in the Zamboanga Peninsula (e.g., Cebuano and Chavacano), which includes the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga City. It is also spoken in Southern Palawan and in Eastern Sabah, Malaysia. Phonology Vowels Tausug has three vowel phonemes: /a/, /i/, /u/, with phonemic length (e.g. īpun, "shrimp" vs. ipun, "tooth"). Stress is not phonemic and usually occurs on the final syllable. The vowel phonemes have a broad range of allophones: /a/: /i/: /u/: Tausug has expectedly developed some variations in accent and vocabulary from one area to another, but there are two basic dialects characterized by differences with regard to vowel sounds. The "Gimbahanun" (literally means people from the farm) speakers, the residents of the out-of-town rural areas, use four vowels: /a/, /i/, /u/ and /ə/, the last vowel representing schwa sound or "obscure u", a retention from Proto-Philippine and Proto-Bisayan. The "Parianun", the residents of the urban areas, use only three vowel phonemes: /a/, /i/, /u/,; the loss of /ə/ is common in many Bisayan and other Philippine languages. Consonants The consonant phonemes are: Allophones: /b/: per default , but between vowels /g/: per default , but between vowels /h/: per default , but between vowels /r/: per default , but before /m,n,g,k/ Medial gemination (of all non-glottal consonants) is phonemic. Grammar Pronouns Personal pronouns Tausug has three pronouns sets: Demonstratives Case markers The case markers of Tausug are: Non-subject undergoers take the oblique marker when definite or a proper noun, but indefinite common nouns take the genitive marker sin. Hi Nasul in kimaun ha mampallam. "It was Nasul who ate the mango." Nagdakdak sin baju' in manga bujang. "The maidens washed clothes." Existentials The positive existential ("there is") is aun, the negative existential ("there is none") is way. Interrogative words Verbs Verbs in Tausug are inflected for focus and aspect. Affixes expressing ability: Numbers Tausug numerals: Writing system Tausug is today primarily written using the Latin alphabet. Historically, it had previously been written using the Arabic alphabet. The script used was inspired by the use of Jawi in writing the Malay language. An example of the Arabic alphabet in writing the Tausūg language: Latin script – Wayruun tuhan malayngkan Allāh, hi Muhammad ing (in) rasūl sin Allāh Arabic script – وَيْـرُٷنْ تُـهَـنْ مَـلَـيِـڠْـكَـن هَالله، هِـمُـحَـمَّـدْ ئِـڠ رَسُـولْ سِـڠ الله English translation – There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger