Leyte, Philippines. It is native to Cabalianon speakers and is part of the Austronesian language family, in the Philippine group and the Warayan branch. Although closely related to Waray-Waray, Kabalian is not mutually intelligible with Waray-Waray, Boholano, Cebuano, or Surigaonon, and its speakers do not identify with those language communities. The language has influences from Boholano, Cebuano, and Surigaonon, especially Surigaonon due to early contact with Surigao; mountains separate southern Leyte from Waray-Waray, while the sea facilitated contact with other languages.
Kabalian is spoken in six eastern villages of San Juan (Cabalian) town. In western areas such as Pong-oy and Himatagon, Cebuano and Boholano influence is stronger because of migrant settlers, contributing to a decline of Kabalian there.
Some basic Kabalian words for "where" are haman, ngain, and diin, each used differently: haman for asking about a person or object, ngain for places, and diin for directions or origin.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:23 (CET).