Cebuano Grammar Feature: The Linker "nga"

Linkers are major features of Visayan language. They connect a part of speech to the word that modifies it. Let me illustrate it further. Now, Try to master the following nouns:

house
balay

sea
dagat


store
tindahan


flower
buwak

person/man
tawo


If you have mastered that, study the following adjectives:


big
daku


deep
lawum


small
gamay


beautiful (objects)
nindut


kind
buotan


Let's study this phrase:

lami nga pagkaon

There are basically two words that comprise this:

"lami," which means delicious or great and "pagkaon," which means food.

When they are combined, they form lami nga pagkaon, notice that it is linked by "nga."

lami modifies pagkaon, meaning, it is not just any ordinary tasting food, it is a delicious food.

now, try combining the nouns with the modifiers. Now, try to invert the position of the nouns and the modifiers. Whether it is the noun that comes first or the modifier, the result will give the same meaning.