The State of Blaan and Tboli Linguistics

The Philippines, a diverse archipelagic country with over 7,000 islands, is home to 184 living established languages, 175 of which are indigenous. Lying within the prolific landscapes of Mindanao are the Blaan and Tboli indigenous communities, who have cultivated unique linguistic traditions that form the foundation of their cultural heritage. Although research on the different linguistic domains of the Blaan and Tboli languages has been conducted, most are outdated, and few explicitly discuss the current situation of Blaan and Tboli linguistics. This paper attempts to fill the gap by focusing on the developments of Blaan and Tboli linguistics. This paper uses archival research to review what has been accomplished in the development of Blaan and Tboli linguistics in the areas of lexicography, phonology, morphology and syntax, discourse, and literacy materials. The concluding section assesses the implications of these studies for the field and offers suggestions for future work.