tigulang

Cebuano word: “tigulang”

1. Part of speech, meaning, basic usage, and sample sentences

Part of speech: adjective (also widely used as a noun meaning “elderly person”)
Core meaning: “old,” “elderly,” “aged” — refers to advanced age of people or living things, not to inanimate objects (use daan for objects).

Examples

• Tigulang na sila, apan kusgan gihapon. – They are already old, yet still strong.
• Nilakaw ang tigulang nga mag-uuma padulong sa uma. – The elderly farmer walked to the field.
• Tigulang kaayo ang iro, dili na mudagan kusog. – The dog is very old; it can’t run fast anymore.
• Girespeto nato ang atong mga tigulang. – We respect our elders.

2. Linkers and derivational suffixes

• Linkers
  • -ng before a consonant: tigulang-ng lalaki – old man.
  • nga before a vowel or for clarity: tigulang nga inahan – elderly mother.
• Degree and intensity
  • mas tigulang – older.
  • pinakatigulang – oldest.
  • tigulang-tigulang – rather old.
  • tigulang kaayo / tigulang gyud – very old / truly aged.
• Exclamatory and abstract nouns
  • Katigulang nimo! – How old you are!
  • katigulangan – elders, ancestry, old age collectively.
  • pagkatigulang – the state of being old.

(No productive verb “to become old” based on this root; speakers say nag-ka-tigulang “is getting old.”)

3. Typical sentence positions

1. Predicate adjective: Ang maestra tigulang na. – The teacher is already old.
2. Modifier with linker: tigulang-ng maestra – elderly teacher.
3. Complement after an emphatic phrase: Mao ni ang tigulang nga miyembro. – This is the elder member.

4. Common collocations

• tigulang nga tawo – old person
• tigulang nga mag-uuma – elderly farmer
• tigulang nga pariente – aged relative
• tigulang nga lider – senior leader
• tigulang nga iro – old dog

5. Detailed usage notes

“Tigulang” is the default Cebuano adjective (and often noun) for advanced biological age. It carries respect when used for people: mga tigulang can mean “the elders.” When placed directly before a noun, always attach a linker. It does not describe outdated objects — use daan for that (daan nga pasaporte “old passport”). Comparative and superlative follow the regular mas / pinaka- pattern. Reduplication (tigulang-tigulang) softens the sense (“fairly old”). Katigulangan is common when referring to one’s ancestors or a council of elders.

6. Common mistakes to watch for

• Leaving out the linker (✗ tigulang tawo → ✓ tigulang-ng tawo).
• Using tigulang for objects instead of daan.
• Placing mas after the adjective (✗ tigulang mas → ✓ mas tigulang).
• Separating pinaka from the root (✗ pinaka tigulang → ✓ pinakatigulang).
• Forgetting the hyphen or apostrophe in reduplication (✗ tigulangtigulang → ✓ tigulang-tigulang).

7. Five everyday conversational phrases

1. Tigulang na ta, pero pwede gihapon ta magkat-on. – We may be old, but we can still learn.
2. Mas tigulang siya kaysa nako. – He is older than I am.
3. Pinakatigulang siya sa among pamilya. – She is the oldest in our family.
4. Ayaw kalimti ang tambal sa tigulang. – Don’t forget the elder’s medicine.
5. Katigulang sa imong tingog, paminaw ko nimo. – Your voice sounds mature; I’m listening.

8. Five short conversation exchanges

1. Q: Tigulang ba ang imong lolo? – Is your grandfather old?
   A: Oo, tigulang kaayo siya, pero buotan ug kusgan. – Yes, he’s very old, yet kind and strong.
2. Q: Ngano mas tigulang man ka tan-awon karon? – Why do you look older today?
   A: Wala ko tulog, mao tingali. – I didn’t sleep; maybe that’s why.
3. Q: Kinsa ang pinakatigulang sa klase? – Who is the oldest in class?
   A: Si Carlo ang pinakatigulang, bainte-nwebe na. – Carlo is the oldest; he’s 29.
4. Q: Tigulang-tigulang na ba ang imong iro? – Is your dog rather old now?
   A: Oo, unom na ka tuig siya. – Yes, he’s already six years old.
5. Q: Unsaon nato pag-atiman sa tigulang nga bisita? – How shall we take care of the elderly guest?
   A: Hatagan nato siya og lingkoranan ug tubig. – We will give him a seat and water.

9. Multiple-choice dialogue questions

Q1. Tigulang ba ang imong silingan?
A. Oo, tigulang kaayo ang akong silingan.
B. Oo, silingan tigulang kaayo akong ang.
C. Oo, tigulang silingan kaayo ang akong.

Q2. Asa ang mas tigulang, si Ana o si Bea?
A. Mas tigulang si Ana kaysa si Bea.
B. Ana kaysa si Bea ang mas tigulang.
C. Mas tigulang kaysa si Ana si Bea.

Q3. Pinakatigulang ba kini nga miyembro sa simbahan?
A. Oo, pinakatigulang kini nga miyembro sa simbahan.
B. Oo, kini pinakatigulang miyembro sa simbahan.
C. Oo, miyembro kini pinakatigulang sa simbahan.

Q4. Ngano tigulang ra imong bisikleta?
A. Tigulang ra akong bisikleta kay dugay na nako ni gigamit.
B. Ang akong bisikleta tigulang ra kay gigamit ko dugay na.
C. Gigamit ko bisikleta tigulang ra akong ang dugay na.

Q5. Kinsa’y naay tigulang-tigulang nga awto sa baryo?
A. Si Mang Jun naay tigulang-tigulang nga awto.
B. Naay si Mang Jun tigulang-tigulang awto.
C. Awto tigulang-tigulang naay si Mang Jun.

Answer key with brief explanations

• Q1 → A is correct. Predicate tigulang kaayo precedes the subject; B and C scramble article order.
• Q2 → A is correct. Follows standard “Mas tigulang si X kaysa si Y.” Others misplace comparative parts.
• Q3 → A is correct. Pinakatigulang comes before kini; B and C mis-order demonstrative and noun.
• Q4 → A is correct. Predicate first, then reason clause; B awkward, C ungrammatical.
• Q5 → A is correct. Sequence “naay + subject + description” intact; B and C break it.