THE SUPRASEGMENTAL PHONEMES OF THE TAUSUG IN GENSAN

This study determined the Suprasegmental Phonemes of the Tausug in GenSan. It involved thirty (30) respondents, which are composed of ten (10) adolescents, ten (10) adults, and ten (10) elderly who are located in Purok, Kulasi, Labangal, General Santos City. The study focused on analyzing the suprasegmental phonemes in terms of pitch, stress, length of the word, and juncture. The researcher used an adapted and modified questionnaire from Abdelrahim's (2020) to determine the suprasegmental phonemes of the Tausug in GenSan. The analysis of the Tausug language is done by using a computer software named RTPITCH. This software was used to investigate and observe how the participants recorded the pronunciation of a predetermined word in the questionnaire. The suprasegmental phonemes of the adolescent, adult, and elderly Tausug differ in pitch, and adults speak louder than adolescents and the elderly. While in stress, word length and juncture produced the same. Regardless of the fact that the Tausug people live in an area where Cebuano is the dominant language, their use of the Tausug sound was relatively unaffected because they acquire their 1st language from their parents, which is Tausug language. Then they learn the 2nd language from school, which is the Cebuano. The same is true regardless of the difference in age and gender.