The language of this tribe, while quite uniform among its divisions,
varies considerably from that of any of their coast neighbors. There is
at once noticeable a more common use of obscure vowel and consonant
sounds, such as b, f, E, a, and k, in the beginning, end or even in the
body of the word; while the letter f, seldom found in Philippine
dialects, is here very common; and finally, there is wide variation in
vocabulary.
There are certain ill-defined tales to the effect that this tribe once
lived about Lake Buluan, and one writer[72] has attempted to show that
the tribal name is derived from that early home. Today they are still in
considerable numbers in that region, and this together with the fact
that they are now, and have been since the advent of the white man,
primarily an interior mountain people, helps to give credence to the
belief that they have spread to their present homes from the lake
district. Their language is a further proof that they have long been
separated from the people of the Davao Gulf region, for it differs more
from all the other dialects studied than did any of these vary among
themselves. Despite the foregoing statement, this brief sketch has shown
that in material culture, religion, and even physical type this tribe
does not differ radically from the Bagobo.
[72] BLUMENTRITT, _Smithsonian Report_ for 1899.